#she was a ball python and would have been three years old this year

[colorful-otaku]

I would've put this in the tags but it's a lot lmao

So basically i was petting my snake while putting her into her feeding tub and that was not a good idea cause she bit my pinky

It didn't hurt, the shock is much worse than the bite, but it did bleed more than i expected and bruised cause my bb girl had a strong jaw and I'm proud of her❤️

Another time i did not give her physical warning before taking her out if her terrarium and she very politely put her mouth around the side of my hand to be like Hey Wtf so i put her back in her tank.

For context i had her for about 2 years at that point and EVERY time i got her out i would always pet her before getting her out to make sure she is awake and knows I'm there yk

If you said yes to the first 3 please explain in the tags what animal it was and what was the damage

[spacefinch]

Magic School Bus/Wild Kratts crossover masterpost

Basically, @daiohficblog and I have been coming up with lots of headcanons that cross over the shows.

WARNING: This post is by no means organized.

How does everyone know each other?

First of all, Ms. Frizzle knows everyone. So of course she would know the Kratt brothers and the rest of the WK team (Aviva, Koki, and Jimmy).

The MSB kids are introduced to the Wild Kratts team during a whale-watching trip off the New England coast.

Phoebe's uncle, Dr. Cecil Byrd, is a traveling ornithologist from Australia and often bumps into the WK team.

Creature powers:

The kids all have their own creature power suits (which Aviva made them for Christmas one year).

Color schemes:

Phoebe: Red

D.A.: Violet (different from purple!!!)

Carlos: Dark blue

Tim: Cerulean

Ralphie: Green

Arnold: Yellow

Wanda: Pink

Keesha: Fuchsia/Magenta

Other hc's

Carlos and Mikey's sibling dynamic parallels Martin and Chris's dynamic. You have the older sibling who likes to goof off and the younger bro with slightly more brain cells.

First creature power the kids used:

Carlos and DA: Peregrine falcon

Ralphie, Arnold, and Phoebe: Red fox

Tim: Pine marten

Keesha: Rattlesnake

Wanda: Bullfrog

Family/pets/whatnot.

Phoebe and Ralphie are step-siblings in this universe. They also have the most pets:

Brandy (a grumpy old tortoiseshell cat). Dr. Tennelli (Ralphie's mom) adopted her before Ralphie was born. Former stray.

Joxter, a black-and-white tomcat. Brandy's son. Adventurous, but also lazy (rather like his namesake from the Moomin books). Good swimmer.

Renee and Megan: Two red foxes, rescued from a fur farm. Renee has the "normal" reddish-orange coat, and Megan is leucistic.

Jeanette: An old border collie (female). Another rescue.

Loretta: A black-and-white Newfoundland dog. 6 years old.

Charlie: a piebald ball python. (Not sure whether Charlie should be a boy or a girl.)

Fang: a male red-kneed tarantula belonging to Ralphie.

HC's continued (not in any particular order)

Carlos is very arachnophobic-- so he tries to avoid spiders at all costs. However, most other "scary" animals (sharks, crocodilians, snakes, bats, etc...) don't frighten him.

Martin and Chris have become somewhat of "elder sibling figures" for the kids.

Wanda is the water-lover of the MSB gang. She brings her snorkeling/scuba gear WHEREVER she goes.

Phoebe and Ralphie (AKA the Terese-Tennelli siblings) like to visit Ralphie's uncle Brian at the lake to go fishing. It's the same lake where the "Bass Class" fishing contest took place.

Uncle Brian (Dr. Tennelli's younger brother) is an expert fisherman.

In the fishing contest before the events of "Bass Class," Brian won first place in the local fishing contest, and Gavin came in third. Fortunately, Brian is a lot nicer about winning and losing than a certain cheater named Zach.

The WK kids of Frogwater Pond (Gavin, Ronan, Jenny, Katie, Aidan, and Nolan) are in this AU, and they know the MSB kids. (Since they know Phoebe and Ralphie, who come to their forest every summer).

Carlos has two younger siblings: Mikey (one year younger) and Maria (three years younger).

Mikey is a computer/tech prodigy, and as such, often helps Aviva with her inventions. He also makes his own inventions (for which Carlos is usually the test subject). He uses a wheelchair to get around.

Maria is the math expert of her siblings. She is also deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate.

Mikey might not be able to walk, but he's good at a lot of things: fishing, kayaking/canoeing, playing the piano, and more.

Phoebe and Carlos (the most avid birdwatchers of the MSB gang) have developed a "secret language" composed entirely of birdcalls. One key part of this language is that anyone using it has a birdcall that stands in for their name.

For instance, Phoebe's bird name is the eastern phoebe's song, while Carlos uses the northern cardinal's song for his name.

They also teach the birdcall language to Martin and Chris, who use the calls of the purple martin and pileated woodpecker, respectively. It does not go well.

Phoebe might seem harmless, but she isn't. She's been taking karate classes since she was little, and if you hurt any animals around her, RUN. In fact, she's rather like her avian namesake: small and unassuming, but a fighter through and through.

Wanda is even more of a fighter-- leading to the bird nerds in both crews comparing her to a kingbird.

The Ice Cream Run is a time-honored tradition of both the MSB gang and the Wild Kratts team. Some details:

The best Ice Cream Runs are at night. Everyone get in the car/bus/Tortuga and head for the ice cream store.

You do not want to interrupt the Ice Cream Run. Under ANY circumstances. (The WK villains learned this the hard way.)

Phoebe and Martin bond over the fact that they share their names with birds. (The eastern phoebe and purple martin, respectively.

Any time either of them sees one of those birds, they'll send each other a picture of said bird with the caption "this you?"

Wanda can pilot the Cheetah Racer and the Amphisub and the Buzz Bikes. She is not allowed in the Tortuga's cockpit.

Carlos can pilot most of the underwater vehicles (the Amphisub and the Manta sleds), but he always crashes the hoverbikes.

Mikey usually helps Koki with system maintenance of the Tortuga. (At least in the early days, when he's still learning how to make computer programs without any bugs.)

How each of the kids handles being captured by any of the WK villains:

Arnold: Carlos shows up and frees him. (The two of them are rock bros, and rock bros always have each others' backs.)

Carlos: Annoying them with horrible puns and messing with their tech.

DA: Smacks the villains with her books.

Keesha: Also resorts to punching.

Phoebe: Fury of the bird she's named after.

Ralphie: Smacks the villains with his baseball bat.

Tim: Escape artist.

Wanda: Crowbar to the face. (Nobody knows where she got the crowbar.)

Wanda has only been captured once. After that time, none of the villains dare to capture her again.

Pretty much all the MSB kids (Arnold included) will resort to violence or trickery if they're captured.

Carlos might be the goofball of the MSB gang, but he can switch into serious mode very quickly-- especially when one of his younger siblings or friends is in danger.

MSB kids from oldest to youngest: Carlos, D.A., Wanda, Tim, Keesha, Arnold, Ralphie, and Phoebe.

There is a 6-month age gap between Carlos (born in October) and Phoebe (born in April).

By contrast, the shortest age gap is between D.A. and Wanda, who were born one week apart in November.

Carlos's favorite creature power to use is peregrine falcon power-- to the point where he always keeps a falcon feather with him.

Tim is the climbing expert of the MSB gang. Wanda is the swimming expert.

Tim is also the only person in the "I Injured Myself Falling Out of a Tree" club (which comprises himself, Phoebe, Wanda, Carlos, and Chris) who has never broken a bone.

Every now and then, Carlos (dinosaur nerd) will contact the Tortuga to tell them he's seen a dinosaur. They know full well that he means birds.

Wanda rescues her pet bullfrog Bella from a shady pet store while Bella is still a tadpole.

As in the "Hopes Home" MSB episode, Bella escapes and goes off to live in the wild. However, Wanda can't help but worry about her.

HC that Bella escaped to Frogwater Pond, and the kids there keep an eye on her.

The "Gets Swamped" episode of MSB is also canon to this AU. After the events of that episode, the swamp Carlos helped save is made a nature preserve in his honor.

Carlos and Wanda are practically adopted twins, and they share a brain cell.

Wanda technically has two brothers, but she doesn't get along with them very well. She argues a lot with her older brother Henry (they both get on each others' nerves), and there isn't a lot she can do with her younger brother William.

Martin and Chris have substitute-taught Ms. Frizzle's class a few times. It ends up being just as chaotic (if not more so) than the days when the Friz is there.

This is all I have. Will post more headcanons if I think of more.

[authoralexharvey]

primrose, cosmos, and bluebell!! <3

Hey there 💕💕 thanks for the ask!

primrose— how long does it take for you to get ready for the day what does your routine usually consist of?

So the actual time I spend getting ready is like. 15 minutes. That said, my general routine is as follows:

Wake up at 7am

Put on a video I have saved in my watch list (video essay, let's play, game critique, something.)

Scroll through/catch up on socials from the night before (mostly mindless scrolling tbh)

Repeat for 45 minutes

Get up at 7:45 for realsies

Throw on clothes for the day

Get breakfast if I'm hungry (I'm usually not)

Prepare lunch if I know what I'll want later (usually not) or snacks for later

Check with car-pool buddy and either be picked up or wait to be picked up

Very recently, I have added cat-related activities to this list, and I'll explain why further down ;)

cosmos— what's the best compliment you've ever received? who was it from?

Oh man that's a tough question. There's a review from one of the anthologies that I was in that really stuck with me tbh.

In general, WTTV got a fair few mentions in reviews (as it should, I say as the totally-unbiased author of it) but this one really takes the cake for me. Someone loved my short enough to mention it by name and use it as a selling point of the whole anthology. Idk man that really hits different, you know?

bluebell— do you have any pets? if so, what are their names?

Ah yes this question has me so excited I had to wait until I was home to answer. I'm putting the rest of this under a read-more cause the images are large lmao. Tl;dr, we have three: Lyndis (a turtle), Sagora (a snake), and newly-acquired Pebble (a cat).

So. My fiance and I have three pets.

The first is a turtle named Lyndis, and I'm pretty sure she's named after a Fire Emblem character. We (he) have had her the longest. She's... I think five years now? Not sure. She's kind of a brat sometimes, but I love her.

The second pet is a ball python named Sagora. I adopted her from an old roommate who is obsessed with Warhammer 40k, and I'm pretty sure he named her after some character from that world. I decided not to change her name. She's a pastel vanilla morph and looks like a banana. Below, you can see her being a very helpful snek.

Lastly, and the most recent addition to our family, is our cat Pebble. We RECENTLY got her, which is why you haven't heard about her before. She got herself into some trouble today, but has otherwise been a very sweet cat to have around. She, too, we ended up adopting from someone. Like Sagora, she came with the name, and I really can't think of anything that would suit her better at this time. So, Pebble she stays.

[doberbutts]

sorry if this shows my ignorance around dog breeds, but is there a chance that DCM in Dobermanns is sort of inevitable? i know that certain reptiles morphs have certain issues inextricable to the morph (like spider ball pythons and wobble), and i was wondering if dog breeds worked similar - like, if it’s possible that no matter what, if you have a dog with x traits bred in it will also have y health issues. or would it be possible to completely start from scratch and get a healthier version of the Dobermann? again, sorry if this sounds like total bullshit but it breaks my heart to read about DCM in Dobermanns and i was wondering if that could plausibly be the issue

Unfortunately, while I think it's not as simple as the morph problem we have in various reptiles, I do think this may be a major factor.

Not to say that doberman simply = DCM, or that black and tan is a major factor, though for all we know it very well could be. However the breed's gene pool has narrowed to about 8 dogs over the years due to various bottlenecks and other serious inbreeding rampant even in the breed's beginning. While Dobermann used whatever random dogs he caught off the street that were aggressive, he also frequently bred mother to son and then bred those siblings together until he got a dog that was consistently mean as all getout. Those who took over the breed after Dobermann died also used the same methods to quickly create a very consistent breed temperament and type. This is why, even though technically the gene pool was very wide due to the use of random dogs, the breed was already highly inbred by the time we started seeing some major problems.

There are accounts of dogs dying from "sudden collapse" "heat stroke (on a 60F day)" "mysterious death in kennel" "apparent seizure" and more dating all the way back to the 1930s. That means by the time the doberman breed was established as a breed, we already had DCM snapping at our heels. Unfortunately, we just didn't know enough about it to call it what it was, and people were more disconnected then than they are now.

Think of it this way: recently a distant cousin of Tater's was diagnosed with the exact same neurological condition she has. These dogs are related but I'm in the US and her cousin is in eastern Europe. I know this occurred because we happen to both occupy some of the same corners of the internet. But without the internet, how am I supposed to know that it seems like there's a genetic "brain too big for head disease" occurring in a dog all the way across the world from us? How would I even know to tell them to watch out for it, or to warn them that it's in the lines? This still is somewhat of a problem, when you consider culture and language barriers preventing people from being able to warn each other that their related dogs are having a problem and to try and fix it in the lines. Now imagine a world where the only way to do this was to already have known both the person and the address in advance, to know the language they speak since it's different from yours, and to send a letter by mail aka by ship and by driving and by foot because airplanes either haven't been invented yet (when dobes were first made) or because airplanes weren't commonly used as mail carriers yet so that means you walk down to the post office, give them a letter, and maybe maybe three months later that person gets your letter saying "my dog from you died at 4 years old from ??????? suddenly".

And, again, DCM as a diagnosis was not fully recognized as a heart problem until relatively recently, some time in the 70s. So if we had dogs dying from "sudden collapse and death" in the 30s, but only figured out that "sudden collapse and death" in dogs is largely DCM in the 70s, and still to this day 50 years later we have neither a cure nor a predictive test nor a preventative measure to take against it... Just how screwed are we, and is there any point to outcrossing in the first place if it's become synonymous with the breed itself?

[kyunisixx]

chiaroscuro

artist!Robert Plant AU one shot.

a/n: this really started out as a song I wanted to write. But I knew I had to turn it into a longer writing!!

themes: fluff, mild implications of nsfw and tw: childhood trauma.

summary: in which Y/N becomes a muse for Robert, a landscape artist in more ways than one. (Man, that summary is so shit but let's roll with it)

pairing: artist!Robert Plant x fem!reader

chi·a·ro·scu·ro

the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting.

an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly or from a particular direction on something.

"Lean back for me a bit more, darling. That's right, relax."

As she moves, the old sofa creaks beneath her. Chilled air gusts through a partially opened window, making her shiver and sending miniscule bumps all over her bare skin. Her eyes drift over the fixtures inside the cozy cabin, illuminated by an outmoded oil lamp situated on the man's table. Several tiny moths were floating around it as the flame wavered ever so slightly from the breeze.

Scattered were all paintbrushes and smudges of paint were messily smeared all over the table. A round board was placed so close at the edge (one she heard him call before —a palette). In the middle is a rustic cup with half-empty, now cold tea. But a paint-smudged hand grasped on its handle and swiftly brought it over to a mouth. 

Then her eyes met his.

His frizzled, curly blond locks are pulled into a disheveled bun. One he pinned up so carelessly with a thin, unused paintbrush as to prevent it from obstructing his view but a few ringlets managed to escape and are now framing his face.

Ivory-colored shirt, a few buttons undone to reveal smooth skin of his collarbones which were also marked with a few shades of paint. Some scattered across his jawline to his cheek. 

Lips are pursed and eyes are pulled into deep concentration, they are set into a particular part of her. As if to capture the exact curvature of the crease on her waist.

Salient was the cleft on his chin and the sharp edge of his cheekbones by the incandescent light lent by the lamp, making him look like a contrast between sinister and elegance.

He dipped a brush and carefully made short strokes on the canvas, pausing every now and then to look at her.

The sun was setting and the sky was shaded a dull gray, providing so little of brightness which seemed to have darkened even more being situated in a lush forest.

Many months ago at this time of the day, she would have just been getting up from her sleep. Wake up and get ready for a long shift. It was a routine she had gotten so used to every day.

Take a bath. Eat. Pick out an outfit. Put on makeup. Be into the persona.

She would become a completely different person as soon as she stepped into the establishment she knew for as long as she moved into the town a few months ago.

From having to move into different cities and using different names to hide her identity. All of it to escape the filthy and haunted ghost of her past. 

Screaming. Glass breaking. Bruises. Slamming doors.  All of the things a child shouldn't have to go through. She took a risk and ran away from it.

And here is where she ended up thirteen years later.

Lacklustre eyes unmoving as they steadily stared back at her in a blurry mirror inside the changing room. All the girls' chattering seemed to have been muted and faded in the background as she gazed at her reflection. She picked up the small item in her hand, before taking the cap off and swiped the crimson lipstick across her chapped lips, creating a thick shade.

"Y/N, you ready to go?"

She turned her head back to Don, the club manager. She smiled and moved her head in a single nod.

“Sure, Don. Just give me a short moment”. She adjusted the strap of her black velvet dress and walked on the familiar, dimly lit hallway. Her stilettos clapped quietly on the floor as she padded and stopped in front of a red curtain covering the doorway from the side to the stage. 

"How's it going, folks? Alright, alright. I'd get right into it. This is the moment you've all been waiting for. The crowd favourite, slithers like a python, mistress of the night; Marilyn"

Then, she waited as the main lights switched off and took her cue to enter as smoke filled the platform. Coloured lights gleamed right through. She situated herself right in the middle then circled her hand on the pole as the first note of the song started to hum quietly. Like a distant patter of rain—calm before the storm. Her hips moved into the rhythm and fluidly sneaked around the pole as the cloud of smoke started to clear out. Gazing into the crowd of men, her blood-red lips quirk into a smirk.

It was the only time she knew she had complete power and control. And she relished it, savoring the potency. 

Her hands smoothed all over her now slightly perspired skin as men clamored and hooted for her. Bills were haphazardly thrown into the dancefloor. Something that she wasn't used to when she first started, it made her feel cheap. Dirty. But her routine carried on almost every night, she eventually got used to it and had even grown to like it.

Then she spotted him. 

Big ball of golden hair illuminated by stage lights. He was situated amongst the sea of predators, his eyes followed the fluidity of her movements. But what struck her the most was the way he was watching her. It wasn't shadowed by lust, but more of an intense wonder and curiosity. It was as if he was memorizing each part of her curves, but for another purpose.

Her gaze somewhat mirrored his. He definitely wasn't strange-looking. Hell, he might have been the most beautiful man she has ever seen. He didn't belong to a place where no good men wander around. Both his beguiling beauty and aura was completely out of place for such a place like this.

The song then came to a stop. Her number was over but her eyes remained locked with his. It was only then she came back to consciousness as Don's voice boomed into the large speakers, signalling the end of her performance. She collected the bills scattered on the floor and walked off the stage, throwing a last glance into the crowd as she took her exit.

He was gone.

He wouldn't show up for a couple of days. She was sure, of course. The moment she steps out, her eyes would already be skimming through the lounge, and would sigh in disappointment if she didn't spot any sign of him.

"Have you seen your mysterious man yet?"

One of the girls she was closest to, Hershey, asked as she counted the thick block of bills on her hand.

"He wasn't out there tonight"

"You could have been hallucinating. Anyway, you told me he was 'like an angel'"

Hershey laughed, mimicking the way she had said the last part with a breathy tone and added, "Or could have been disappointed in your dance number, ran away and swore to not step a foot into this place again"

She stopped momentarily, chuckled lightly and sighed, "You may not be far from the truth but we'll see."

Then he would be there the next night, positioned right at a table at the back. His curly locks gave his identity right away, with his elbows propped up and fingers poised against his chin, bearing the same gaze. 

Later that night, he'd be waiting right outside of the club.

"The show was spectacular."

She tilted her head to him, nodded and smiled.

"Thank you."

She wasn't sure how it ended up with her sitting on a stool inside a cozy 24-hour operating diner so late at night, chatting with her "mysterious man" late at night, who introduced himself as Robert. He was apparently a landscape artist and has traveled the world where he finds inspirations for his works.

"The best place I have ever been to? Hm. I'd say Machu Picchu, set in the high mountains of Andes in Peru, above a river called Urubamba. I had to hike all the way up, and you could see the breathtaking view when you reach the top."

"That does sound very lovely." She sighed wistfully.

"Have you ever traveled anywhere outside the country?"

"Oh no, I have not. I move to different places a lot but I've never gone out, never had the chance to."

"Ah, you should! It's wonderful."

She nodded, "Do you only do landscaping?"

"Well, no. I do a little bit of abstract art but I focus mainly on landscaping. I was thinking of expanding more, though. Maybe portrait, or nude art."

"That's a good idea. An artist has to come out of his comfort zone and be able to become great."

"Yeah…", he trailed off, as if lost in thought. "I hope this doesn't come off as strange or I as a creep. But may I ask you to be my muse? Don't worry! We'll only do portrait." He added the last sentence quickly.

She tilted her head to the side and looked at him, her brows furrowed deep in thought.

"You don't have to s—"

"I'll do it."

A few days later, she was again popped up on a stool inside his flat just a few blocks away from the club. His place was spacious, but had a very rustic feel to the interior design. A few souvenirs from different countries were neatly placed on a shelf and most of his paintings were hung stylistically on the walls (in which she stared at in complete awe for what she could tell an hour each painting until he had to drag her away to his studio)

Her fingers fiddled as she tried to stay still under his calculating gaze. She never had much problem with how she looked and never had insecurities. Perhaps she just didn't care enough to be insecure. But at that moment, she thought of how she must've appeared to him and if she was good-looking enough to be an inspiration for his art.

"Are you alright there?"

"Yes! Yes, I… Yeah I'm alright."

His hand stopped and placed the paintbrush on the table. "Are you sure? If you're not comfortable or if you need a break, we could stop for a bit."

She shook her head vigorously, "No, it's okay. Don't worry."

"If you say so."

She let her eyes travel from his bare foot, to his khaki trousers, to his satin shirt with top three buttons undone, to his face. Oh, his gorgeous face. It was pulled into a deep concentration as he stared at his work, giving her some time to study his majestic features.

His eyes flickered to hers as if sensing her stare and playfully frowned, a small smile curled on the side of his lips.

"What?"

"What?"

He laughed, "You were staring."

"I was. Is it a crime?"

"No, I wouldn't say it is." He said with a teasing edge to his voice. 

It was their arrangement which they stick to a few times a week. On her day off, after work if she wasn't feeling too exhausted. There was an obvious attraction lingering inside the room of his small studio but none of them acted upon it other than just casual flirtations thrown around. He was a perfect gentleman and had always been accommodating. A couple of times he would insist on paying her in which she would always refuse to accept. 

"The tea you make for me is enough for a payment." She had jokingly said. "Do not worry about it, Robert. Really, it's okay. I'm making enough from my job."

One night, after their sessions, they had too many drinks and bottles were littered over the table along with his paint brushes which had long dried of paint. 

"Tell me about you, Marilyn. Mistress of the night, who apparently, slithers like a python." He mused, mentioning her alias. His glossy eyes filled with mirth.

She snorted, took a long swig of beer and swiped the back of her hand across her mouth. 

"Marilyn is… Nobody. I'm nobody. I came from somewhere that in my mind, ceased to exist." She stared ahead. "I ran away from home. Who calls it a home anyway?" She laughed humorlessly.

"My parents fought a lot. They spent so much time fighting, they didn't even have time for me. Looking back at it now, I could have just preferred that. But then, they turned their anger towards me." She sniffed and quickly wiped the salty tears before they even slid down to her flushed cheeks.

"I went to my grandparents. They loved me so much and I loved them so dearly. But they were not my parents. Eventually, both of them passed away and I was left on my own. But I was eighteen. I didn't have to go back to my parents. So I went to different cities, finding places where I could feel like I could fit in. Looked for jobs, and then I ended up here. I made friends and I have my own place, but it still never felt like home."

He was quietly staring at her, and the silence was deafening. Then he lifted his free hand to her face and ran the back of his index finger to dry her cheeks. Her hand caught his and brought it to her lips and placed a soft kiss. 

"But with you, it feels… different. I like hanging out with you. I like being with you. You feel like home to me, Robert."

Her voice echoed softly as he took his time to reply. But he didn't, instead, he leaned down and sealed his lips against hers. 

He layed limply on top of her body as he shuddered from his release. Both tried to desperately catch for their breath as her hand smoothed down his back and the other combed through his damp locks. He slid out of her and dropped beside her, not too long before he enclosed his arms over her and pulled closer. He catches her lips on his in a lazy kiss and smiled.

"You feel like home to me too, Y/N."

Her heart soared and nuzzled her nose against his.

"I want to paint you like this. May I? You are so beautiful. In light and in shadow."

She blushed, "Yes, but right now? I'm tired."

"No, no. We'll do it tomorrow. I'll take you somewhere." His warm breath hit her skin as he whispered.

"Where?" She whispered back.

"Well, I'm not telling you that. But it was what I helped my Father build when I was younger. It's somewhat like a special place for me, and I want you to see it."

He gazed at her as he waited for her to respond.

"Okay."

Under the light of the lamp, she peers at him under her lashes.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Mm? I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You know what it is. Cut it out or I'll never get to finish this."

She huffs. "You're no fun"

"I can prove you otherwise in a few minutes."

He continued to do his finishing touches and leaned back to admire his work.

"That isn't too bad. But nothing compares to the real art."

"And what might that be?"

"You, my love." He stood up, walked over to where she was, placed his hand at the back of her neck and pulled her to him.

"I've been waiting for this for hours."

"I've been giving you hints and you insist on finishing your art."

He chuckled. "Of course I had to."

His fingers danced their way from her sides to her hips, rubbing along the marks littered across her skin.

"Are you ready to see it?" He murmured against her neck. She shudders as she nodded, giving their playful banter a break. 

He bit her earlobe softly, "Okay."

He walked over to his canvas and carefully turned it around to face her.

She gasps.

.

⭐ writings list ⭐

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taglist: @jonesyjonesyjonesy , @princesspagey , @ritacaroline , @jimmys-zeppelin , @rebel-without-a-zeppelin , @reincarnated70sbaby (if you wanted to be added in, let me know 🤘🏻🤗)

[sourwormsaresour]

Headcanons on the type of pets La Squadra would own?

Holy shit this was too fun to make, especially with giving the pets names.

Sorbet and Gelato have their own Crusty-White-Dog™ that's a Maltese Terrier named Armani. The dog hates and barks nonstop at everything deemed threatening (aka, everyone and particularly the rest of La Squadra) and yet those two will claim she's the sweetest thing in the world. True to her name, they deck her with Armani branded clothes, either specially made dog fashion or they had a DIY done to make it look like an Armani outfit- down to the bright pink leash she wears dripping in the Armani logo. She eats the finest dry kibble and only drinks Ferrarelle Sparkling water; she will know the difference if you switch it up. She's the epitome of "I demand pets but only do so with your eyes" to everyone. Despite loving Sorbet and Gelato the most, she demands all their attention on her and she will cockblock those two if she catches them being affectionate to each other instead. Despite having a nice bed, she always sleeps between the two of them and will whimper if they kick her out of the bedroom so they can get intimate. Those tear-stained eyes always look like they've seen everything, despite being constantly babied by her owners. If Armani could, she would kill everyone.

Risotto, the biggest man in Vento Aureo, has a little Syrian hamster he called Ace. He thought that a pet with a shorter lifespan would allow him the perfect balance of having a pet but not being very attached to it compared to pets that live longer- he was wrong. If you ever come into Risotto's office as he worked, either you are greeted with Ace running around in his green hamster ball, walking around Risotto's desk as he worked, or running in the hamster wheel behind the desk. Ace's tank is an old Aquarium tank Pesci gave to Risotto that is now full of soft bedding, toys, and Risotto frequently cleans it. There are days where Risotto just spends hours watching his hamster walk around the room, eating little treats, and staring at Risotto with its beady eyes. It's gotten to the point where you can't walk into Risotto's office without noticing a lone sunflower seed or piece of bedding on the ground that Risotto didn't notice until you pointed it out. Every time Ace passes from old age, Risotto buys a new Syrian hamster and calls that one Ace. He hasn't kept track of how many hamsters that came and went so far, but treated every one of them as if they were the first Ace. He takes pictures of Ace doing the most relatively boring things and will share them with his members.

Illuso got a Sulphur-crested cockatoo named Scapino as a joke. He thought they didn’t require much attention but later felt bad when he found out that they need specific proper care. He proceeds to care for it as if it was his child. Illuso taught his bird how to speak and swear at people, specifically swearing at Formaggio and occasionally at Ghiaccio. This man will shower his bird with the best treats (expensive nuts, dried fruit, chicken bones) and has a special bar for it to perch on when they're in the shower together. This bird has free reign all over Illuso's place and wears a little anklet thing to verify that it has an owner should it escape. The two of them have spa days together and it’s one of the most wholesome things in the world to witness. Scapino will actually join Illuso on missions too, staying in the mirror world the whole time, and it provides him some comfort from his social anxiety. Sometimes Scapino sits on his shoulder as he walks. Illuso trained it to stay and hide in the mirror world so that it wouldn’t fly away or blow his cover when he’s working. But the bird will fly around in there and will watch anyone that’s getting murked in front of him with no remorse and commenting on it too. Imagine you’re dying in the mirror world and your last moment is this fucking bird looming over you going “night night, motherfucker”. JESUS CHRIST. 

Prosciutto used to be on the whole “pets are unnecessary” train but he had considered looking at breeders for the best quality dog. And then one rainy day he found an abandoned Portuguese Water Dog puppy in an alleyway and at Pesci’s insistence took it in. Turns out the puppy was bought by a rich family for their kid but then abandoned when the kid wasn't interested in it anymore. Prosciutto insisted that the dog was going to stay for one night and then sent to the pound first thing in the morning. It's been years now and the little dog is now a big fluffy good boy named Pon Pon. The second biggest chunk of Prosciutto's paycheck is for this dog; I'm talking grooming services with paw-ticures, an all-organic raw diet, the nicest beds that even a human would wish they can sleep on. Pon Pon is properly trained with all the basics and tricks, because Prosciutto doesn't want to deal with a misbehaving dog, but it will use puppy eyes against the old man now and then. He give you the best smiles if you call him a good boy and if you glance at the right time you can see Prosciutto smile for a brief moment. Had he lived longer, he would have made Pon Pon famous on Facebook like Boo the Dog. Prosciutto will also not admit that this dog has helped him get laid a few times, because every person he did bring home always got a kick out of Pon Pon.

Ghiaccio has a pet snake- an albino ball python named Bianco. Ghiaccio was also on the “pets are unnecessary” train too but mainly because he can't stand loud pets (i.e. Illuso and Sorbet and Gelato’s pets). When Risotto suggested he get a snake, Ghiaccio looked into it, researching and meticulously setting up the proper enclosure  and found himself going to a local reptile expo to find Bianco for sale. He’s fascinated by his snake to say the least, and would use leftover containers or Tupperware for Bianco to spend more money on proper equipment or food. Ghiaccio is really involved in online reptile forums and frequently debates with people on topics such as the best substrates to use, whether live rodents are better than frozen, ethics of breeding certain species, etc. He often gets worried when Bianco becomes picky and Ghiaccio would spend sleepless nights trying to get his baby to eat. Ghiaccio would walk around with his ball python wrapped around his neck or lets him slither around in his room under supervision but he mostly leaves him alone in the enclosure. There are times where he would claim he has the best, smartest pet and everyone just rolls their eyes like “yes the white fettuccine that got stuck in a toilet paper roll an hour ago is so smart”. But they let him rant about it. It’s kind of cute to say the least.

Pesci is the definition of people whose entire LIVELIHOOD is making his room into an aquarium. His room is full of strictly maintained, cleaned, and decorated tanks full of various types of aquatic animals. I’m talking Dwarf Puffers (Antonio, Portia, Jessica, Bassiano, and Solanio), Albino Gold Axolotls (Moe, Larry, and Curly), Red Ear Sliders (Franco and Ciccio), Clown Fishes (Browser, Mario, Toadstool, and Koopa), Brazilian Sea Horses (Tom and Jerry), a Blue Betta Fish named Valentina in a 30+ gallon aquaponics tank that grows a variety of plants each season- to name a few. He rebuilt his entire room to keep everything running and even had Melone help him set up timers for lighting and temperature control. Pesci will cry if you somehow made the pH level off by 1 or did not care for his animals properly when he’s away. He’ll even lecture you about bad tank setup. He's a prominent member of the aquarium  community in Italy and will regularly redecorate each tank to suit the year and mood. This is where he’s spending his cut on the 20 million lira job: caring for his mini aquarium room. He occasionally gives away his pets’ offsprings for extra money (he doesn’t breed but sometimes he ends up having a ton of baby animals he can’t take care of) and would have been a YouTuber for his fish content. Now that I think about it, Pesci reminds me of my mutual @nexter2nd. Please go follow them.

Melone has a Holland Lop bunny and you cannot change my mind. He actually had a pet bunny growing up, another Holland Lop named Echo and Grep, and his current one is named Sudo; all three are named after UNIX commands. He has a large dog crate he diy-ed to be a roomy enclosure in his room for her that he cleans frequently but also allows Sudo free reign of the room when she wants to go out. Because of his job, he makes sure all his wires are covered so his bunny isn't tempted to chew them and watches his bunny diligently whenever she roams around. Easter time is when the denim jacket, pastel bows, and flower crowns come out and Melone makes sure to take a lot of photos. He also housetrained his bunny and taught her a few tricks, similar to how he trained Echo and Grep years ago. Sudo is spoiled in terms of getting a lot of pets, new toys, and feasts on the finest veggies and delicious hay. Melone also makes sure the first thing he teaches his Juniors is to not harm the bunny. Surprisingly, he's against breeding Sudo and has her neutered. This is mainly because he doesn't have the time to breed and raise more bunnies but also he hates the idea of selling the grown bunnies off afterward. 

You know that Formaggio has a cat: the little Russian Blue cat named Sweetie Baby. Sweetie Baby was a kitten that he found outside his home. The little thing was the sole survivor of its litter and nearly starving to death, so he took her in thinking he will bring her to the shelter when she recovers; that cat now lets him live in HER apartment rent-free. Despite feeding her cheap dry food and constantly shoving her into bottles, he treats her like a queen otherwise. He will dress her up in little outfits (much to her annoyance) and often would be too aggressively affectionate towards her. Still, there are moments where she would cuddle with him during the later nights and allow him to put on one iced-out bow he just spent a quarter of his paycheck on. Walking to his apartment and even the backdoor of La Squadra’s HQ means carefully walking through the stray cats mewling at your feet, because Formaggio will feed any cat he sees. Initially, Risotto wanted the cats gone, but then he finds out the cats doubled as security when he watched some robber attempting to break in but getting their eyes scratched off instead.

[carllisle]

The Second Mrs Cullano 

As we all know, Esme Platt is not Carlisle Cullano’s first wife, nor is she his second - she is actually his third. But she is the love of his life, the reason for his breathing, and so when he marries for the second time, it’s clear that wives are nothing to soulmates. 

Esme Platt enjoys the wedding of Carlisle Cullano and the Second Mrs Cullano. 

Dedicated to my literal partner in this crime, @notquitetwilight, and to our collective projection onto cringe New Jersey mob show stereotypes. Special shoutout to @stregoni-benefici and @carlislesscarf.

Esme felt a soft kiss on her shoulder and smiled. Sun was pouring through the open windows of her bedroom and there was a soft breeze that lifted her hair. He was still here. He shouldn’t have been. 

“Good morning,” he whispered against her skin. “You smell so good.” 

Esme rolled onto her stomach and curled around her pillow with her smile broadening. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” 

“You kicking me out?” 

“No. But I’ve got things to do, too, you know?” 

Carlisle lay next to her and stroked her caramel hair, his face close to hers on her pillow. She cracked open an eye and watched him watch her. “Can I stay with you?” he whispered. 

She shook her head. “Not for long. For breakfast, though, if you make it.”

“I don’t wanna leave this bed.” 

“You’re gonna have to at some point, baby. You’ve got responsibilities today.” 

“Tell me to stay, Esme. Tell me not to do it.” He ran a strong hand over her neck and gently wrapped it around her throat, fingers tilting her jaw to the side. 

She laughed quietly, sleep making her mind hazy. “No. I want you to have a wife and a family. You’ve always wanted that, but I haven’t. I still want to be me for a while yet.” 

“You wouldn’t stop being you just for being my wife.” 

Esme took the hand around her throat and brought it up to kiss. Carlisle closed her eyes at the touch of her lips. “We’ve talked about this, for years. Decades. I can be your person, but I can’t be your wife. I won’t be anyone’s wife again.” 

“I’m not anyone. Please, Esme. Marry me.” 

She stretched her arms up and laughed. “Not today!” But she rolled over and wrapped her legs around him and pulled him against her, loving him as best she could in the soft sunrise. 

After, they followed their usual routine of showering together and dressing. Since their days of teenage love they enjoyed the quiet of domesticity. Outside the walls of their homes wars raged on their streets but in her old house, in his sprawling estates, it was just them, and today was no different. He zipped her skirt and she buttoned his shirt and they walked arm in arm down the street for coffee and bagels. They took a booth at the back of the cafe, although it didn’t matter if anyone saw them - they had never been a secret. Besides, they both kept guns strapped to them and knives hidden in their jackets and coats. 

Esme leaned back in her chair, blowing steam off the top of her coffee. “You’re sure about this one?” 

Carlisle regarded her over his phone and considered the question. “Yeah. It’s gotta be someone, why not her?” 

“It doesn’t have to be someone,” she reminded him gently. “You could go it alone. Well, as alone as you will ever be. You’ve always got me.” 

“Yeah. But I want someone. I want a wife. And the wife I want doesn’t want me, so I gotta choose the next best thing. Besides, you know her family’s reputation, that’s nothing to turn my nose up at.” 

“Ever the pragmatist.” 

He gave her one of the smiles he saved just for her. “Aw, you hurt me, Es. I do like her. She’s got spirit, and she’s smart as hell. She likes the high life and she wants kids sooner rather than later, and… and she makes me laugh. She makes me feel wanted.” 

“I think most of the east coast wants you,” Esme said quietly, avoiding his gaze. It wasn’t that she was jealous - how could she be, when he made her feel so adored all the time? - but it irritated her that this woman was able to give him what he wanted, and she couldn’t. One marriage to the wrong man had ruined the institution for her and now not even Carlisle could heal that wound. Yes, her first husband had died violently at her hand for his transgression, but that wasn’t the point. The transgression had occured in the first place. That was frightening. 

“Don’t be angry, darling. You know it’s still you.” Carlisle reached over the table and stroked her hand and Esme felt safe again. She held his gaze and nodded slightly. “It’ll always be you. You’re mine, before anyone and everyone else.” 

She smiled, her mood improved. He had always been happy to declare his feelings with her, and even now, on the morning of his wedding to another woman, in a nondescript coffee shop, he made her feel like the most adored woman. On the middle finger of her right hand she still wore the first expensive ring he had ever bought her, and it cost as much as her parents’ house. It was a gaudy thing, a thick diamond set on a band of smaller cut gems that they had chosen together the day after she killed Charles. It was Carlisle’s promise to her - that no matter who else came along, no matter what the world threw at them, they would love each other before anyone and anything else. He wore a similar ring she bought him on his little finger of his right hand. They never took their rings off. His first wife had hated it - understandably - but she had got her share in the divorce when Carlisle had refused to forsake Esme. She looked down at the ring and it sparkled. She’d had it cleaned for the wedding today especially. 

“Are you sure me coming today is a good idea?” she asked after a long moment. 

He squeezed the hand he held. “Yeah. I need you there.”

“She’ll be mad.” 

“She’s always got something to be mad about. Besides, she knows the deal and you’re non-negotiable.”

“I don’t want to upset anyone on their wedding day, Carlisle.” 

He shifted his chair around the table and leaned closer to her. “What about me? You wanna upset me on my wedding day?” 

She bit her lip and grinned. “I never want to upset you.”

“Then be a good girl. Come for me.” He rested his hand on her thigh under the table and Esme glanced around the cafe. No one paid them any mind. “Look at me.”

She met her lover’s piercing gaze and bit her lip. 

“You gonna come for me?” 

She nodded and gasped quietly when he rewarded her with a kiss. Esme could taste the coffee on Carlisle’s lips. He wanted her, he needed her, and she would never let him down. 

Esme’s cousin begrudgingly helped her get ready for the wedding. She said it was indecent for the mistress to turn up, let alone in a red silk dress barely held together by strands of diamonds across the back, but Esme smugly told her the groom had bought it for her especially, and who was she to refuse him? As a precaution she strapped her Colt Python to her thigh - it was an old machine, temperamental, but it made her feel powerful and she had a more reliable weapon in her clutch, as well as blades hidden in her shoes - and touched up her hair. Curls pinned to her head, diamonds dripping from her ears, and Carlisle’s dress draped across her, Esme felt more sensual than ever. When she sat in the pew at the wedding mass and thought of how the groom had sighed between her thighs mere hours before, she felt holy. She sat with his cousins a few rows back and even when the blushing bride strutted down the aisle, he couldn’t keep his eyes from Esme for long. 

They were lucky to be able to have a Roman Catholic service as everyone knew that Carlisle’s first marriage had been valid, but enough money had been slipped to the dioceses to push through an annulment, and so in the eyes of the Church this was his first marriage. There was some humour in that. The familiar words were spoken, hymns and prayers recited, and after what felt like a lifetime, and no time at all, Carlisle was walking down the aisle with the new Mrs Cullano on his arm. Sadness twinged at Esme’s stomach. That could have been me. It should have been. He’s mine. 

The reception was tolerable, enjoyable in its tackiness and extravagance. Everything was white and puffy and the hundreds of guests stuffed into the grand ballroom of the coastal hotel were drunk within the first course. It was how a Jersey wedding should have been, though, and Esme appreciated it for what it was. By the time the first dance came, she was lightly buzzed and enjoying catching up with the biggest names in east coast crime, many of whom were old family friends. Business people and politicians, state senators and property moguls joined them too, tying together the legitimate and illegitimate powers that kept the region affluent and fun, and most didn’t know where the legality ended and illegality started. By the time Esme snorted a line of cocaine from the chest of a mayor’s daughter she didn’t much care and the pair fell about laughing in the bathroom. As if called by the sound of Esme’s happiness, the moment was cut short by the sound of the bride herself outside. 

“Lisa, can you fucking help me? This dress is a fucking nightmare, you gotta hold it up, okay?” 

“You better go,” Esme advised the girl, no older than twenty-two by the looks of it, “before you meet Bridezilla up close and personal.” 

The girl giggled and darted from the bathroom just as the bride scrambled her way through the door. The dress she had chosen was appropriately enormous, tight on top and blooming into an extravagant ball gown from the waist down, and Esme wasn’t surprised that she needed three bridesmaids to help her through the door. 

“God, I’m dying to sit down properly-” she moaned over her shoulder before her eyes fell on Esme. Esme patted around her nose, watching her own pretty reflection in the mirror. “Oh. I didn’t know you were here.” 

“I responded to your invitation,” Esme replied mildly. “Lovely dress.” She turned her attention to her lipstick and dotted a fresh coat on, pointedly ignoring the bride. 

The second Mrs Cullano turned back to her bridesmaids and then looked at Esme, dithering between the two. There was a long pause before she turned to her entourage. “Stay outside. Make sure no one comes in, alright?” The bridesmaids made noises of agreement and the door swung shut, and then it was just Esme and Carlisle’s new wife. 

After Mrs Cullano said nothing, Esme broke the silence. “You’ve organised a wonderful day. Are you enjoying yourself?”

Mrs Cullano’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not happy you’re here.” 

“Oh?” 

“I know why you’re here.” 

“To see one of my dearest friends marry the woman he loves, of course.”

“Don’t play cute.” 

Esme smiled sweetly. “You think I’m cute?” 

“Cut the shit.” 

She sighed and looked at the bride. “What’s on your mind, Mrs Cullano?” 

“It’s real tacky you’re here, you know?”

“He wants me here. I came because he asked me to be here. I wouldn’t be here without an invitation.” 

“I didn’t invite you.” 

Esme pulled her invitation from her clutch and handed it to her. “Yes, you did.” 

The bride threw it aside, angry. “Give up! I won! He doesn’t want you!” 

Esme smiled at her sadly. There was nothing to say that could bring the bride any comfort. The truth was, Carlisle did want her. He wanted her more than anyone and anything, but that didn’t matter to this woman. This woman knew she had just pledged her life to a man who couldn’t love her completely. She was angry for it. “He’s my friend,” was all she could say. 

“Get new friends.” 

“I won’t stand in the way of your happiness, Mrs Cullano, or his. Above anything else, I love him and I want him to have the most wonderful life. I can’t give him the life he wants, but you can. Why would I jeopardize that?” 

It was the wrong thing to say in hindsight. Esme knew that the moment the bride launched at her with murder in her eyes. Her clawing fingers reached out and she managed to get in one good scratch before Esme had her arms locked behind her and ready to pop from their joints. “Easy,” she whispered against Mrs Cullano’s ear. The acrylics on her fingers made her face sting, but the skin hadn’t been broken. “Calm down. Like you said, you won, you’re his wife. Don’t fight me for anything more, because you will lose, do you understand me?” 

“Are you threatening me?” Mrs Cullano gasped. 

Esme tightened her grip and the bride hissed. “Yes. Raise a hand to me again and Carlisle’s love for you will not save you. You want to see who he will really choose if it comes down to it? Because I do not have my doubts. Do you?” 

Just as the bride’s whines rose in volume along with her pain, Esme let her go. She gripped under her elbow and held her upright to stop her from falling. “You got in a good scratch, I’ll give you that. But work on your attack and maybe you’ll take out an eye next time, alright? You’ll need protection if you’re going to love him.” 

“Are you threatening me?” Mrs Cullano asked again. 

There was no kindness left in Esme’s eyes. “Yes.” 

The two women stared at each other for a long moment. The new bride broke first. Esme sniffed and checked her reflection before stalking out of the bathroom, not a hair out of place. She pulled on the diamond strap of her dress and was close to the ballroom door when Carlisle stepped out. His smile was so bright when he saw her and he reached for her hands. When he noticed the scratches across her face his forehead creased. 

“What happened?” he asked, tender fingers touching the marks. Across the corridor there was a set of glass doors open to the terrace, and it was dark out there. There were a few wedding guests milling around but quick steps had the pair hidden in the gloom. Overhead, stars popped across the inky sky. With her arm in Carlisle’s, they found their way down garden paths and to the beach. No one saw them. 

“Your wife doesn’t like me,” Esme told him, smiling. His face was barely visible in the darkness but his bright hair caught the light of the stars. Their walk eventually slowed as their shoes crunched on the sand. 

“She did this?” 

Esme nodded. “It’s alright, she deserved to get in a good swipe. It won’t happen again, though.” 

“No, it won’t,” Carlisle replied angrily. “Who does she think she is?” 

“The new Mrs Cullano, protecting the honour of her marriage,” Esme pointed out with a light laugh. “I’d do the same. I don’t mind, really. I understand her anger.” 

“Esme,” he said, his voice softening. “How can I love someone who hurt you?” 

“You’re the only one who can hurt me, Carlisle.” She wound an arm around the back of his shoulders and closed her eyes when he rested his forehead against hers. 

“I’ll never hurt you.” 

“I know.” And he never had. Not with a hand, not with a word. No one had ever loved anyone like Carlisle loved Esme, and she knew it. “You’re so good to me. What did I do to deserve you?” 

Carlisle rested one hand at the small of her back and ran the fingers of his other hand up her spine. “Thank you for wearing this dress. You look beautiful.” 

She smiled in the night. “Thank you for choosing it for me.” 

“Gotta let the whole world see how wonderful my girl is.” 

“Call me that again.” 

“My girl?” 

She hummed and began gently swaying, moving him to dance with her to the sound of the ocean. “You’re my person, you know?” 

“Yeah, I know. And you’re my person. Always have been. Always will be.” 

Carlisle’s soft kiss touched Esme’s cheek and she sighed in bliss. “I love you, Carlisle.”

“I love you, too, Esme. More than anything. Always.”

[ofstrange-archive]

deaken bluman & he/him / cis man ‷ watch out , atticus xavier has crash-landed into roswell !! they look twenty five years old and celebrate their birthday on january 13th . they are from las vegas, nevada, reside in jupiter valley and are currently working as drummer of graveyard & part-time employee @ out of this world bookstore. one thing you should know about them is he is a fascinated by all things supernatural and by the occult. ‷ ( mick, she/they, 24, gmt-3 )

tw mentions of abuse, drugs, alcohol, overdose and depression.

FULL NAME: atticus xavier faust NICKNAMES: ace, atti, x, xavi, kit ( rarely, by his brothers ) PARENTS: anastasia mallard & heath faust ( not in the picture ) SIBLINGS: elijah parker and cyrus phoenix, older brothers PETS: yellow ball python named bartholomew ( bart for short ), black stray cat named lilith THE BIG THREE: capricorn sun, sagittarius moon, aquarius rising SEXUAL ORIENTATION: demisexual, panromantic OCCUPATION: drummer of graveyard, part-time employee at out of this world bookstore, writer LANGUAGES: english ( native ); french and german ( fluent ); spanish, portuguese, russian and ASL ( studying ).

Atticus Xavier, formerly known as Atticus Faust, doesn’t actually have many memories of his childhood because part of it was filled with abuse, which his two older brothers tried their best in keeping hidden from him, and the other part was pushed to the back of his mind over the years. A place he only visits as he pours his misery and sadness into his art and writing. 

An awfully quiet and reserved child, had the hardest time making friendships or keeping them and preferred the company of books than most people. Cyrus had been the only exception, complete opposites in the personality spectrum and yet his brother became his best friend. The only person he would open up to as he mostly stayed locked inside his own brain, whether that’d be to torture himself or create something beautiful. Ace wasn’t a very social person but he found other ways to fill up that void, burying himself into studies of philosophy and literature. Whilst his brothers were out and about, he was back at home, studying and reading and absorbing all the knowledge he could. He also became fluent in French and German out of pure boredom. 

His love for the occult and the unknown started as soon as they found their way to Roswell, the mystery town creating a new sort of curiosity inside of young Atticus and he became fascinated. Quickly, he became a true believer in all things that were considered “weird” or “paranormal” as they mesmerized him and is also an avid conspiracy theorist to this day. He’d often find himself in trouble in his teenage years while trying to find evidence of the things he’d read about but was never disappointed when he couldn’t find anything — as a matter of fact, that only fuelled his curiosity even more.

Despite not needing or even wanting to create deep connections with others, Ace still was hugged by a deep sense of loneliness and sadness from time to time. Later on in life when he finally decided to seek for explanations, he’d find that he had clinical depression that was most likely caused by the sudden abandonment of his father when he was only a child. His brain couldn’t properly process the loss as a good thing back then and instead, started to blame himself for making the man leave their family so abruptly. 

Atticus then took all of that loneliness, all of that pain, and sadness and turned it into something good. He found his solace in the arts, he started to draw, write and even compose. At that point, his brothers were already all playing something and he begged his mother for drumming lessons. And what started out as a means to fit in with the “cooler older kids” became one of the things he’s most passionate about in life. Graveyard was then born and Ace was forced out of the comfort of his “hometown” into the land of the unknown, the City of Angels. Those following years were a complete mess, a blur of parties and drinking and horrible situations that Ace would rather not talk about. But they were also good, their band grew and they were able to share their craft, receiving grand recognition and appreciation for it. Around that time, he came to terms with his sexuality and the fact he was actually demisexual. It was all too confusing for him as he had grown up with two hyper sexual brothers and thought that he was broken because he wasn’t like that. Groupies would try and never succeed until he became enamored by a fellow admirer of art, someone who served as a muse for him for the whole time they were together, and that was the first and only person he’s ever been with. Their relationship lasted for nearly two years until they parted ways as friendly as they could. Atticus would be lying if he said he still doesn’t think about her.

Unlike his brothers, he didn’t have any problems with drugs as he was often the first to leave the parties, social interactions being exhausting for him. Ace managed to be the only one sane in the band, only ever resorting to marijuana to calm himself down and indulging in whiskey whenever he felt like it. On the road, he still managed to keep his art alive, his drawings and poetry becoming a huge part of their aesthetic and complementing their ideas for the band. Things were fine, fun even, for a while until they took a turn for the worst with Cyrus’ addiction and Elijah’s overdose. Ace felt completely hopeless as he watched his brothers falling with no ways for him to do anything about it, even if he did try to commit the both of them to rehab. 

So when Cyrus finally broke and left them behind, unlike Elijah, he completely understood. Maybe their closeness made it easier. Ace was the first one to pack his things and follow his brother back to Roswell, fully supporting his decision to put himself in first place, as he should. He stayed with their mom for a while, the comfort of being back home was definitely something he needed in order to recharge himself, and started to work part time at the Out of This World to keep his messy mind busy.

A year has passed and Atticus couldn’t be more happy to be in a less chaotic, more stable place in his life. He misses being on the road, playing shows every night, but there’s something about the calmer lifestyle that is all too appealing for his antisocial self. He’s still working on his drawings, his website is filled with artworks up for sale, and has finally started to work on a novel of his own. He’s done a few freelance jobs as a writer but wants to take that more seriously now that he has the time and freedom to. Working with Graveyard in this less troubled but still drama fuelled version of themselves hasn’t been the easiest for him but nothing a blunt or two won’t resolve. He refuses to step between the arguments that occur between his brothers but if the situation calls for it, he’ll take Cyrus’ side every single time. He’s the sole occupant of his small, cozy home but has two pets to keep him company when he’s up until four in the morning working on a new piece. He can also be easily found at the Crashdown, drinking unhealthy amounts of coffee while working, or at Frazier Woods in the evenings, trying to connect with the nature and the supernatural beings that live in the area. 

[survivingthejungle]

everybody wants to rule the world (caliban)

When Sabrina was 8 years old, her life got a little more unusual. Being a half witch raised by her two aunts and cousin (all full-blooded witches)  in a mortuary was not a common experience for most children. But things became different when another cousin, from her mother's side of the family, came to live in the Spellman house. Her mother, Diana, had a brother, William; WIlliam married and had a daughter just two years before Sabrina was born. She was named Genevieve Sawyer, and she and her paternal cousin had been very close to one another their entire lives. When it was heard that William had been shot and that Genevieve's mother was not fit to parent, the girl's cousin and family immediately stepped up to take her in and be her legal guardians. 

Despite Genevieve's unfortunate circumstances, she never lost her bright personality or kindness. She seemed to stick out like a sore thumb in the Spellman house from time to time, but it was a welcome change of pace for everyone who lived there. For the next eight years after she had gone to live with her cousins and aunts, she had grown into a compassionate, driven young lady. Growing with her were several pets she had acquired over the years. Genevieve had a special love for animals and so had adopted many. She had a spotted turtle named Tucker, whom she had rescued from getting run over by a truck one morning. She also had an orange tabby cat named Tex, a green budgie named Pico, and a blue pit bull terrier named Bambi. The latest addition to the family was an albino ball python, whom she was currently in the process of naming. 

"Genevieve. I mean it this time," scolded her aunt Zelda. "No more pets. You have barely enough space for them all, and I won't allow any more of this."

"No more, aunt Zelda. I got it. This guy is the last," she affirmed, gesturing with the snake which was slithering over her shoulders and down her left arm. Her aunt shuddered. 

"How you can allow that thing near you is beyond me."

"She's sweet!" she defended. "She's just curious."

"She stays in your room only. If I see a snake slithering about my house I won't hesitate to kill it."

"She won't go anywhere. Promise."

Once her aunt had finished scolding her and left her room, she turned her attention back to her new friend. "What do we call you, huh?" Genevieve said. She set the snake down on her bed and flipped on her record player against the wall to fill the silence, and an old Fleetwood Mac album started spinning. "Well," she said, "I have to take Bambi and Tex on a walk, so I guess we should put you in your tank, huh?" She moved the young albino to the mostly empty tank and placed the lid over it, promising, "I'll get you some decorations while I'm out." Then she put on a pair of socks, laced up her shoes, and grabbed two harnesses and leashes from the footboard of her bed, heading downstairs to find the only two of her pets that were mammals. "Morning, aunt Hilda," she greeted the small blonde woman.

"Oh, g'morning my love! Are you taking Tex and Bambi on a walk?"

"Yeah, once I find 'em." "Well you'll eat first, won't you?" She pointed to the table. "Some toast for you."

"You're the best," Genevieve said, sitting down to take a bite of it. The toast was covered with peanut butter and sliced bananas; simple, but a favorite of the girl's. She finished eating quickly and was off again in search of her cat and dog, finding them in the family room. Tex was lounging on the couch and Bambi had seemingly been banished by him, staring at the tabby from the ground. "You wanna go on a walk?" she said to them both, her voice increasing by about an octave. Bambi's ears perked up and her eyes widened; Tex hopped down from the couch and over to circle Genevieve's legs. "Hey auntie," she called into the kitchen, "Do you know where Beans went?"

"Yes," her aunt called back, "I believe she went to go see Harvey, Roz, and Theo?"

"Okay. Thank you!" She then strapped both of the harnesses onto Tex and Bambi and put them on their leashes, and then made their way outside to their usual walking route. About halfway through their walk she and her two companions made a detour to go to Harvey's garage, where Genevieve had guessed their band would be practicing and where her cousin had gone to find them. Heading around behind his house, she found the garage door unlocked and entered in to find the four of them seemingly discussing something important.

"'Vieve,"  Sabrina greeted as soon as she saw her cousin. "What's up?"

"I was walking Tex and Bambi," she responded, holding up the two leashes attached to both animals. "What's up with you?"

"Sabrina's trying to take us to Hell," Theo told her. 

Genevieve's eyebrows raised and she went to take a seat on the couch closest to her. "Why?" she asked Sabrina.

"Nick." She said his name sadly; she knew her cousin missed him a lot and felt guiltier every day she left him trapped there. "I think I found a way to get him out."

"But, like… He's still…" Genevieve trailed off, not knowing how to formulate her thoughts exactly. 

"Yes," she responded, knowing what the girl was getting at. "A flesh Acheron. But I might have a solution for that too."

—

Sabrina had brought the five of them through Dorian's portal to Hell with an incantation, where they landed on a cold, dark beach, coughing up the salt water that had gotten into their lungs. "Wait, so… Hell is a beach?" Harvey asked.

"The Shores of Sorrow," Sabrina whispered hauntingly. 

Theo stood up and pointed out at the water. "Guys. Look. What are those?" There were tall wooden structures standing above the waves, and from them came pained groans and wails. Hands were reaching out, desperate to grab whatever would come close to them. 

"They're the souls of the damned," called a deep, unfamiliar voice. The group turned their heads to look for the source, and saw a large sandcastle and someone walking out from behind it. He had blond hair and was wearing a flowing white shirt that he had left unbuttoned. "They drown as the tide rolls in. Over, and over," he said, looking out at them, "For all eternity."

"Bummer," Genevieve whispered to Roz.

"Hi," Sabrina greeted him as the group approached him. "We're looking for Lilith." He didn't respond. "Uh, Madame Satan? S-Queen of Hell?" The boy looked pointedly at her, on the verge of a smirk. "She's in Pandemonium, if you happen to know the way." He turned his head and pointed left. Sharp jaw, Genevieve thought. 

"All blood flows to Pandemonium." Sure enough, there was a large rock through which blood was flowing, that seemed to turn into a path further up the beach. "Follow the blood-red road where it flows, and there you'll find the throne of Hell," he instructed, still pointing. 

"Thanks," Sabrina said. He pushed his hair back from the wind blowing on the beach, smirk still present. What does he know that we don't? her cousin wondered.  "And you are?"

He seemed as if he were about to respond, but decided against it. "Never step off the road," he advised. He looked at their feet then. "It's clever you're wearing dead men's shoes. Though… any demon worth his salt can smell mortal flesh a mile away."

Genevieve's brows furrowed. "Ew." The boy glanced at her and then turned back to his project. 

"Come on," Sabrina said, "Let's go." The four trailed behind her, but Genevieve stayed still for a moment. "Hey! I like your sandcastle," she called to the boy. He looked back at her, intrigued. "Bye!" she waved. He lifted a hand in return, and she was on her way. 

— 

The journey through hell had been… adventurous, to say the least. Between the field of crucified people beating eaten by crows, to the forest with a magical flower and a bloodthirsty tin man, to a horrific mock-high school classroom, Genevieve and the others were exhausted, scared, and ready to go back to earth. After being rescued by Lilith's helper, a man dressed in a bellhop's outfit and being seated at some hellish feast, she and Sabrina began a conversation about getting Nick out of Hell and taking care of Theo's uncle's soul as well. The Infernal Kings weren't recognizing Lilith's newfound authority, so she struck a deal with Sabrina- the throne for her boyfriend and her friend's uncle. Sabrina, of course, agreed, and the process had begun.

— 

"Infernal court, I bid you welcome," Lilith greeted from the throne. The three demonic kings stood before her in wait. "The city of Pandemonium has an honored guest. May I present to the hordes, Sabrina Morningstar, daughter of Lucifer Morningstar." Sabrina walked to stand next to the woman and looked around the throne room. "In his absence, she has come to officially declare me Queen of Hell. Isn't that right, Sabrina?"

"Yes, that's right," she told them. 

"This is treason! Heresy!" the Kings protested. "Lilith is a concubine, not a queen. We do not recognize her. She was Lucifer's whore. The realms are in chaos, and the Earth, the Pit, the Heavens, the Cosmos, they all reject Lilith's claim to the throne."

"And who do you propose would rule?" she shot back. 

That was the million dollar question, it seemed, because the Kings got a nefarious look in their eyes. "All hail Caliban, Prince of Hell. Molded from the clay of the Pit itself, native son of the inferno, born to restore and rule our dark domain!"

"Hello again," said the supposed Prince Caliban, in yet another open top. He maintained the smug look on his face that he was wearing at their last encounter. 

"Uh, hi?" Sabrina said, mildly confused. 

"What is this?" Lilith questioned. "This is salvation," he told her. "Since the Dark Lord's desertion, the Nine Circles of Hell have been breaking down. I, Caliban, will restore stability and do what Lucifer failed to do… conquer the earth. Remake it as our Tenth Circle, and enslave the tribes of mortal and witch."

Before anyone else could get a word in edgewise, Genevieve spoke up. "No? You most certainly will not!" she said. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Dude. You're… you're not even a real person." Her brow furrowed. "Someone gets one good blast with a hairdryer and what happens? You dry up and crack?"

"I'm afraid that's not how it works, darling." He stepped closer. "Though you are clever for that." Yet another smirk. Smug bastard. Closer. And closer. 

She glared at him. "Thanks," she deadpanned. 

"You are pretty, for a mortal," he said to her. "Maybe I'll have mercy on you." He lifted a hand to beside her face and toyed with a strand of hair that had fallen out of her braid.

"Don't touch me." She slapped his hand away, and he stepped back. Sabrina and Lilith had been whispering to each other from the moment that Caliban revealed his plan. But now, she was seemingly comatic; her eyes and Nick's were both glazed over in red and they were both catatonic. But when her senses came back and her eyes returned to normal, she had adopted a newfound confidence. "No, we won't," she said to Lilith. "I am Sabrina Morningstar," she announced to the hordes, "And that throne is mine. By blood, and by birth."

"Here we go again," Harvey muttered. Genevieve chuckled. 

"Yours to give me, you mean," Lilith interjected. 

"No. Mine. To claim." She sat on the throne herself, and her cousin had to admit that she looked rather regal. 

"We do not accept this!" the Kings argued. "The witch lives on Earth. She cannot possibly rule Hell."

"You've obviously never been to high school."

"You are a child, not a queen," another King shot. 

"I am a young woman." Right on, her cousin thought. 

"You cannot fulfill your father's duties." "I can," she insisted, looking at Lilith. "With Lilith as my advisor." "What?" "Isn't that what kings and queens do when they're too young to rule?" she argued. "They appoint a…" "Regent," Lilith offered. "Yes. As a matter of fact, yes." "Then you, Lilith, are my regent."

"I dispute this." Caliban, of course. 

"Okay, Dirt-Man," Genevieve said. She had begun to harbor a deeply personal sense of loathing for him, especially because of how he disrespected her cousin's authority and was a raging narcissist. 

After an attempted challenge for the crown, Sabrina dismissed the court and he and his clique left Pandemonium. She and the rest of the group, along with Nick and his tongue, followed Dorian's instructions and used the flower and the incantation to return home. 

— 

Sabrina had royally fucked up— no pun intended. After fumbling her first soul retrieval and getting locked in an industrial freezer by her second, she was beginning to lose hope. And she was running out of time. While Lilith was out searching for the wayward queen, the clay prince decided to go on his own adventure.

— 

Genevieve was occupied in her cozy, bright room when a gust of spiraling flames interrupted her peace. She had been lying in her bed, reading a book and accompanied by all of her pets (which was a rare occurrence). Pico had nestled onto Tuck's shell and they were both napping. Bambi was curled up against her side and Tex at her feet, and the new snake— whose name, she decided, was Rhiannon— was also curled at the end of the bed. "Quite the companions you've got," he spoke deeply, disturbing the silence. "You!" she said, sitting up and starting all but the python. "What are you doing in my room?" she asked, exasperated. 

"Here to see you, of course," he told her, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Genevieve

was still perplexed. 

"...Why?"

"You amuse me, mortal. And you've caught my eye. Your friend may be the Queen of Hell—"

"Cousin," she corrected.

"Your cousin may be Queen, but it's you who's really captured my attention."

"I… Okay," she responded, brows furrowed.

"No one's ever spoken to me as boldly as you have. Especially for a mortal. If I wanted to punish you, in fact, it would be well within my rights. Even your cousin could not do anything about it; laws in Hell differ than on Earth."

"So, what. You're here to kill me? Because I threatened your ego?" Genevieve rolled her eyes and got up, Bambi following after her. She grabbed Rhiannon and carried her over to her tank, flipping the switch for her heater and closing the lid. She then grabbed Tuck, as gently as possible to allow him to keep napping, and put him in his tank as well.

"Of course not," he chuckled. "You're much too interesting. It would be a shame for your potential to go to waste." "Potential," she said, disinterested. Walking to her door, she slipped on a pair of shoes that sat against the wall. "For?"

"For you to align with me. You may not like me much now, but I'm sure you'll grow to."

"For me… I'm sorry, what? You expect me to betray my cousin for someone who wants to literally enslave my people and take over the Earth?" He said nothing. "No!" she waved her hand at him, signaling for him to leave. "Be gone. Or... whatever you say to banish demons." She left her room and headed down the hallway and to the stairs, but Caliban was not far behind. Neither was Bambi.

She made a pit stop in the kitchen to make herself a sandwich before she left the house. "Do you think me unreasonable?" Caliban asked, leaning against the counter while she worked. 

"Well, yeah. Actually I do." 

He grabbed her hand before she could continue. Making sure to never break eye contact, he pleaded, "Please. Let me prove you wrong." She pulled her hand away.

"Why are you so dead set on this?" she groaned. "I said no!" A frustrated laugh left her lips.

"I'll make you a deal," he pressed. She returned her attention to her sandwich and refused to look at him. "Submit to me, and I will abandon my plan to enslave the tribes of Earth." Still, silence. Genevieve pretended that he wasn't even there anymore, slipping Bambi a piece of turkey in between the two of them. Once again, Caliban brought his hand up and grabbed her chin; she couldn't turn away. 

"You won't get the chance," she spat. "My cousin is the Queen. Your plan will never happen." He opened his mouth to argue, but in a split second, decided against it. 

"If that's truly how you feel, then I concede. But know my offer still stands." Genevieve shrugged, straight-faced, unsure how to respond. 

"Will you leave now? I have somewhere to be," she told him, putting her sandwich in a baggie and walking to the kitchen table where a backpack was hanging off the back of a chair. 

"Will the lady allow me to escort her?" he countered. She threw her food, a water bottle, and a sports drink into the bag as she considered it. 

"Fine, I guess." She slung the backpack over her shoulder before kneeling down to scratch and kiss Bambi's head. "Bye, Bambi!" she said, her voice having gone up at least an octave. The blue pit thumped her tail and opened her mouth in a typical pit bull smile. Without a word, she stood up and passed Caliban to go retrieve her sneakers which were sitting by the front door. He followed, attentive to her every move. She locked the door behind her on her way out and began walking into town. 

"Where are you headed to?" he asked her.

"The gym. I coach junior high volleyball."

"Is that a mortal sport?"

"Yeah. I played for a long time."

"Why did you stop?" 

Genevieve stayed silent for a beat. "When I was still in high school, a few colleges wanted to recruit me for their teams. I would have gone to any of them, but…"

"But what?" "Well, I don't really know what I want to do with my life. I didn't want to just up and leave my family with no plan. So after I graduated this spring, I decided to take a gap year to figure out what I want to do."

"Have you figured it out yet?" he asked. His tone seemed genuinely interested. 

She stayed quiet for a while longer. "No," Genevieve admitted, dejectedly.

"Maybe you should work with animals," Caliban offered. "Really? Why?"

"You seem to like them enough, you've got several as pets."

"Yeah, that's fair. But I don't think I could ever be a vet," she claimed. 

"Then don't. Try something else."

"Like what?"

"You're the mortal here, not me," he chuckled. "You know more about your options than I do." Genevieve let out a little laugh as well. "Think about it," he advised her. 

"I will. Thank you, Caliban."

— 

Sabrina didn't return home until well past midnight. As she walked through the front door and quietly closed it, her cousin broke her silence from the stairs. "Where you been, Beans?"

Sabrina nearly jumped, startled. "I was— Oh, Aunties," she muttered, finally facing all three of them. 

"Well, do you care to explain yourself?" Zelda questioned. Sabrina glanced at Genevieve, who was leaning over the top of the banister and mouthed I didn't say anything.

"Oh, I'm sorry I missed your first day at the Academy," she apologized. "I had this prob-"

"How many secrets are you keeping from us?" Zelda interrupted.

Hilda piped up in typical good-cop fashion. "You didn't happen to go to Hell, bring back your father, the Dark Lord, and stick him in the bowels of the Academy without telling us, did you?"

"Putting what's left of the coven, not to mention the entire world, in grave peril, just so you can see your boyfriend." 

"That's not why I did it," Sabrina argued. 

"Oh, God. Here we go again," Genevieve muttered as Tex jumped up onto the bannister beside her. She gave his head an absent-minded scratch as she watched the scene unfold. 

"Oh, I know why you did it. Cassius delivered a stack of books with rituals about soul transference… I thought the Dark Lord was bad. I thought he was dangerous, but Lilith preserve up from his demented, lovesick daughter."

"Aunt Zelda!" Genevieve shouted. "That was so uncalled for!"

"I couldn't just leave Nick in Hell!" Sabrina defended herself. "Every second he was down there, he was in torment. Aunties, every second he was in pain."

"We know, darling," Hilda tried to comfort. 

"And it's my fault." Her cousin began to tear up with the thought of Nick's suffering. "He did it for me. I couldn't just… wash my hands of him." Hilda stepped off of the stairs and went to Sabrina to try to comfort her. "I owed it to Nick to at least try and get Lucifer out of his body and into someone else's."

Zelda had begun to abandon her condemnation of Sabrina's actions, instead demanding that she come up with a well thought-out plan. "Whose? Where do you expect to find another vessel strong enough to withstand being turned into a flesh Acheron for the Devil himself?"

In a moment of perfect timing, Ambrose and Prudence appeared in the front hallway with a raggedy, bearded man at their feet. "Aunties," he greeted. "I'm home." It was evident in his tone and lack of breath that he was exhausted. "Any chance of a cuppa?"

Genevieve went downstairs and followed her cousin and Prudence into the kitchen. 'Whatcha want, 'Bose?"

"Something to help me sleep, finally," he rasped. "Thank you, cousin." (They weren't really cousins, but it was how they had referred to each other since Genevieve had come to live with them those 8 years ago.)

"You too?" she asked Prudence. "Yes, please."

— 

  The next night, Sabrina returned home and immediately headed to Genevieve's room to de-stress from her arduous day. "That jerk Caliban challenged me for the throne," she sighed, laying down on Genevieve's bed. "Again. Legally, this time. And I had to accept it."

Her cousin took a deep breath. "Wow. He's really not letting it go, huh?"

"No. I wish he would, though."

"Well, what was the challenge? What do you have to do?"

"We're both supposed to search for the Unholy Regalia. It's a Hell thing," she explained at Genevieve's confusion. "The first item is Herod's Crown."

"H- King Herod? Like 'kill the babies' Herod?"

"That's the one."

"Jesus," Genevieve exhaled. "...No pun intended." She had been sitting on the floor with Rhiannon, watching as she explored the room, but stood up to sit next to her cousin. "Beans, you've got a lot on your plate right now. Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

Sabrina considered her question for a moment. "No. Actually, I'm not sure. But I have to do this." She shut her eyes tight for a few seconds before opening them again and sitting upright. "And I have so much homework on top of this."

"You know what? I don't have anything to do tonight. You go to bed, I'll do your homework tonight." Sabrina smiled softly at her cousin. 

"Vieve, you don't have to do that—"

"I know. But I want to. You need to rest. Besides," Genevieve said, "I already got through all of those classes once. I can do a few assignments tonight."

— 

It was about eleven o'clock that same night and Genevieve was on a productive streak- in terms of getting her cousin's homework taken care of. She had advised Sabrina to talk to Ambrose the following day about looking for the crown and, subsequently, the rest of the regalia. In the midst of her focus, a gust of heat hit her and she could sense a presence in her room. She didn't even bother to turn around from her desk. "Go away, Caliban."

"I take it you've heard about my challenge, then?"

Genevieve set her pencil down and stared at him. "Do you have any idea the shit Sabrina's been going through, lately? I know you don't care, because all you want is power, but she's an actual person with other responsibilities and an entire life that she's dealing with on a daily basis. You're made of clay and you're from Hell, I get it, you must not have any sense of empathy, but this is taking a toll on everyone. You are such a raging narcissist." Caliban's smirk had dissipated by now. "Get out of my house, Caliban. I'm busy."

"You're wrong," he said. He was uncharacteristically quiet. "I can be empathetic." He sat down on the edge of Genevieve's bed, and Tex had allowed him to pet his head. "I do have emotions."

"Showing them from time to time might do you good." He said nothing, focusing his attention entirely on Tex rather than making eye contact with Genevieve. "Why are you here?" she asked, adopting a gentler tone. She felt as if she had been hard enough on him to get her point across. "Don't you have a crown to find, or something?"

"I've not yet located it. I was wondering if you've considered my offer?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "I don't think you're gonna win. Beans may be busy, but she's smart. And talented."

"Well, she is the Dark Lord's daughter."

"Regardless. No, I haven't considered it. Is that all?"

"I hear there's a carnival in town."

Her brows furrowed momentarily. "What do you care?"

"Would it please the lady to accompany me? Tomorrow night?"

Genevieve went stiff like a deer in headlights. "Um… sure, okay. I guess?"

"You seem confused," he observed. 

"Yeah, I- I am. A little. Surprised. Why do you wanna go to the carnival?"

"Is this not how mortals court each other?" he asked, standing up to lean against the desk she had been working at. He seemed his usual self again, another smirk crossing his face. "Or would you rather skip the formalities?" He winked, grinning down at her. Though she was still sitting, it was obvious that he was taller than she was. 

She scoffed lightly. "Fine. I will go to the carnival with you tomorrow," Genevieve conceded. "Are you done now?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't have me spend the night?" he teased. 

"Don't push it, Dirt-Man."

"As you wish," he told her, and threw his arms up, creating a vortex of fire and returning to the pits of hell. 

— 

Genevieve finally retired to bed at about quarter till 1 in the morning. Rhiannon was cozy in her tank and Tuck was in his; Pico was sleeping in his cage and Tex was curled up at the foot of her bed. Bambi was laying with her back to Genevieve's, but the blue pit had been awoken by a sudden presence appearing in the room. In the dark, Caliban had returned once more to the girl, this time having astral projected. Bambi's head stuck up, sniffing at him. He put his finger up to his lips and whispered to the dog, "Shh." Bambi was convinced and went back to sleep, leaving the boy to himself. He walked around until he was facing her, and he knelt down at her bedside. He rested his head on one arm while his other hand brushed some stray hairs away from her face. She looked so peaceful he was almost afraid to touch her. "Sleep well, darling girl," he whispered. "And forgive me for what I must do." Without another word, he kissed her forehead and promptly returned to his physical body in Hell. 

[popcornaddict500]

‘They won’t bite’

A little ficlet I wrote :) 

In which Olivia shows Sun Bai ( @asras3rdeye ‘s oc) her constrictors. and in which I discover I suck at ending ficlets

1669 words, cw: descriptions of live feeding reptiles, implications of poisoning, talk of biting/being bitten but nothing graphic

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

After a successful day at the market, Olivia was about to head home… But that’s when she ran into Sun Bai. 

--

“Are you getting even more pets?” 

Olivia blinked, looking up at Bai. “No.” 

“Then why do you have a rabbit and 2 rats in a box?” he cocked a brow.

Glancing at the animals in the box, she hummed. “They’re for feeding,” She stated simply, lifting the box and resting it on her hip. When he didn’t respond, she continued, “My snakes. They eat live prey.”

That seemed to pique his interest. “You have snakes?” 

“Mn, I do. Did I not tell you before?” she made a thoughtful noise, tilting her head a bit.

“I don’t think so, no.”

“Well, I’ve got three pythons at home. They’re relatively friendly.” A small sigh escaped her. “I’m going home, I’ll feed them later today. See you.” she turned around, walking off...

[Wait.] 

As always, she jumped a bit when she heard his voice in her head. She looked over her shoulder. “What is it?”

“Could I see them?”

She paused, considering it. “Hmm… Sure, I suppose.”

--

“Wash your hands,” She said, going over to the sink and taking her gloves off. When she’d washed her hands he did too, wordlessly. 

“You should always wash your hands before handling snakes. If they smell anything on you that they could consider food, they will bite. If they’re hungry, that is.” She held up her left hand. “I forgot to once. That wasn’t pleasant.” There was a faint bite mark on her palm. “Even so, they might still bite if they feel threatened or agitated.” she shrugged, exiting the kitchen and walking down the hall, taking the box with her. “This way.”

She walked into a room, it was relatively dimly lit, save for the warm lamps hanging above the enclosures. The walls seemed to be hand painted, with certain kinds of night-like scenery. The biggest enclosure was on the right, the two smaller ones were to the left, stacked atop each other. She flicked on a lantern on the ceiling and went to the biggest enclosure, it was about the length of a small couch. “Have you handled or seen snakes before?” 

“Yes. I caught them when I was younger.” Bai responded, glancing at the enclosure. “What’s in there?”

“Ah, then you probably won’t be scared. My biggest python, Sol, lives in here.” she put the box on a table nearby, moving to kneel in front of the glass. “He should be awake. But he might be hiding. He’s a albino burmese python.” 

The enclosure was nicely decorated, with a large hideout in the corner, plenty of fake plants, stones and a bit more of an open area. You couldn’t see the entire hideout though, most of it being hidden.

“How big?”

“Mmmm… I’d say around four metres when fully stretched out.” She turned her head to look at him, gesturing to him to come closer. “Pretty sure you can see him, over there.” She pointed to the hideout, and indeed, a yellow snout peeked out. She shifted away when Bai got closer so he could see, and to avoid touching him. Neither him nor her would like that, probably...

“Do you ever let him out of the enclosure?” he asked.

“Sometimes, yes. He’s well behaved, so I let him roam around the house a bit. Usually when I’ve gotta clean…”

She slid open one of the glass doors, and Sol came a bit closer. “Come on out.” she whispered, coaxing the python out of it’s hideout. Slowly, he came out of the enclosure… she scooped him up, into her arms. The snake slid across her shoulders and her left arm. “Told you he was big.” She gave a small smile, picking up Sol’s body in her hands. 

“You can touch him, if you want.” She offered, stretching out her arm towards Bai, Sol curiously moving over to him.

Although slightly hesitant, he nodded. “..Alright.” he held out his hand so the python could slide into it. Its tongue flicked out curiously.

“Beautiful, is he not? He shedded last week.” Sol slid across his hands, up his shoulder. Bai gave a small nod. She lightly ran her hand along the scales of it’s back.

A couple moments passed, and she flinched slightly when the doorbell rang, looking down the hall. “Damn. Could you hold him for a sec? I’ll be right back.” she deposited the rest of the snake in his lap, getting to her feet and darting off. 

“Uh. Ok..” 

Thankfully Sol was relaxed, just smelling the air and vibing. He did accidentally knock Bai’s glasses off… “Huh-”

Olivia came back a few moments later, looking annoyed. “Just a door-to-door salesman...  tsk.” she shook her head and sat down on the floor again. “Hope he behaved, hm?” 

“It was fine.”

She nodded, moving to scoop the snake off him again, as he was getting restless. She put him back in the enclosure, closing the door after he’d crawled in. “I think he liked you.” There was a small smile on her lips. Noticing his glasses had fallen, she gave them back to him.

“Thanks.” 

She got up after a couple moments. “Hm, there’s 2 more. They’re smaller though. There’s Agatha, and Dako,” She hummed, looking at the smaller enclosures, stacked on the cabinet. “Agatha’s… kind of mean, if I’m being honest. So we’re not going to handle her.” she chuckled softly, leaning down a bit to look at the brown ball python. The snake hissed at her from her hideout…

 “See? Always pissy. Remind you of someone?” she muttered the last part more to herself, a small grin on her lips, walking off to grab something.

Bai rolled his eyes. 

“I think I’ll feed her a rat. She hasn’t eaten in a while” she came back with a rat in her hand. “You don’t mind watching this?”

He nodded. “It’s fine. I want to see.” 

“Alright.” She slid open the glass door and dropped the rat in, near the open area. It took a bit before Agatha noticed the rat, but when she did she moved closer…

Olivia jumped when she suddenly struck the rat down, it squeaked and struggled as the snake curled around it.

Bai looked at her questioningly. 

“Ah… sometimes it takes me by surprise...” She shook her head, a bit embarrassed. “Regardless, that was a nice takedown.” The snake had the rat in a death grip, there’s no way it’d escape any time soon…

“Do you have snakes yourself, Bai?” She asked, quietly. 

“No, but I do want to own various reptiles in the future,” He responded, watching with keen interest.

“I must admit they’re fascinating pets.” She stretched for a second and went to put a couple supplies away. “Sometimes I’ve gotta help them shed. If they’re agitated in any way they can have trouble with getting the old skin off,” she commented, checking a couple drawers. “Some people think that hurts the snake but it doesn’t, in fact it’d be more harmful to leave the old skin on.” She turned around and leaned against the counter.

“Hm.” 

“I still have Sol’s shed from last week, mostly intact…”

She glanced at the lower enclosure. “I think we could say hi to Dako…” she walked over and slid open the door, letting the ball python slide closer. This one was a piebald morph… White and brown. “He’s friendly, so..” she held up the snake in her hands, before wordlessly handing it to him. 

Dako attempted to hide his little snout in Bai’s hand. She chuckled softly at that. “Shy as ever, though.”

She was silent for a bit, watching the snake explore. 

“Mn, nice pattern. He’s very docile,” He commented, she gave a slight nod.

“Yeah. He’s probably the sweetest.”

“Didn’t you say you had poison dart frogs as well?”

“I do.”

He studied her neutral face for a second. “Just as pets, or..?”

“Hmm. Yes, I suppose, I collect them. Although... they have been of use to me..” she met his eyes for a brief moment, expression unchanging. Her one peachy eye answered the unasked question, though… She swallowed thickly, averting her gaze.

“Well. Anyways.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll make some tea and then feed Sol his rabbit.” She knew he was probably looking at her a bit weirdly but walked out anyway, to the kitchen.

Bai put Dako back in his enclosure after a moment.

“Do you want a cup?” she called from the kitchen. 

“Sure.”

She set a kettle on the stove and waited, preparing two cups with a saucer. A couple minutes later, she walked out with the cups. “Do you take sugar?”

“No thanks.” 

She nodded at that and handed him the saucer, taking a seat on her couch. One of her cats was sleeping on the armrest. Bai took a seat in a different chair. “How long have you had your constrictors?” he asked.

“Hmmm… I’ve had Sol the longest, for 7 years. I’ve had Dako and Agatha for 4 years.” she sipped her cup, sighing softly.

“You have pet rabbits, don’t you? yet you still feed your snake rabbits?” He cocked a brow, slowly sipping the hot tea. The steam clouded his glasses a bit, and he ‘tsk’d. 

“I have to. It’s a little sad, yes, but Sol won’t accept frozen-thawed prey. He only eats living prey.” she averted her gaze. “Usually Aggie and Dako do eat frozen-thawed rats and mice. But sometimes it’s good to have them eat something alive.” she idly swirled the tea in her cup.

“I see,” he responded, looking pensive for a moment.

“Still, I find it interesting to watch them hunt.” she blew on her tea a bit. He nodded in agreement. A white cat sniffed Bai curiously, before running off.

She talked about her snakes for a bit more, he seemed fine with listening for the most part. Occasionally he’d ask something, though. She showed him how Sol ate, which was rather aggressive, but he seemed interested… She couldn’t help but jump a bit though.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #451

“taste the waste of their god’s grace & spit your hate upon your young”

Who are you subscribed to on YouTube? A shitload of people. Do you like to go to the farmer's market? Yeah, sure. What will (or was) the color of your wedding dress be? Probably black. What's your favorite melon? I don't really like melons, actually. What was the name of the last pet of yours that died? Teddy. :( When was the last time you wished the day would just get over with? Literally every day. Seriously. It's funny, I dread fighting to sleep at night, but I also just want it to be time to sleep so time will pass. My life is just so fucking boring that I just... wait for something exciting to happen. Name one person you've never had a fight with: Tez. What are you currently listening to? "Sex Metal Barbie" by In This Moment. What would you rather have: cat or dog? I prefer cats. Who is your least favorite person in real life? Probably my sister's husband. Do you ever watch anybody's live stream of... anything, really? I'll sometimes watch live let's plays. Does your house have security cameras? No. If you go grey as you age, would you dye your hair or let it be? I'll be dyeing it. What was the last establishment you stopped going to due to bad service? What happened? I'm not sure. What soundtrack do you listen to the most? Silent Hill 2's, definitely. Was there a family secret you weren’t told about until you were an adult? I don't know if it's really a secret, but I didn't know until this year that my dad did some really dangerous drugs before us kids were born. Do you have an opinion most people you meet seem to disagree with you? Yes. What’s something you like to have many options to choose from? Food, ha ha. Feels great to have a full kitchen after a grocery trip. What’s the strangest decorative object you own? Nothing "strange" to me. What’s a thing you couldn’t imagine doing with your life right now? One biggie is having a baby. I just... could not imagine. My life would plummet. What’s been your proudest moment? Graduating in the top percentile in my high school graduating class. What’s the filthiest non-pornographic movie you’ve seen? Omfg, Sausage Party. That movie was so gross. Do you know anyone who doesn't seem to be fond of animals? Thankfully, no. I don't even think I could befriend someone who doesn't like animals. Are you planning any outings or trips anytime soon? Whereabouts? No. Do you know anyone who has a phobia of a certain animal? Yeah, like me with whale sharks. Is there a particular brand of technology/electronics that you prefer? Not really, no. Is there a singer whose voice gives you goosebumps/chills? Amy Lee's. And is there a singer whose voice you simply can't stand? Yeah, such as Bob Dylan. Are there any authors that are particularly dominant on your bookshelf? Tui T. Sutherland, but only because I read their series Wings of Fire. Have you seen any photographs or videos that made you smile today? I'm sure on Facebook at some point. Which item in your fridge are you most looking forward to consuming? Does the freezer count? If so, this Healthy Choice grilled chicken pesto bowl I have in there. I am like addicted to them. Has anyone you know got into a new relationship lately? I don't know. If you menstruate, do you experience much PMS prior to it? It varies month-to-month. Have you ever had a tattoo covered up or added to? I had my Markiplier tattoo essentially redone by a better artist. I also plan on getting my "ohana" tat covered, as well as my "how rare and beautiful it is to even exist" one (I adore the quote, but it's not an original design, which I don't like having anymore), and I want to move and redesign my "perfectly flawed" one because I want a bigger tattoo in its location. Can you remember the last time you had a sudden change of mind? Yeah; I'm pretty sure I like-like my friend Girt now, something I was never entirely sure about. When was the last time you did something on a whim? *shrug* Were you raised by both of your parents? If not, then who raised you? Well, I guess both, but Dad didn't do a lot of the teaching part about life and stuff. Have you ever began a relationship with someone you knew for less than a week? No. Has one of your friends ever tried to ‘hook you up?’ Yes. Colleen tried that with me and Girt and only succeeded in making us very uncomfortable. She said something I wanted to slap her for that I won't repeat. What is your card game of choice? Magic: The Gathering. What is your favourite books series? I think my favorite series of all time was the Shiloh trilogy. I adored both the books and movies. Do you prefer landmarks or street names when being given directions? You'd better give me landmarks, ha ha. Do you read the prologues in the beginnings of books? Of course. What was your favourite gym class moment? There're such things as GOOD gym memories in school? Do you think that ocean boardwalks are fun? Yes. Do you dread when people ask you to sign their yearbooks? No, I always thought it was very flattering that they even wanted mine. Do you have a favourite Scooby-Doo movie? The Phantom Virus one. I had the video game as a kid, too. Could never beat the damn thing. Do you think it’s cute when toddlers try to run away and fall down? No? I don't like seeing children - or anyone - fall. Do you enjoy listening to your grandparents tell stories of their past? So, this really only happened once, and it was coincidentally the day I learned of her pancreatic cancer, but before Mom told me. I had an assignment to interview someone of an older generation about how various sources of media affected their lives, like the development of TV and such, and she really got into it. It was very interesting to learn about. Do you have a crush on someone? I guess I do idfk. If so... what does his/her name begin with? "D." What attracts you to them? More than anything, the fact he's been there for me without fail. Both single and when I was with Jason and he was interested in me, he's just... been there and has made an effort since high school to be in my life in one way or another. Do they know that you like them? Not anymore, no. We dated for a few months, but I broke up with him because he felt more like my brother, so I would assume he doesn't think I do. Maybe he still is family to me. I really don't know what I feel. If they don't know, why didn't you tell them? I might at some point, idk. We just haven't talked in a while. Name two people that you miss: Jason and Megan. Have you ever seen Titanic? When I was in the hospital, yes. Everyone was crying, lmao. Have you ever swam with dolphins? No, but I would. When was the last time you had a stomachache? Now. Mother Nature finally visited me after three whole fucking months and is v angry. What's going to bed early for you? Like 7:00. Do you want to have a big family in the future? Of pets! Human kids ain't for me. What was the last thing you did that gave you a rush? Hell if I know. Favorite Nicholas Cage movie? Ghost Rider. Have you had your Covid vaccine yet? Which one, if you have? Yes. I got Moderna. If you've had your vaccine, did you experience any side effects? I did on my second dosage. I was OUT of it the day afterwards, but then I was fine. What's the next item of clothing that you intend to buy for yourself? I need new bras badly. What Facebook groups have you found the most helpful? It's called "Not Just A Pet Rock (Python regius)" and is a group for advanced ball python husbandry. It is very informative, but I will say there is a SHITLOAD of very rude elitists. Do you like your butt? Why or why not? NO because it's a PANCAKE and I want CAKE. Have you ever personally been a victim of homophobia? I personally think so. When Sara visited and we were trying to go to my older sister's so she especially could meet her, Ash entirely ignored Mom's messages. I know her homophobic husband well enough to nearly be able to guarantee he didn't want us coming over because the kids "don't need to see that." Ash kinda does what Nick says, so... you know. Do you think you’d be happier if you had a pet? I know I'm happier with pets. Who was the last person you went on a date with? Sara. Were you ever hospitalized as a little kid? No. What’s your favorite way to curl your hair? It's too short to do that. At what age did you start swearing? However old I was in 7th grade. What is something you physically can’t do? Clean up vomit lkdsjal;sdkjfa;lkwd. I can't clean up my pet's or even my own. I literally can't. My mom has to. What do like better, apples or oranges? Apples. I don't like oranges. Around the holidays, do you hope for snow? Yes!!! What are your top two favorite bands? Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica. How many people do you 100% trust? Like two. Maybe. Do you care what others think about you? Way too much. Has anyone ever called you a bitch? My grandmother has. Did you watch Teletubbies when you were younger? Omg yes, I was obsessed. Do you have any licenses other than your driver's license? I don't even have that. Could you live the rest of your life without eating meat? No. Not because I don't want to, because I do, but I would have an extreme protein deficit if I did that. Besides meat, I don't like enough protein-rich foods. Have you ever had a rolling backpack? Yes. Did you make any money today? I haven't made any money in a very, very long time. I'm only ever paid when someone hires me to take pictures for them. What was the highest place you've ever jumped from? I don't know. Definitely not very high. Have you ever gone swimming in a river? Yes. What was the last souvenir someone got you? I have zero clue. Do you have a favorite remix of a song? Hm. Perhaps this techno-y remix of "Psychosocial" by Slipknot. I don't know for sure, though. What do you think is the most saddest sounding instrument? Either the violin or piano. Do you really pay attention to the ratings on movies? Nope. Do you have a favorite species of wild cat (tiger/lion/cougar/etc.)? Probably clouded leopards aesthetics, but I think lions overall. If you had $500,000, what would you do with it? Pay off school debt as well as help Mom with various financial issues, buy new glasses, buy Mom and I a new house and car, get Venus a great tank with all the optimal supplies, get LOADS of tattoos, donate to various charities, adopt a few specific pets, travel to Yellowstone, get laser hair removal on my legs and teeth whitening... There are a lot of possibilities. Did the last person you touched lips with have a kid? Just scaly ones. :') "First loves are never really over." Is this true for you? Yeeeep... Did you like Michael Jackson before he died? I didn't really have an opinion on him. I know/like a couple songs, sure. What are some things that would make you break up with someone? If they became abusive, started doing drugs, acted arrogantly, didn't understand my mental conditions and were unwilling to be emotionally supportive, stuff like that. What was the worst breakup you've ever had? Ha, the one with Jason. For. Fucking. Sure.

[kpopmalereader]

prom ; lee chan

• summary: dino asks you to go to prom with him after your relationship builds • pairing: lee chan x male!reader • word count: 2049 • to do

You and Chan were never really friends. You weren’t enemies by any means, but you weren’t friends. You knew of each other. And that was about it.

When you finally truly met and got to know each other it was during your last year of high school. Both of you still needed volunteer hours and wouldn’t you know it, you signed up for the same service. You actually passed each other on the way to sign up.

Being surrounded by dozens of different types of animals while also getting service hours seemed like a pretty good deal to you.

Plus, the cute boy that walked in with his sweatshirt only on one arm was an added bonus.

You had your first conversation together when you were assigned to the front desk, signing in the animals and their parents. Anytime someone was not standing directly in front of you Chan’s mind would wander. He could get distracted by Computer the Cat and feed her treats in a steady stream until she left him. Or he would start to spin around in his chair until he was sick and dizzy.

And he became very close to you. Unbeknownst to you, he would ask to share the same tasks as you (no matter how meaningless or nasty) and he didn’t take much convincing from you to do anything you didn’t want to. You never noticed his want to spend more time around you or his willingness to do jobs every volunteer complained about if you mentioned not wanting to do them. You thought you noticed how often you were paired together but never thought it was because of Chan, instead thinking you were looking too far into things or that the person in charge thought you two were good friends.

You were becoming friends. In the process of starting a friendship.

At the beginning, it wasn’t obvious. You would nod at each other in the hallway. And he smiled at you once in the cafeteria while you were with his friends. You felt like you were on cloud nine the rest of the day, though you couldn’t pin down why you felt the way. After a little while of working together and getting to know each other while playing with and bathing dogs you started to say a few words in passing then he would end up by your locker before class and then if either of you were ever alone, you would keep each other company.

You met his friends. He met yours. They had questions but you both said you were only gaining a friend.

By the end of the first semester, your friend groups had mixed. Everyone knew of each other and acted friendly when able. You and Chan began hanging out after school and before going to the office. You learned his favorite color and his favorite animal, his favorite food, his life story, everything he told you, you absorbed.

By Valentine's day Chan was falling. He couldn’t help it. You seemed to care about everything. Every detail anyone else would pass up or forget, you remembered. The candy Chan mentioned one time? You bought it for him a month later. The song he hummed to himself while he was doing inventory? You told him you liked the artist a few days after.

It was really your fault. How could you show interest in him in these small ways no one else really had before and not expect him to fall?

The moment he really “fell” he’ll remember forever. Someone brought in an Orange Dream Ball Python. They said it wasn’t too old but they couldn’t take care of it and didn’t know what to do. You paged for one of the vets and asked the person to wait a minute but as you got the words out they dropped a writhing bag onto the counter and half-ran out of the office. With no hesitation you grabbed the bag and peeked inside, seeing that it did, in fact, look like some type of python. You brought it to the back and Chan followed. The vet was busy and couldn’t walk out but seeing the animal fight against itself in the cloth bag made your face morph into the saddest frown he’s ever seen from you. You stuck the bag in one of your hoodie’s pockets and went on a mission for some kind of cage for it. You found a small cage and took the lid off.

*

“What are you doing?” Chan’s jaw had long been on the floor.

You looked at him like he was the crazy one.

To you, the answer and solution was obvious, but to everyone else in the situation (only Chan), nothing was going to happen until an actual adult walked into the room.

He still looked very confused and a tiny bit frightened, so you spelled it out. “I’m going to let him out. I don’t know how long he’s been in there or if he’s hurt, where they got him from, I’m going to release him into the cage and let him slither around.”

You placed the cloth bag into the cage. Chan took three half-steps backward. The bag fell open and you slowly tug at the other end of it until the snake falls onto the plastic cage.

The snake isn’t too big. It’s sort of small. But it’s still a snake.

It balls up in the middle of the cage and hides in itself. Chan hears a small noise of adoration come from you and you sit in a chair, watching the creature closely.

“Hey, little guy. What happened to you?”

*

The vet gave clearance on the snake. Said it was what the owner said it was and that it didn’t appear to be injured. They had an enclosure for it and one of the techs was sent to get some extra supplies.

You became attached to him immediately. You set the little cage he was in by your station at the counter, checking in with him any time you could. Chan watched as you became more and more okay with the reptile until you had him quite literally wrapped around your finger. The “little dude” slithered over your hands and your keyboard, your smile growing bigger and bigger when he did anything at all.

And as Chan watched you interacting with the snake he felt enamored. You would look up at Chan and point excitedly and he was lightheaded. He wanted to spill everything about himself. He wanted to tell you every secret he’s ever had. And he might have if the head vet mentioned some patrons might be afraid of the snake. You frowned and hid him behind the desk, smile turning sneaky.

He didn’t say anything. Just felt every emotion possible.

You wanted to keep the little snake so bad. Came to school the next day with a pout, recounting to Chan exactly what your parents said about it.

You said Chan saved the day when he said you would know the whereabouts of the snake at the vet’s office.

Every day that passed once Chan’s feelings truly set in they only grew. Most of his friends were quickly let in on the secret and a few of your friends found out soon after.

His feelings came to a head before prom. Chan’s mind began to race when he watched everyone’s prom-posals begin. The more they happened the more Chan began to wonder if you were going to get asked. Or ask someone else.  And the thought was unsettling to him. He didn’t want anyone else to think of going with you or for you to think of going with anyone besides himself.

Your best-friend was finally made aware of his feelings when Chan caved while planning the “perfect confession” and asked for advice. They would say they didn’t hold it over his head. Chan would disagree.

Chan took it as a compliment when they didn’t seem completely disgusted at the idea.

When he started planning, he also started preparing for the embarrassment he would endure if you were to say no. Embarrassment he did not plan for was the embarrassment in asking the head veterinarian for help and permission.

He hoped you wouldn’t notice the change in who you were working with throughout the day.

You did.

*

“Hey!” You stop halfway to turning the light in the stockroom off. Computer the Cat darts out between your legs and you hear the yelp of one of the nurses in his path. “Didn’t see you there.”

His attempt at not being suspicious is anything but good. “Hello.”

“You weren’t at the front desk with me today,” You scrunch your face and lean against the door. “You know how awkward the silences are when you’re not close to the person you’re working with? I’ll answer it for you. Very. It was awful and as far as I’m concerned it’s all your fault.”

He scratches the back of his neck and pushes the stack of paper towels to the left. “Sorry. I asked if I could do more work alone today. I guess I should have warned you.”

You shrug your shoulders and let the door close. You sit on the stool he was using earlier. “It’s not like a real problem or anything. I just missed you. Is everything okay?”

Your genuine concern and thoughtful expression eat away at him until his straight expression breaks into a light chuckle and smile. “Yeah. I just had some stuff on my mind today. It’s okay, promise.”

You nod and jump up, going out of your way to bump your shoulder into his on your way to the door. “Well, if you get tired of doing inventory or being alone, come see me. I’ll ignore more of my work to talk to you.”

“I’m sure I’ll see you later.”

Chan breathes out and bangs his head against the metal shelves as the door closes behind you. He shuts his eyes tightly, rethinking every step of his plan.

*

With an hour and a half left of the day with no attempt at the plan happening every time the head vet passes Chan, constant watch-tapping occurs.

Chan sees you cleaning out one of the cages and sets his plan into motion. He pours a few cat treats into a bowl and corrals Computer the Cat into an empty exam room. She tolerates Chan enough for him to set up his sign. He adds more food to her bowl to keep her in place and walks out of the room.

He catches you as you’re washing your hands, the smaller dog cages fully cleaned and redecorated. “Hey,”

“Hello.” You flick some of the water on your hands at him and smile.

“Have you seen Computer?”

“I saw her earlier, why?”

“She was acting kind of strange earlier; I didn’t know if you noticed anything different.”

You pout slightly and shake your head. “No, where is she? What was she doing?”

Chan leans back into the door. “She keeps sneaking off into Room Three.”

“Poor thing, I wonder if she’s okay.” You walk into the hallway, leaving him to pick his heart off of his shoe.

You moving towards his surprise forces him to recover. He follows behind you, breathing in raspy breaths.

You walk into the room, looking up to first see Computer eating then seeing the sign. “Prom?” is written in big letters and you turn around quickly.

Chan smiles at you with one of his eyebrows raised. A white rose is in his hand and he holds it out to you. “I don’t know if I can handle asking but I will if you want me to.”

“You don’t have to ask again.” Your ears go pink and your smile grows as you take the flower from him. “Thank you and… yes. Yes. I will go to prom with you.”

He laughs and nods his head. “Great, good. Yeah. Okay.”

“I didn’t think you were going to ask me. I was hoping but didn’t think you would.”

“You were hoping?”

“Obviously.” You smell the flower and shake your head.

He scratches the back of his neck and rocks up on his toes. “Thank you. Prom.”

“Prom.” You repeat.

[belliemont]

(madelaine petsch, cis female, she/her) Welcome to Lakeview, ELLIE BELMONT! We hear that you are TWENTY-FIVE years old. You’ve been in town TWO WEEKS? You should get to your job as a FREELANCE WRITER. I hear that it fits your CREATIVE and PERFECTIONIST personality. Don’t be out on Route 9 alone! (carson kay, 25, she/they, cst)

Basic Information

Full Name: Ellen May Belmont

Nickname(s): Ellie, Ellie Bellie

Age: 25

Date of Birth: November 7, 1996

Hometown: Rye, New York

Current Location: Lakeview, Maryland

Ethnicity: White

Nationality: American

Gender: Cis Female

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Orientation: Bisexual

Religion: Protestant

Political Affiliation: Liberal

Occupation: Writer, Socialite

Living Arrangements: Renting one of the Crown Townhomes in Lakeview, Maryland

Languages Spoken: English, French, some Spanish

Accent: Posh New York accent

Physical Appearance

Face Claim: Madelaine Petsch

Hair Color: Red

Eye Color: Brown

Height: 5'6"

Build: Slim but a bit curvy

Tattoos: small smiley face on her right middle finger, small daisy behind her right ear, knife under her left breast, scribbled heart and sewing needle with thread under her left collarbone, bow on her right ankle, New York City skyline on her left hip

Piercings: Two in each ear

Clothing Style: Girly with edgy elements

Distinguishing Characteristics: Red hair, slightly pointed canine teeth

Health

Physical Ailments: None

Neurological Conditions: Dyslexia, ADHD

Allergies: Nickel

Sleeping Habits: She’s a deep sleeper. She needs at least eight hours of sleep or she won’t be able to function.

Eating Habits: She’s pescatarian and eats three meals a day without fail. She has no problem treating herself but prefers to keep a healthy diet. As a teenager, she struggled with an eating disorder and would frequently chew food for the taste and then spit it out.

Exercise Habits: She does yoga for half an hour every morning, Pilates in the afternoon, and running in the evening.

Emotional Stability: Average. She has her moments.

Sociability: Incredibly social. She loves meeting new people and having a lot of friends.

Body Temperature: Normal. However, she gets cold easily.

Addictions: None

Drug Use: She’s not opposed to smoking weed but she prefers edibles in the rare case that she does partake. She’s also done cocaine a few times when she’s had a deadline she needed to meet.

Alcohol Use: She drinks daily. Maybe a shot of something in her morning coffee, a glass of wine with her lunch, or a mixed drink in the afternoon.

Personality

Label: The Vixen

Positive Traits: Creative, direct, fun-loving, passionate, sociable

Negative Traits: Calculating, fiery, impulsive, perfectionist, selfish

Fears: Needles

Hobbies: Writing, going for walks, and traveling

Habits: Checking her phone, chewing on the end of pencils, and pulling apart split ends

Favorites

Weather: Sunny days, sometimes rainy nights

Color: Red

Music: Pop

Movies: Anything

Sports: Tennis, squash, running

Beverage: Any kind of carbonated water or cocktail

Food: Fresh fruit

Animal: Bears

Family

Father: Arthur Belmont

Mother: Rachel Belmont

Sibling(s): None

Children: None

Pets: A ball python named Britney and a tabby cat named Quint

Family’s Financial Status: Affluent

[thinking-in-symbols]

Quinquennial Life Assessment

So, it’s been a few years.  When I was 19 I posted a sort of “roadmap” for the evolution of my life on this blog.  Today I thought I’d revisit that.  I want to take a look back and see what progress I’ve made, and then in a separate post I want to turn to the future, think about how my vision for it has changed, and consider how I can reincorporate these goals into that vision.

This is the list of things I wanted to get done in varying time frames.  I’ve crossed off the things I’ve done to get a sense of my progress:

1 year:

At 19, my hopes were to accomplish the following things by age 20:

- Joined, and consistently participated in, at least 2 campus organizations that suit my interests, at least 1 of which should be competitive in nature - well, I joined the ISO and KVRX, my college radio station!  Neither of those were competitive, but in retrospect I don’t really care about that :-)

- Made concrete plans to study abroad - Nope, unfortunately I never did this.  I’m not quite sure I regret that, all things considered - I traded that experience for other things.  I did make plans to spend a few months abroad of my own accord, and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for that meddling global pandemic.  But as it stands I haven’t done this.

- Learned C++ and python to proficiency - Hm.  “Proficient” is a relative term.  But I think I have a tendency to downplay my skills, so in the interest of counteracting that I’m going to count myself as “proficient” in these languages.  I think that’s fair.

- Gone on at least a several day road trip with at least 1 friend - I’ve gone on several trips with @meeshbug​, my very lovely girlfriend and best friend in the world :-)

- Decided on a concentration beyond the extremely vague umbrella of “computer science” - Unfortunately as far as my education is concerned I never really did this.  If anything my interests have *broadened* rather than becoming more focused.  More on this later...

- Made meaningful, ongoing contributions to an open-source project - You know what?  I’ve published the source of everything I’ve ever made, and I’ve gotten to the point where I can make stuff that’s not trivial.  So I’m giving myself credit for this one.

- Learned to cook enough meals to eat in most days and not get sick of my own food - I wish.  I’ve learned to cook a fair amount of stuff but I still get way too depressed and lethargic to apply that consistently.  Whether I consider myself to have achieved this honestly depends on the month.

- Learned to keep my living area clean - I’m much better at this than I was at 19, but at 19 I could barely clear a path to walk across my room.  So there’s more work to do.  More on these last two later.

- Gotten a pet - Meesh and I have a dog named Courage (after the dog of cowardly fame) and a cat named Jax!

2 years:

- Independently written a piece of software to completion and deployed it publicly - I’ve always pretty bad at actually seeing projects through to completion, but I do have a few full, independent projects under my belt at this point.  I’ve built a simple game engine, a pathtracer, plugins for games I like, and some other stuff.

- purchased and begun regularly using some basic amateur radio equipment - Ah man.  I got my license but I still haven’t gotten any equipment.  I guess I have to get on that...

- purchased and begun experimenting with some basic music recording equipment - This one I’ve done, but I haven’t done as much experimenting as I’d like.

- hosted a party - I did this for my 21st birthday and it’s one of my favorite memories!  Honestly this was probably the last time I had all my really close friends in one place.  I’m actually getting kind of emotional about that.

- done some kind of hallucinogen - I have now done this.  I definitely did get something out of it, albeit not what I expected.  This is something I actually only did pretty recently and it’s still having a pretty profound effect.  Maybe I’ll write a separate post about this.

- Gone camping with friends - Despite my best efforts, this hasn’t happened yet.  Pretty fucked up.

3 years:

- learned to play another instrument besides the piano (guitar?) - I don’t feel comfortable crossing this one off quite yet, but I went ahead and bought myself some guitar equipment and have been messing around with it lately :-) I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and pay for lessons if I’m serious about this, which I am.

- Written and recorded a song - Damn, I can’t believe it’s been 5 years and I haven’t even done this.

- Met a group of people I can play music with - nope

- Owned a leather jacket.  I can’t believe I’ve still never even owned a leather jacket - I’ve done this and wore it frankly too much.  Kinda cringe.

- Worked as a professional software developer - Yep!  Worked as a software developer for a retail company for a couple years.  I’m actually not working as a software developer right now, though; I’m working in a sort of adjacent position.  More on this later.

- Participated in research related to my field - That’s pretty ambitious.  Not sure I’ll ever do this, unfortunately.  But we’ll see.

- Been to a film festival - Oh shit, I totally forgot about having written this.  That’s a cool idea.  I should do this, it’s not like it’s hard (well, at least in principle.  I guess covid kind of changes the situation).

- Gotten a dog - Courage is one of those, I think, although he might also be part rat.

- collected 50 records - Lol, my dumb ass really thought I was going to buy $1,000 worth of records on college money.  No, I haven’t done this, but I’m on my way there.

- Purchased a desktop computer - Well, my dad gave me his old desktop.  That’s not really a purchase but I think it counts.

5 years:

- Begun accepting freelance development gigs - haven’t gotten here yet and I’m not totally sure this is a direction I want to go in my career.  Freelancing has its own stressors as I’ve come to learn from others.  No career path is sunshine and roses and I’m trying to internalize this fact.

- Participated in a student film - Nope.  I don’t even know why I wrote this down to be honest.

- Gotten laid by solving a 5x5 Rubik’s Cube in front of a girl because surely that’s gonna have to work on someone eventually, otherwise I wasted a lot of time - These are getting weird.  Surely I didn’t really expect this to happen, right?  Well, either way I now have a long-term girlfriend, so I don’t - wait, Meesh has seen me solve a Rubik’s cube and she saw it before we started dating.  So actually I’m going to give myself credit for it.  I’m the one who makes the rules here.

- Fleshed out my political opinions - Yes, I now know everything about politics and can answer 100% of questions on political issues.  Just kidding.  But I know where I stand.

- Participated in a protest or some other kind of political event - Done!  Went to a few protests as part of the ISO, participated in lots of their events, and attended some protests with friends as well.

- Studied abroad - Nope :-/

- Learned a language other than Spanish - I took a semester of French!  But I don’t quite want to give myself credit for this one because I really would like to learn a different language to something resembling fluency.

- Run a marathon - Lmao.  I am in much worse shape now than I was when I wrote this post, and even at that time I could probably do like 7 miles if I really pushed myself.  How sad.

- Gone hiking outside of texas - This is weird because I’d literally already done this when I wrote this post.  But I’ve done it more since then, so hey!

- Been out of the country with a friend - This I had also already done.  I guess the point is to have done it without “adult supervision” or whatever.  I haven’t done this since writing this list so I guess I have to leave it uncrossed.

10 years:

- Lived with a girl for an extended period of time - Meesh 🥰

- Spent at least 6 months living on the road in an RV, preferably with a dog and a girl - God, I am so close to being able to do this.  I don’t want it to be an RV anymore - those things are expensive.  But a van?  Still pricey, but doable, especially if I’m willing to sacrifice some comfort.  This has actually been front-of-mind for a while.  I’ll let you know when I get the balls to pull the trigger.

- Started making Real Money - Well, yep, I have gotten to that point.  I do have other thoughts on this, though.  Money is weird, man.

- Lived in a long-term living space outside of Texas (i.e. not including RV time) - How long is long-term?  Three months?  If so, I’ve done this by living in Boston with Meesh for a few months after she went there for law school.  However, I anticipate staying there much longer in the near future, so I’ll wait on this crossing this one off.

- Written a book about something, idk - Not yet.  I’m halfway to the deadline on this one and I have some ideas, but ideas aren’t worth all that much, especially to me, who rarely sees them through.  We’ll see where this goes.  It’s not exactly a priority and historically I struggle to get even my priorities done.  It might make more sense to replace this with recording a concept or narrative album, for which I also have ideas that I happen to take more seriously.

- Learned to solve a 6x6 Rubik’s Cube - nope

- Gotten laid by solving a 6x6 Rubik’s Cube - nope

- Lived in an apartment where I pay all the rent - Yes!  :-))) We love independence

- Earned an advanced degree (this one’s iffy) - This hasn’t happened, and whether it will ever happen is something I’ve been thinking a lot about.  I sort of decided half-way through college that I would be totally burned out on school by the time I graduated.  But in retrospect it takes way less time to burn out on work than it does to burn out on school, and grad degrees are a different kind of thing.  So it’s worth revisiting.’

- Given a best man speech (Sam, this means you have to get married within the next 10 years.  Good luck out there.) - Holy shit, Sam, you maniac, you actually did it!  Sam got married back in 2019 and I gave his best man speech! It’s another one of my favorite memories :-) 

- Gone on a cruise with someone I’m dating - Hmm, not yet.  I’ve gone on cool trips, but none on a boat.  Maybe that’s something to aim for after the pandemic passes :-)

Retrospective:

1yr: Completed: 5/9

More than half isn’t bad!  I’m not gonna worry too much about whether I got these things done within their assigned “time-frame”.  I’m a procrastinator in my heart and I don’t see any reason to put that kind of pressure on myself.  The point is, they got done.  That’s enough for me.

The things I did best in in this category were academic things, and things to do with relationships.  I’m proud of the academic achievements, I really feel like doing them has increased my belief in myself and my sense that I’m good at the thing I’ve spent the last four years studying.  And of course, I am so happy to be in a loving, fulfilling relationship that brings so many good things into my life.  I almost feel like the things I accomplished sort of fell into my lap - of course I’m gonna do programming stuff as a programming student, and getting pets / going on road trips are things I did as a result of my relationship with Meesh.  I don’t say that to downplay the accomplishments, but I do think it’s worth noting.

The things I haven’t done are more to do with personal development, which is disappointing.  I would like to be able to say, 5 years down the road, that I’ve done the personal development I expected to do in just a single year, but maybe that’s a lot to expect.  These are problems I’ve dealt with my whole life.  I think what this means is that I can’t expect everything to fall into my lap.  Those things are going to take real concerted effort to change.  I’m not quite sure how to go about that, though.

2yrs: Completed: 4/6

Two-thirds!  Even better!

Lots of these are one-time accomplishments, not so much long-term commitments to personal development.  The good news is, I did them, and I think those resulted in some development in their own right :-)

Again, though, the things I didn’t do so well are the things that require long-term, concerted effort.  For instance, while I crossed off the one about experimenting with music, it’s really only the initial investment that I’ve really done at this point.  It remains to be seen whether I’ll be able to follow through on the commitment to actually experiment and learn.

3yrs: Completed: 4/10

This category also follows the same pattern I’ve noticed with the last two.  The other thing I’m noticing is that so, so much of my effort over the past few years has been going towards developing a very particular skill: programming / computer science.  Music and art are so important to me, but I’ve done very little real development in those areas.  I mean, I’ve done some.  But not as much as I would have hoped for half a decade.

5yrs: Completed: 4/10

This is getting a little more fun because less of my goals have to do explicitly with my degree.  I’m starting to think beyond college, which is good, because the stage of life I’m in right now requires me to start thinking about the kind of life I want to build now that I’m done with school.  Also, I’m at the deadline for this one right now!  So this is a particularly interesting category because it really shows where I thought I’d be by this time.

The goals I accomplished in this timeframe are, again, mostly things I’ve done through my relationship, but politics also feature pretty prominently on this part of the list.  I spent a lot of time reading and researching political issues during college and really did look for ways to participate.  I honestly made politics a pretty big part of my identity over the last 5 years, and I think it will stay that way forever, but I’ve gotten to the point where I think I need to devote less of my mental energy to knowing more.  I know what I need to know.  It’s time to think about other things.

10yrs: Completed: 4/11 (and counting!)

There’s some career stuff in this section that I’ve been able to do, which is good news.  I’ve always been scared about entering the working world.  All things told, it’s gone more smoothly than it could have.  But I also have lots of lingering doubts about what I want to do in the long term.  So one of the most pressing goals I should aim for is to resolve those doubts.

Ultimately, I have a lot of time left, and I’m not even done with this time frame, so I’m not gonna spend much time dissecting the things I haven’t done.  What I’ll do instead is say that while I didn’t do everything on this list, I feel proud of the things I have accomplished.  I said when I first wrote this list that it’s sometimes hard for me to feel that my life is moving in any particular direction, and I’m still feeling like that five years later, to be honest.  But looking back on these things has helped me see that I actually am making progress in my life.  Not in all the ways I want to, but that’s OK.  There’s still time.

In the next couple days I want to come back to this and reorganize this list into an updated set of goals, for the same time frames.  Maybe that will help me think through exactly what it is I want out of the next five-ten years, with the benefit of having analyzed the things that I did and didn’t do well over the previous five.

[kitkatwinchester]

Tag Game

Tagged by @meilas

I don’t know why this doesn’t have a title, so I gave it one. XD 

1. How many pets do you have and what are they? 

Three doggos and two snakes (though technically the third dog belongs to my grandma). 

Doggo 1: This is Griffin. He’s 3/4 black lab and 1/4 shiba inu. He’s super needy and claims we starve him to death (we don’t), but we love him all the same. Favorite thing: pretending eh loves you so you’ll give him food from your plate. He turns 12 this year. <3 

Doggo 2: This is Loki. He’s a rescue, and as such, we honestly have no idea what breed he is, or how old he is, but we love him. Favorite thing: standing between your legs and tripping you. XD 

Doggo 3: This is Jack, my grandma’s dog. To be honest, he’s kind of a butthole, and not very nice to our other dogs, but my grandma loves him, so I guess that’s what matters. He’s a cockerspaniel, and he’ll be 10 this year. 

Snake 1: This is Zak. He’s a milk snake. He used to be quite the hunter, but now he’s really lazy and makes us lay his food on the bottom of his cage before he’ll even eat it. Favorite thing: wrapping around your necklace/watch/bracelet while you’re holding him. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how old he actually is, ‘cause I don’t know how snake ages work, but we’ve had him for two years.  

Snake 2: This is Charlie. She’s a ball python, and let me tell you, she is insanely quick. When she grabs the food we give her, just when you think you’re expecting it, she scares the crap out of you and snatches it out of the air. Favorite thing: curling up into a ball (hence the name “ball python”) in your hand and just chllin’. Like Zak, I don’t know how old she is, but we’ve had her for a year. 

2. What’s your Hogwarts house? 

According to Pottermore, Ravenclaw, and while I fully agree with this and will shout my Ravenclaw pride to the heavens, hell, and back, I do think there’s a little bit of Hufflepuff in me too. 

3. What’s your faction? (From the Divergent series)

Umm...well, I’ve never taken an official quiz or anything, but I’m probably Abnegation. 

4. What’s your most underrated OTP? 

Well, most of my Supernatural OTPs are pretty mainstream, so I guess I’ll go with an underrated MCU one, which is Interwebs, because Peter and Ned would seriously make an adorable couple (shout-out to @baloobird for helping me realize that that ship even existed to begin with XD). 

5. What’s your favorite dessert? 

Chocolate chip cookies. <3 

6. What’s your guilty pleasure? 

Watchings “kids” tv shows and movies no matter how bad they are and loving them all the same. XD 

7. What’s your favorite musical? 

Les Miserables and Mary Poppins, both of which I’ve been lucky enough to see on Broadway. 

8. What is your proudest accomplishment? 

This tends to vary as life goes on, but I’d say one of my proudest accomplishments was the work I did for Henry IV: Part II in 2018. I did so much, but I was so proud of it. I was the assistant stage manager, composer, music director, fight captain, main musician, and even had a role in the show. It honestly came with a lot of stressors, and was pretty intense, but I loved every minute of it, and I’m still really proud of everything I pulled off with that production and everything that came with it. 

9. Which 2 Disney Princesses do you relate to on a personal level? 

Right now? Rapunzel. Oh you were speaking not in quarantine times. Got it. XD  See, this is always a little hard, because, first of all, I’m a hardcore Disney fan, and always have been, so every Disney film has a special place in my heart. Second of all, I relate to pretty much all of the Disney Princesses for different reasons--especially the most recent ones. If I had to pick two, though, I guess I would say...Moana and Belle.  I relate to Moana because of her love for the water, sense of adventure, interest in traveling, connection to home/family, and lack of a love interest.  I relate to Belle because of her love of reading, connection to family, sacrificing for those she loves, and wanting to make the world a better place.  Yeah. I think that works. 

10. Disney Princes you relate to on a personal level? 

Ummm...none of them?  My favorite Disney Prince, unofficial or otherwise, is Kristoff. I guess, if I were to really think about it, he’s probably also the one I relate the most to? He was kind of on his own as a kid, but he was taken in by people (trolls) he now considers family (not quite in the same way, but I get what he’s feeling). Plus, he really just throws himself whole-heartedly into his relationship Anna and isn’t ashamed or embarrassed to show how much he loves her; he’d do anything for her (which is really romantic, by the way).  So yeah. I guess I’d say Kristoff. 

11. If you could date any fictional character, who would it be? 

Dean Winchester. No contest. <3  That said, though, he’s technically way too old for me, so if I’m trying to be a little more realistic, Peter Parker. 

12. If you could be best friends with any fictional character, who would it be? 

Jack Kline. Because I love him and adore him, but I don’t really want to date him; I just want to spend all of my time with him. XD <3  Tony Stark is a close second. 

13. If you had to murder someone, how would you do it? 

Well...it honestly depends on the situation. Am I murdering them for myself, or for someone else? Do I care about getting caught?  If I want to get away with the murder, poison, definitely. Probably cyanide. Easy to hide, hard to detect, gets the job done pretty easily.  If I’m trying to make a point, slow and torturous is the way to go. Knife wound, probably?  I don’t know. I watch a lot of crime shows, so I know how to get away with a murder if I really wanted to; however, I honestly do not have the stomach to kill someone, so trying to imagine how I would do it is difficult.  That said, though, I could definitely be convinced to kill you if you hurt anyone I care about--fair warning. 

I’m tagging @baloobird, @crowleyellestair, @annieshurley, @jen27ny, @spneveryseason​, @ninjazzz3​, and @jelly-pies​. 

[kassamigos]

welcome back to gallagher academy, KASSANDRA SUTTON! according to their records, they’re a FOURTH year, specializing in ADVANCED ENCRYPTION + “MACGUYVER” SURVIVAL SKILLS + NAVIGATION; and they DID go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (bouncing copper hair, a million-watt smile, a sticker-covered macbook, and green eyes rolling at her own corny jokes). when it’s the (sagittarius)’s birthday on 12/05/1998, they always request ICE CREAM CAKE from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation.

NAME: Kassandra Felicity Sutton

KNOWN AS: Kass

BIRTHDATE: December 5, 1998

ASTROLOGY:  Sagittarius sun / Cancer moon / Leo rising

HOMETOWN: Virginia Beach, VA

RESIDENCE: Roseville, VA  ( Gallagher Academy )

GENDER: Cis female ( she/her )

SEXUAL ORIENTATION:  Bisexual

HEIGHT: 5'5"

HAIR COLOR:  Brown

EYE COLOR: Green

TATTOOS: None

KNOWN LANGUAGES:  English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, German, Italian

IMMEDIATE FAMILY:

Laura Sutton: Mother, President of Gallagher Academy  ( Amy Adams FC )

Henry Edwards: Father, accountant & undercover spy, deceased  ( Chris Pine FC )

Valeria Sutton:  Younger sister, second year at Gallagher Academy ( Danielle Rose Russell FC )

background.

Kassandra Sutton was born the eldest of Laura Sutton and Henry Edwards. As a child, her favorite bedtime story had been hearing about how they had met, a chance run-in while both in Washington DC – her mother a legacy spy, and her father a simple accountant from England.  It had been a quick and steadfast love, and within a year of meeting they were married. Not long after the couple moved to Virginia Beach, where Kass and eventually her baby sister Valeria Sutton were born. Most spies keep their career a secret from their family, but Henry had been clued into the family from the start, and the two raised their daughters with the same privy information.  Knowing this had always made Kass feel like there were no secrets in their family, and that she could tell her parents everything, a trait that never seemed to leave her.

She was eight years old when her father was killed in a car crash, and it changed everything. Having done a lot of traveling throughout their early childhood, Laura now needed a job stable enough to raise her two daughters alone. So when her alma mater Gallagher Academy offers her the President position during one of the roughest times for the university, it’s hard to turn it down.  The Sutton family are given a small apartment in the mansion tucked away from where the students live, and the three of them slowly make it their home and new normal.

Despite permanently being under the same roof as their mother, Laura Sutton had come into the position with a lot of issues to fix, and she used this opportunity to dive into her work.  So Kass picked up the slack, packing lunches for her and Val and helping her sister with her homework every evening, trying to shoulder the weight for her mother as much as possible.  It caused her to grow up a little quicker than others, but she doesn’t hold any resentment towards her mother for it, because she knows Laura did all she could.  Besides, it made her bond with her sister closer than ever, and to this day Val will always be the most important person in her life. If there’s one place she knows like the back of her hand, it’s Gallagher Academy.

One of the hardest things she ever had to do was leave home ( or more specifically, her sister )   to go off to boarding school in Wyoming, practically halfway across the country.  But whereas she spent her childhood going to school with normal students and excelling leaps and bounds ahead of them, Kass enjoyed being able to be around like-minded individuals with families more similar to her own. It’s there that she grew into herself, developing her affinity for computers and figuring out who she was outside of Val’s older sister.  It’s also when she came out as bisexual, and had her first taste of a relationship with one of her best friends.

It was a strange transition to go from being just another student in prep school to the eldest daughter of President Laura Sutton when she arrived back at Gallagher, this time as a student.  Unlike in prep school, there were a lot of students who wanted to befriend her, and Kass had a hard time trying to decipher who wanted to be her friend because of her mother’s legacy, or for her. So she worked hard to make a reputation for herself, using her knowledge of Gallagher to make others feel more welcome and at home, while making an effort never to refer to her mother as President or bringing her job into the conversation.  Everyone already knows who she is;  they don’t need Kass to remind them.

gallagher academy, third year.

The merging of Gallagher Academy and Blackthorne Institute Kass’ third year had been an unprecedented one, but unlike other Gallagher students, she had no qualms with inviting boys to the school. It was nice to see some of her old prep school friends and family friends under the same roof as her.  Learning that Blackthorne had been a school for assassins was surprising, but she didn’t think ill of those who had gone there. After all, it’s not like she had been blind to the possibility of others ending up in that field.

Spring semester was rough for Kass;  her two best friends had started seeing two boys, leaving her to feel lonely and forgotten. It didn’t help that her feelings for one of her best friends had returned, and the pressure of others constantly coming to her for advice or their problems had begun to weigh on her. The Valentine’s Day dance turned three-day lockdown only made matters worse, especially after finding out one of the two students who had been murdered was Amelia Taylor, Kass’ ex-girlfriend.

Not like after having a falling out with one of her best friends, an anonymous email is sent around campus, outing students’ parents as previous members of the Brotherhood, an organization behind the death of Amelia and the witness protection student. Imagine her surprise when her father’s name – the normal, civilian accountant – had been on that list.  Unable to cope with the betrayal she feels, Kass pushes away her friends and family, and goes off on a rebellious streak, uncharacteristically getting drunk and having a few messy hookups.

It takes Val calling her out on her shit for her to come back to reality, and Kass finally confronts her mother.  It’s only then that Laura Sutton tells her the truth:  her father had been a Blackthorne alum and Brotherhood member before working as a double agent to help take down the organization, and it was his part in the operation that had gotten him killed. ( You can read the self-para on it here. )

After the news settled, Kass was able to repair the relationships she may have strained, and the imprisonment of Amelia’s killer and the Brotherhood being defeated had her feeling more like her old self.  She’s ready for her fourth and finally year at Gallagher in the fall, and to see what the future holds.

personality.

Kass is a total nerd, spending most of her time behind her laptop screen working on hacking jobs or researching whatever her current interest is.  Her IQ isn’t abnormally high and she doesn’t have a photographic memory, but she’s quick to be able to pick things up, especially anything binary related. She is also full of useless information that she’s garnered through her many, many nights lost on Wikipedia or Reddit at three in the morning.  She’s curious to a fault, often sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong – and being able to break through firewalls and access her mother’s records certainly doesn’t hurt.

Despite being a complete dork, she is extremely personable and has the ability to make friends with just about anyone. Those who welcome her into their life have a fiercely loyal friend on their side that will always drop everything at first call. Kass is optimistic and often quick to trust people, but isn’t as naive as she appears, especially after learning the truth about her father.

She’s also a total romantic, in love with the idea of love, and loves nothing more than to assist other people in their love lives. However, when it comes to her own love life, Kass is notorious for ignoring red flags and going for the first person.  Her relationship with Amelia ended in heartbreak after not being on the same page and thinking it was more than it was, so since then she’s learned to protect her heart a little better.

Just call her a golden retriever, because she will lick just about anyone’s face and be their best friend at first meeting.

more information / headcanons:

Kass is a pretty experienced traveler, used to flying from a young age when they would visit her dad’s family in England at least once a year.  Once Val went off to prep school and the three Suttons were separated more often than not, they would plan big summer trips during Laura’s time off, visiting places like Italy, France, and Hawaii. Venice is one of her favorite destinations  ( it just seemed SO romantic ) .

Her favorite place in the world is Washington DC. The fascination started at a young age when she would daydream about her parents meeting there, but since getting older she’s grown to love all the museums and monuments and make her own memories. Her plans post-grad are to move to DC and get a cyber security job at an agency.  

She still has her childhood bedroom in her mother’s apartment, that she does visit at least once a week, mostly because her ball python named Siri lives there. She tried having Siri in her dorm her first year at Gallagher, but one of her roommates wasn’t too keen on living with a snake, so now she keeps her at her mother’s.

One of her most prized possessions is her rock collection, a mixture of different minerals and rocks, as well as rocks and sand from places she’s traveled.

She’s really big into birthdays, and all her friends of hers receive a freshly baked birthday cake from her.  They’re not made from scratch – despite enjoying baking, Kass is particularly great at it – but it’s the thought that counts !

Kass has an appetite like Jughead Jones and a diet like a Gilmore girl.

An easy way to her heart is through flowers; sunflowers are her favorites.

TL;DR:  Kass is the eldest daughter of President Laura Sutton and has lived at Gallagher Academy since she was eight years old, so she knows the place like the back of her hand.  She basically raised her younger sister Val and is an extraverted computer nerd with a thirst for knowledge ( or more accurately, useless facts ) and an optimistic approach on life, though it’s not without hardship.

current & wanted connections here