#she's also a ray of sarcastic sunshine

[ronqueesha]

"The popular stereotype of the researcher is that of a skeptic and a pessimist. Nothing could be further from the truth! Scientists must be optimists at heart, in order to block out the incessant chorus of those who say "It cannot be done." - Academician Prokhor Zakharov, University Commencement

[lydiasfalling]

SWEET CREATURE !

percy jackson x aphrodite! reader

➸✧˖*°࿐ taglist : open!

˗ˋˏ warnings : use of y/n, nothing else really ˎˊ-

‧₊˚✧ lydia’s yap fest ! ✧˚₊‧

happy valentine’s day everyone! hope you guys enjoy this. could possibly make this a series if it’s liked enough. love ya!!!

walking around camp half blood at this time of year seemed to mock you. the fellow aphrodite’s kids seemed to be focused on finding a valentine. now, dot get it twisted. you wanted a valentine. bad. the only problem with this was, well, your intense and completely obvious crush on percy jackson. something about his confidence and charismatic aura drew you in and ruined you for anyone and everyone else.

there was another problem with this. percy jackson happened to be your best friend. you had tried everything to get these feelings to go away. dating other camp members, having different flings, setting percy up with other people, and tartarus, you even had people give you love potions. nothing worked. it was getting unbearable for everyone surrounding the two of you. in particular, annabeth and grover seemed the most annoyed.

the pair had also tried to help you guys understand how perfect you two would be together. however, you and him both refused any sort of insinuation of romance. it’s not that you didn’t want to be with him. quite the opposite, actually. you just didn’t see the point of wasting your friendship by risking him not feeling the same way. keeping him close as a friend was better than loosing him.

infact, you had encouraged him to ask another camp member out. this led you to your current predicament, watching him as he walked with kailey ( a girl from cabin five ). this had been his choice—he insisted she was ‘interesting enough’. you could see by the look on his face that he didn’t truly enjoy her company all that much.

“ya know, this could all be avoided if you just told him how you feel.” annabeth said from next to you, throwing a pointed look in your direction. you chose to ignore the sarcastic tone of her voice as she spoke.

“how i feel? i feel like he’s my best friend and i can’t jeopardize that. they look to be having fun.” the second sentence came out as if you were trying to convince yourself as well.

as if the universe wanted to mock you more, percy and kailey made their way over to you. annabeth looked at you, praying that you noticed the bored look on percy’s face. you gave her a look as to say ‘stop it’ before turning to shoot a smile in the direction of the approaching pair. kailey seemed to have a permanent scowl on her face while percy’s expression shifted upon seeing you. his uninterested features changed to those of contentment when your smile entered his vision.

“hey, y/n!” percy’s pace increased the closer he got to you, leaving kailey slightly behind him.

“hey, perce. kailey.” you nodded in her direction, warranting an eye-roll from the girl. “what’re you guys up to?”

“just, ya know. walking around. sat at the dock for a little bit.” percy responded. him and kailey stood an unusual distance away from eachother.

“percy, im gonna go. come fine me when you’re done with. . . this.” kailey rolled her eyes for what seemed like tenth time in the short period that she stood there. she brushed his arm slightly before turning and walking away.

“well isn’t she just a ray of sunshine.” annabeth snorted, laughing slightly.

percy agreed quickly, “she’s. . . something. that’s for sure.” he rubbed the back of his neck.

“not feeling it?” you asked. he shook his head no, moving to sit next to you. his arm quickly fell over your shoulders.

this made annabeth abruptly stand up. “well, as much as i would love so stay and chat, i have shit to do. see you two later?”

“mhm. later!” percy said.

“bye, annie!” you added. as the girl walked away, you turned in percy’s direction. “is she really that terrible?” you asked.

“she’s . . . okay, i guess. not really my type.” his arm fell from your shoulders, hand moving to hold your own instead. this was something percy had developed on the numerous quests you two had gone on together. his need for physical closeness was something that many found annoying, but you found endearing.

“oh yeah? and what might your type be classified as?” you laughed.

“oh, ya know. i like a girl who’s smart, kind, funny, caring. all the usual things. i also like a girl who sets me up on dates with other people because she doesn’t realize i’m hopelessly in love with her. that’s my ideal woman.” he shrugged as if it were nothing.

your jaw had officially found the floor. “i—i’m sorry. . . what?” you were sure you had heard him wrong.

“you know what i said, y/n.” percy’s face turned serious as he turned his entire boy towards you.

“do i? because it sounds a lot like a confession.” you tried to lighten the situation, laughing slightly before halting.

“y/n, you’re making this extremely hard for me.” percy’s face had begun to turn a shade of crimson.

“how so?” you kept a serious face, struggling not to crack a smile.

“y/n. . . i’m completely and utterly in love with you. the way you laugh, the way you smile, the way you laugh again because, dam, i love that sound, the way you twirl the strand of hair by your ear when you’re nervous, the way you stick your tongue out slightly when you’re focused. i love the way that you talk about your niche interests and the way that you always put up with my bullshit. i love how deeply you care about everyone, even the people who don’t deserve it. i love the contentment in your eyes when we’re sitting at the beach. i love you because you’re you, and that’s the best person you can be.” percy didn’t once break eye contact through his speech.

it was official. this was the first time in your like that you had been rendered completely speechless. your palms became sweaty and your heart was racing. being a child of aphrodite normally meant you reacted better to love situations. this didn’t help you much now, though. instead, the only thing you could think of doing in that moment was leaning forward to connect your lips.

it wasn’t beautiful or a ‘sparks fly’ moment. it was quick and chaste, you moving away as quickly as you moved forward. once you pulled away, you looked percy in the eyes. his expression had shifted from one of fear to hunger. his hand came up, finding the back of your neck and pulling you into him again. his lips were warm and soft against yours. he tasted of sea salt and blue pancakes, a combination that only percy jackson could pull off. his free hand found it way to your waist, pulling you closer to him.

once the two of you could no longer breathe, you both pulled away at a slow pace. he kept his forehead against yours.

“gods, i have been waiting a millennia to do that.” percy laughed, kissing your cheek. his head moved from yours to the crook of your neck.

“me too, perseus.” your hand reached up, lacing itself into his hair.

“fucking finally! gods, i was starting to loose hope!” grover said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

“me too, honestly.” percy spoke, lifting his head to look at grover.

“you too?” you asked, confused.

“y/n, you’re literally the only person who didn’t know about percy’s massive crush.” grover explained.

you averted your gaze towards percy, who shrugged in confirmation. your face heated up. safe to say that you had managed to find yourself a valentine, though kailey from cabin five wasn’t too happy.

my masterlist

taglist : @lydiascabinsix @cowboylikemac @laufeysvalentine @raysmayhem-72

[vanteguccir]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤYOU MAKE LOVING FUN * MATT STURNIOLO

SUMMARY　::　where the sun inside Matt fell in love with the moon inside Y/N; OR, 4 moments between sunshine Matt and grumpy Y/N.

FEATURING　Matt Sturniolo x reader　REQUESTED?　yes.

WARNINGS　::　mentions of blood and pain.

AUTHOR'S NOTE　::　that is my work, I DON'T authorize any form of plagiarism; copy, "inspiration" or translation! | english isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

Y/N has always been known for her serious expression and sarcastic humor. She had a cynical view of the world and seemed to find fault with almost everything around her. On the other hand, Matt was the complete opposite. His smile was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, brightening up any room with his contagious positivity. It was as if he was determined to find the good in everything, no matter how dark it was.

The two were in the same class together at Boston high school, part of the same group of friends, which meant they did a lot of group work together, and it was precisely there where their contrasting personalities often collided. Y/N was meticulous and perfectionist in her work, while Matt preferred to approach topics with a more relaxed and laid-back attitude. This often put them at odds, but it also created an interesting dynamic.

One afternoon, during a school work meeting at the triplets' house, Y/N was particularly grumpy. She had faced a series of setbacks in her home and was on the verge of exploding. Matt, as always, tried to cheer her up with his light humor and unwavering optimism.

"You should relax a little." Matt murmured with a smile as his right hand worked quickly with his computer mouse, putting together the perfect slide for the presentation that would take place the next day, using Nick and Alahna's notes and research. "Not everything has to be so serious all the time."

Y/N rolled her eyes from her spot on the edge of Matt's bed, pushing the notebook that rested on her thighs roughly, feeling frustrated with his persistent attempt to lift her spirits. She knew he was just trying to help, but at that moment, all she wanted was some peace and quiet.

However, something inside her changed when she lifted her gaze to Matt's smiling face, who was still holding the mouse as he watched her from the corner of his eye. In that moment, the girl saw beyond the surface, beyond the facade of constant happiness. She saw the genuine kindness in his eyes, the compassion in his smile. And for the first time, something inside her crumbled, breaking the wall that had held firm for so many years.

A small smile began to form on Y/N's lips, almost imperceptible, but still present. It was a smile that lit up her entire face in a way never seen before and made her eyes shine with an inner light that had long been dormant.

Matt was surprised to see Y/N smiling, abandoning his task instantly and turning his face completely towards her, trying to make sure he was actually seeing that. It was as if he had witnessed something sacred, something few were lucky enough to see - maybe only him. The brunette was speechless, simply admiring the sight before him.

"What?" Y/N asked, noticing the look of shock on Matt's face, her smile fading almost automatically, giving way to her usual frown.

"It's just…" Matt began, struggling to find the right words. "It's the first time I've seen you actually smiling. And it's so pretty."

Y/N felt shy by the compliment but also inexplicably happy. She had never realized how her smile could affect someone so deeply, especially someone like Matt, who radiated joy wherever he went.

"You should smile more-"

"Shut up."

　　　　　༻��﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

The night was calm when Matt returned from his hockey practice, but the mood inside the triplets' house was far from peaceful. He walked through his bedroom door with his shoulders hunched and his face pale, showing the anguish that consumed him inside and out.

Y/N, who was sitting on his bed reading a book while she waited for him - a habit created between them, and which his parents and brothers adored - looked up when hearing the door open. Upon seeing Matt, she immediately noticed something was wrong. Her heart sank while witnessing the boy's low stance.

"Matt? Hey, what happened?" She asked, setting the book aside and quickly standing up from her previous seat, walking towards him with a frown decorating her face.

Matt didn't respond right away. Instead, he broke down when his ears finally heard the voice he had waited for so many hours, tears flowing freely down his face. He was shaking, struggling to control his emotions as the weight of his feelings enveloped him like a dense fog.

"Hey pretty boy, breathe." Y/N ordered, pulling him into an awkward but loving hug. "It's okay. Just breathe."

Matt sniffed, trying to regain control of himself. He took a few deep breaths, following her instructions, before finally finding the voice to speak.

"It was at hockey practice." The brunette began, his voice wavering with crying and raw emotions. "One of the guys on the team... he said some horrible things to me about my performance, and I-" A sob interrupted his speech, his blue eyes closing tightly in an attempt to hold in the ugly sounds.

Y/N slowly pulled away, snaking her right hand from his bicep to his head, cupping his cheek gently, looking at his face for the first time that afternoon, her movements stopping suddenly.

The girl felt a wave of anger bubbling up inside her as she saw her boyfriend's face swollen and stained with blood in strategic spots, clearly having been punched by someone else. She clenched her left fist tightly, causing her fingers to take in a pale hue, her eyes flashing with contained fury as her chest tightened with the anguish she felt emanating from Matt's body.

"Who was it?" Y/N's firm and determined voice echoed through the room like thunder as her right hand gently turned his face from side to side, her hard eyes running over his injured skin. "Who said those things to you? No, even better. Who did this to you? I'll finish him off, I swear."

Matt's eyes widened instantly, surprised by her reaction. He knew Y/N could be tough when needed - all the time - but seeing her so determined to protect him left him speechless.

His cheeks took on a reddish hue, disguised by the blood and redness caused by crying, his lips pressed together in an attempt to contain a smile while his heart accelerated involuntarily, a small wince escaping his throat with the movement of his mouth.

"I'm fine, baby-"

"You're not, and after I'm done with whoever did this to you, he won't be fine either." Y/N interrupted him rudely, raising her eyebrows in an act of confrontation, as if she was confronting him to continue the lie.

"It's okay, sunshine. Just let it go. Please?" Matt's warm tongue escaped his lips, wetting them, while his blue eyes seemed to beg her to forget about the guy and focus on himself.

"Alright." The girl let out a loud, angry sigh, rolling her eyes as she stroked his blood-stained cheek gently. "Come on, let's take care of this."

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

The restaurant was busy that night, with lively conversation and laughter echoing off the walls. Y/N was sitting at a table next to Matt and his brothers, trying to enjoy the meal despite the crowd around them. However, her already dark mood was about to deepen even further.

As Y/N cut into her steak with an air of concentration, she noticed a man at the next table out of the corner of her eyes. He looked arrogant, a smug smile playing on his lips as he said horrible things about a girl to his table-mates. But it was when he looked in Y/N's direction that she felt a chill run down her spine.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Y/N felt a wave of discomfort spread through her. She couldn't explain why, but something about that guy made her nervous, his arrogant and sexist comments causing her body to scream, almost begging for her to do something.

Matt noticed the subtle change in Y/N's expression and followed her gaze to the next table, running his blue eyes over the unknown man's figure. He frowned, confused by the sudden intensity of Y/N's gaze, practically feeling her fury emanating from her body.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" Matt asked in an almost imperceptible whisper, leaning towards her and bringing his mouth closer to her ear, keeping his eyes on the table next to them. "Why don't we like him?"

Y/N blinked, surprised by Matt's direct question. She turned her head towards him slowly, frowning and running her eyes over his curious and playful expression, their noses almost touching with their proximity.

"You're so annoying, do you know that?" The girl asked in a cynical tone, raising her right eyebrow as she assessed him with her eyes.

"But you still love me." Matt replied quickly, as if he already had the answer on the tip of his tongue. A smirk grew on his lips as he draped his right arm over the back of the wooden chair his girlfriend sat on, caressing the skin of her exposed shoulder with his fingertips gently.

"Doesn't make you less annoying."

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Y/N was busy in the kitchen of the large room in her house that she shared with the triplets, preparing a special meal to welcome the boys' parents, Jimmy and Mary Lou, who were about to arrive for a visit in Los Angeles. She was determined to impress them with her cooking skills and make the couple's first day in the bustling city worth it.

While stirring a pan of sauce, Y/N heard footsteps approaching and soon Matt's figure left the small hall that led to their room and entered the kitchen with a beaming smile on his face, his feet taking him closer to his girl almost automatically.

"Hi sunshine, need help?" He asked, stepping forward to grab an apron and approach the stove, his blue eyes darting over all the ingredients laid out as his brain tried to process what she was making.

Y/N looked up at him, her face hardened with concentration as her right hand never stopped moving the spoon.

"No, thank you." The girl responded quickly, shaking her head and returning her gaze to the sauce below her. "I can do this on my own."

Matt frowned, ignoring her answer and rescuing a steak knife from the cutlery drawer, extending his free hand towards the still raw meat, ready to cut it into ideal sizes.

"Matt, I said I can do it myself." Y/N repeated slowly, as if she were speaking to a child, casting a furtive glance at him from the corner of her eye.

"I know you can, petal." The boy murmured softly, putting down the knife and raising his now free hand towards his girl, lightly pressing his warm palm against her still arm, caressing her skin. "But I want to be here with you to help in some way. It doesn't have to be everything or nothing."

Y/N sighed, feeling a little guilty about her own reaction. She didn't want to push Matt away, especially when he was just trying to be caring and helpful.

"Okay... I'm sorry." Her apology escaped in a barely there whisper, her teeth catching her bottom lip in a firm grip.

"What are we having for dinner today?" Chris's loud and excited voice echoed through the living room and kitchen as the boy climbed the stairs that led him from his room, interrupting the moment between the couple, eliciting a laugh from Matt and an eye roll from Y/N.

"None of your business."

© vanteguccir

[a-case-of-attachment]

Okay, writing prompt if you're interested. LuciferXreader, making out in a pile of rubber ducks. It may be weird as hell, but also really cute and funny. AND!! Laughter is a healthy part of any relationship!

Yes I’m interested!!!!!!!!!

I hope this is what you’re after, it kind of got away from me and I spent way too long thinking about what all those little duckies could do.

Lucifer had a problem, one of his own making that was yellow and sometimes quacked, maybe barked, there was even ones that spoke backwards and in riddles. They came in all kinds of colours and did all sorts of things. He had a purple one that could teleport, a rainbow one that shot confetti out of its mouth when it was squeezed, he even had one that glowed in the dark and played lullaby’s. The point was that Lucifer had made a lot of rubber duckies over the years but he didn’t realise quite how many until he was looking for one specific duck.

“Where are you, you little piece of…” Lucifer grumbled, his words trailing off as he dived into another mountain of ducks, sending them tumbling down to join the rest that had spilled over the floor. He had been at this for a while now, sending his work room into chaos and all because Charlie had been telling Vaggie all about one she had seen him making when she was a child. She hadn’t asked him for it and Lucifer had honestly forgotten it existed until she had brought it up but she seemed so enamoured with it that Lucifer had decided there and then that he had to gift it to her as a reminder of happier times in her childhood. The only problem was that he couldn’t find the damned thing and he was quickly running out of patience.

“You alright there love?” Lucifers head jerks up and round at your amused voice, blinking dumbly at the sudden brightness of the room. Your leant against the door frame, eyebrows furrowed slightly but a teasing smile tugging up the corners of your mouth. You were a vision, a ray of sunshine through the grey cloud that had been steadily forming over him. “Yep! Everything’s fine. Hahaha. A oh kay. What erh, what are you doing here darling?” Lucifer laughed nervously, his cheeks heating up with embarrassment at being found in such a state.

He had abandoned his hat and jacket ages ago, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows and his gloves somewhere within the sea of ducks. Lucifer had unbuttoned his collar at some point, his bow tie pulled loose and hanging around his neck like a sad flat little snake. His face must be flushed by now and his hair that was once neat and styled probably looked more like a birds nest now, stick up in every direction and clinging to his forehead.

“Charlie called me. Seems someone has been ignoring her calls and texts for the past couple of hours and she wanted me to check in and make sure they hadn’t gotten so involved in a project they forgot to eat again. Clearly she was right to worry.” You gave him a pointed look, clearly expecting an answer for his current predicament. Bitting his lip Lucifer let his eyes sweep across the carnage that was his work room and the vast amount of ducks he still had to get through. He needed help or he was never going to get through all these, not any time soon anyway and who better to help him than you? He always wanted to spend more time with you and this would keep you in close proximity for quite some time. It was a win win in his books and he was damn sure going to take full advantage of it.

Groaning Lucifer let his shoulders slump and looked back to you, finding you in the exact same position you had been in before though your eyes had softened slightly now, worry starting to creep in at the edges. “I’m looking for a duck,” he stated, nodding slightly after he had spoken like it was that simple of an answer. “Oh really? Never would have guessed.” Lucifer glared at your sarcastic reply, huffing loudly and crossing his arms over his chest in an overly obvious display of indignation that you both knew was just for show. The gentle laughter his behaviour got him sounded sweet, even as you rolled your eyes and pushed away from the doorframe. He always liked the sound of your laughter, like music that soothed his soul and made his heart ache all at once.

“Alright your majesty, are we looking for one in particular or is this a know it when a see it situation?” You raised an eyebrow at him in question as you sank down onto one of the few spots of clear floor. “It’s made of crystal, has a really cute teeny tiny crown on its head.” You hummed at Lucifers words, your attention now firmly on the ducks that surrounded you. “And when did you last see it?” Lucifer winced at your question, tugging at his already loose collar and refusing to make eye contact with you when you glance in his direction. “I don’t know, maybe a couple of centuries ago. Charlie was about five or six at the time.” You made a weird choked off noise when he said centuries, Lucifer catching a glimpse of your hand slipping on the pile of ducks you had been looking at and sending a couple more tumbling to join the ones that Lucifer was already half buried under.

He offered you an apologetic smile and hopefully his best puppy dog eyes in an attempt to soften any sort of regret you might be feeling at having sat down to help him. It must have worked because you sighed heavily before rolling your shoulders back and sitting up straighter. “It’s fine, we’ll find it and when we do you are sooo going to make it up to me with back rubs and kisses.” Lucifer agreed readily, nodding his head and promising you that and a thousand things more. “Right! We are going to do this one duck at a time, sorting as we go. We will have four separate piles, one pile for the ones that are just rubber ducks with a unique paint job and another for the ones that do something useful.” Lucifer opens his mouth to protest because all his duckies are useful but a quick glance from you has him closing it before he can even get a sound out. “There will also be a pile for ones that do pointless things and another for the ones that are just plain dangerous.”

“They are not dangerous!” Lucifer insisted, snatching up a random duck and squeezing it to prove his point. There was a loud click followed by sound of metal grinding together and Lucifer looked down in horror as the barrel of a pistol slid out of the ducks now open mouth. “Hahaha, how did that get there?” Huffing you held your hand out expectantly and Lucifer reluctantly handed the traitorous thing over, making sure the postal was safely back in place first. Without a word you leant over and pushed a section of the ducks out of the way, clearing a patch on floor in front of you. The gun toting duck was place down gently, looking way too sweet and innocent for what it hid within.

You picked up one from next to you and held it out towards Lucifer. “What does this one do?” He squinted at the thing, turning his head slightly to the side as he tried to remember what this one did. It was yellow like most of them except this one had a red rimed beak that made it look like it had lipstick on. “Lipstick!” Lucifer shouted out triumphantly, his sudden outburst causing you to startle. “It’s lipstick, retro rouge if I’m not mistaken.” You turned the duck toward you, tilting your head quizzically as you squeezed at its sides. It’s beak parted as a stick of bright red lipstick emerged. “Huh,” you said, loosening your grip on the duck so the lipstick went back in before placing it on the floor a few inches away from the other duck. You picked up another, this one yellow with black spots and held it out towards him. “What about this one?”

This goes in for hours, one duck after another and though it would normally be a rather tedious Lucifer is having fun. Some of his duck creations really are bizarre, like the one that changes colour depending on the time of day in Hawaii or the one that screams whenever someone says pineapple. There are some good ones though, like the one that generates a personal forcefield that’s lasts up to an hour when placed on your head or the one that cleans your bath after you’ve used it. The useful pile was a lot smaller than the others though, the useless ones needing a whole corner of the room to themselves. You had even found one that said ‘I’m quackers about you’ in a squeaky voice when squeezed, a little heart shaped box of chocolates with Lucifers hat emblazoned on the front held between its wings.

Lucifer had refused to hand that one over, especially when he realised you intended to put it in the useless pile. A had sat there, cooing at the thing and stroking its head whilst you glared at him. So preoccupied with the duck Lucifer didn’t have time to prepare himself as you suddenly lunged across the space, hands grabbing for the sweet little ducky. The two of you had spent far too long rolling around the floor and tussling for the duck until finally you came to a stop, sprawled across Lucifer and the both of you breathing heavily. You were close, head hovering above his as you stared into one another’s eyes. All Lucifer would need to do is tip his head back and then he would be able to kiss you, one of his favourite things to do these days. His eyes dropped to your lips as your tongue snuck out to wet them, your teeth nipping at your bottom lip enticingly. Lucifer sucked in a deep breath, his hand flexing on your waist where it had ended up in your little play fight. Your head lowered slightly, eyes darting down to his lips then back to his eyes as if asking permission that you really didn’t need. From down by his hip there came a loud quack followed by ‘I’m quackers about you’ then another quack effectively bringing a sudden end to the tension growing between the two of you.

The two of you dissolved into laughter, Lucifer wrapping his arms around your middle as you buried your face in his neck. You lead there for a while, laughing softly until that trailed off and the two of you when just lead there, holding one another and surrounded by ducks. It had been nice if a little weird but Lucifer wasn’t complaining. “It’s true you know,” he said softly, not wanting to ruin the moment but his words had you shifting, pushing yourself up slightly so you could look down at him with confusion. “What is?” Your voice was just as soft as you spoke, the hushed tone adding to the intimacy of the moment. Sighing Lucifer reached up, cupping your check and rubbing his thumb gently across it. “I really and quackers about you,” he deadpanned.

The stunned silence that hangs between you goes on a lot longer than Lucifer thought it would and despite how hard he tries he can’t help the large smile that spreads across his face or the laugher that comes bubbling out. Groaning loudly you finished pushing yourself up into a sitting position, shoving Lucifer back down when he tried to follow. “You’re terrible,”you mumble, shifting back over slightly to avoid nocking into a stack of ducks. Lucifers still chucking when he sits back up, effortlessly catching the rubber duck you half heartedly throw at him. “Mmmm, and yet you still love me.” Lucifer wiggled an eyebrow at you, leaning in slightly to emphasise the ridiculousness of the gesture. This time it was you who couldn’t help but smile, huffing in amusement and shaking your head at him. “Yeah, I do.” Lucifer beamed like the cat who go the cream at your words, always feeling like his heart could take flight every time you told him you loved him. Truly a bizarre phenomenon that would need much more research done into it, requiring you to tell him often and in multiple ways how you felt about him. “Now come on, this bloody duck isn’t going to find its self.” Lucifer took the duck you held out to him, a hot pink one with a flame branded on its chest, and quickly lent forward to place a kiss on the back of your hand before he started telling you all about the duck and how it could be set on fire and wouldn’t melt.

That had been a good few hours ago though and night had settled heavy over the city since then. Over half the room had been cleared now, Lucifer having opened a portal and dumped all the colourful, boringly normal ducks onto a sleeping radio demon to create some extra space for you both. There was still no sign of the duck he was after though and the both of you were clearly tired, the process having slowed down considerably in the last half an hour or so. He’s beginning to think it’s a lost cause, the duck long since lost or broken.

You yawn loudly, arms stretching out above you before you fall back into the heap of ducks behind you. The groan you make sounds almost painful as you wiggle in an attempt to make yourself more comfortable amongst the ducks. Your eyes close, hands disappearing into the sea of yellow above you. Despite how horribly uncomfortable it must be you look content and Lucifer wants nothing more in that moment than to crawl over there and join you, curling up against your side and resting his head on your chest so you can both get some much needed sleep. As much as he wanted to give into temptation Lucifer was determined to find the duck for Charlie, fixated on giving her that little moment of happiness and wonder that had stayed with her since childhood. That didn’t mean you had to suffer with him though.

“I think it’s time you were getting to bed darling, I can finish up in here.” Your eyes open slightly at his words, brows furrowed and your smile slipping into a frown. “Lucifer.” There was an odd tone to your voice, one that he probably should have paid more attention to but Lucifer assumed he knew what you were going to say so he kept on talking, turning away from you to continue looking through the ducks as he did so. “I know. I should be trying to get some sleep as well but you know I won’t be able to, (Lucifer), not till I’ve found this duck anyway and I really just want to surprise Charlie with it. She seemed so happy when she was talking to Vaggie about it and I just wanted to, (LUCIFER!)” Your loud cry of his name had Lucifer jumping, dropping the duck he had been holding to the floor with a loud splat as it oozed out like a marshmallow melting in the sun.

Laughing nervously Lucifer turns back to you, an apology already on the tip of his tongue but it quickly disappears when he sees what you’re holding. You’ve sat up, eyes fixed on your hand that you’re holding out towards him. In your palm sits a crystal duck, a small black crown sat atop its head styled similarly to Charlie’s own. Lucifer sucked in a breath, reaching out to take the thing from you with trembling fingers. He can’t believe you had found it, just when he was starting to lose hope. You truly must be heaven sent.

Without warning Lucifer lunged at you, flinging his arms around your neck and sending you sprawling back into the ducks with a yelp. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Lucifer said between peppering your face with kisses. “Lucifer,” you laugh, turning your head to the side and giving him access to your neck. He places a few more quick pecks along your neck and the top of your shoulder before placing one final one on your lips.

“She’s going to be so surprised,” Lucifer beamed, pushing himself back up and turning towards the door, a wide smile on his face as he stared down at the crystal duck clutched in his hand. He didn’t get more than two steps towards the door before fingers wrapped around his wrist and stopped him in his tracks. Frowning Lucifer looked back over his shoulder at you, finding you looking at him just as confused as he was you. “Where are you going?” Lucifer blinked down at you dumbly because surely that was obvious? “To give Charlie the duck?” It came out slow and sounding more like a question, Lucifer even holding up the duck in case you had forgotten.

Your confusion smoothed out into understanding, a small smile curling up the corner of your lips. “Lucifer,” you said almost teasingly, tugging gently on his wrist until he turned to face you fully. “It’s the middle of the night love. She’s going to be asleep, and even if she isn’t she’s probably going to be doing something she doesn’t want her dad walking in on.” You look at him pointedly, waiting for your words to sink in. “Oh…ohhhh,” lucifers eyes went wide, looking down at the little duck in a mix of horror and embarrassment.

You chuckle gently, tugging on his arm and causing him to take a step towards you. “So why don’t you,” you plucked the duck from his hand, leaning back to place it on top of the coffee table before turning back to him and wrapping your hands around his wrists, “come back here and finish giving me my reward hum?” You tugged him forward and down, Lucifer’s knees hitting the floor on either side of your waist with a dull thud. You used your hold on his wrists to lift his hands and place them on your shoulders before gripping his waist and pulling him down and closer until he was sat in your lap. Lucifer blushed, licking at his lips and swallowing slightly. “I eh, I can do that.” You hummed at his words, lifting one hand to cup his cheek and guiding his lips down to yours.

The first few kisses were soft and slow, Lucifer humming gently at the addictive feel of your lips moving against his. He sank into you, getting more comfortable on your lap and letting his arms drape over your shoulders. The two of you stayed like that for a few long minutes, Lucifer content to spend hours just like that but it seemed you had other ideas. Pulling back you nipped gently at his lip, Lucifer letting out a little whimper at the sudden sting. Resting your forehead against his you slid both your hands up his back, pressing him as close to you as he could get. “Hold on tight,” you mumbled, placing a kiss against his lips.

Lucifer barely had time to register what you had said before you were moving, effortlessly tipping him to the side and rolling him onto his back. He landed within the ducks with a dull thud, several of the stupid things tumbling down to land on his face. Your laughter was sweet as you helped remove the offending ducks off his face, leaving the ones that had fallen around his head and shoulders. “There you are handsome,” you smile as you remove the last one from his head, clearly delighting in the bush your words get you. “Your erh, looking rather radiant as well.” Lucifer cringes at his own awkward attempts at flirting, refusing to look at you because of how awfully that was. You would think he would have gotten better at this sort of thing over the centuries but there was something about you that just left him flustered and unable to say what he means when in your company. When you’re not around he can wax poetry about how your smile lights up the world like a sunbeam or how your eyes sparkle like the stars, but now? With you looking down at him like he’s your whole universe? Not happening.

You shift to the side slightly, slotting one of your legs between his and pressing up against him. “Only when you’re the one looking,” you whisper before pressing your lips against his, using his startled gasp as an opportunity to deepen the kiss. Lucifer moans softly, wrapping his arms around your neck and pulling you in closer. There’s a duck digging into his back and the sound of muffled quacking coming from somewhere above him as their movements caused another wave of ducks to fall down in them. It was ridiculous, kissing in a pile of ducks that were threatening to swallow the two of you up but Lucifer found he didn’t really care, especially when your tongue swiped across his lips, seeking permission that he readily gave. This here, this was the closest to heaven he had felt in eons and he was content to stay in this moment for eternity. Well at least till Charlie woke up anyway.

[allimocha]

AlliMocha Fancuries FYC Post!

Hi Hello, Pip Pip Cheerio! Fancuries is here once again! And boy do I have something to share this FYC post.

So, I haven’t worked on Bittersweet X Daydream in a hot minute if I'm gonna be honest. A lot of other obligations have been taking time away from my main fanseries sadly. BUT I do have one new thing to show you guys regarding it.

…

Hear me out.

A redesign.

I KNoW I know I said no more redesigns, but after having these characters for so long, it's only natural that I'd want to change how they look. Specifically, there is only one character that I've redesigned so far anyway…

Lei Sandiego / Cure Spice

“𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘚𝘮𝘰𝘬𝘺, 𝘎𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘢! 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦!”

Age: 16 (Second year/Sophomore)

Birthday: September 18th

Height: 5’6”

Ethnicity: Hispanic American

Cure color: Blue and Scarlet

Essence: Charismatic

Often referred to as “The school beauty”, Lei is admired by almost all of her peers. Her amazing charisma, along with her intimidatingly cool and beautiful looks immediately captures everyone’s attention. But despite this, she’s really just a big fashion geek. She prides herself in her impeccable style savvy-ness and studies the latest trends all the time. Lei is also a very confident person, sometimes to the point that it can be overbearing, but she’s never arrogant and always means well. She’s a hopeless romantic and is constantly trying to look for someone who likes her beneath her looks. Although she’s fashion-centric she’s also very athletic, being the co-captain of the girls' volleyball team, and so devotes time to doing both hobbies.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

That's not all, however, because I also have a new series that I've been working on. A crossover series if you will. Based on one of my favorite Disney movies of all time:

Sugar Rush! Precure

A group of girls go to the arcade after school every day to hangout. They excel at most of the consoles there, notably the racing games. One day, Vanelope finds a weird token like she had never seen before, as it was engraved with intricate patterns and a shiny gold. When she attempts to use it in a racing game, it flashes in the machine and floats out as another trinket (henshin item). At that moment, a mysterious person is creating havoc outside the arcade, clearly looking for something. He spots the trinket in Vanelope’s hand, and we all know what happens from here.

Yep! Cures based on the sugar rush racers from Wreck-It Ralph! So far, I only have 2 of their designs, but I'm still completely in love with where this is going. Speaking of which, lets show those two off!

Vanelope Von Schmitt / Cure Sweets

Age: 16

A very confident girl, Vanelope is definetly the ray of sunshine that brightens anyone’s day. She’s very friendly, but is also not afraid to tell it like she sees it. She also has a habit of being overly sarcastic or jokey, which can come off as annoying to others. Not really good at school and overly clumsy, so sometimes covers her negative emotions with jokes or sarcasm. Adores arcades and always states it’s her home away from home.

Tabitha Mathews / Cure Taffy

Age: 16

Very rich and spoiled and it definetly shows. She can be cocky and overbearing at times, but she’s got a good heart. One of the more popular girls in their school, and accells in all her extracurriculars. Due to her father being principal, people have rumored that all her grades were boosted due to nepotism, but that’s not true. She works hard to get where she is, and while vain and sometimes a little rude, she isn’t afraid to help others in need. Goes to the arcade to get away at times.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

So that’s all I’ve been working on so far! I can’t really say I’ve done much with my fanseries over the years, but hopefully you all like what I do have!

Byieeee~!

[httpvomitello]

hi again!! early new years greetings–i hope ypur holidays went wonderful for ya!! <3

if it's alright, i'd love to request a male!reader x draco malfoy hcs!!

I'd love for their dynamic to be 'grumpy x sunshine' coded, with the reader bright, positive, and bubbly (aka a ray of sunshine!!) that's also a hufflepuff and LOVES to bake and paint (he totallyyy doesn't paint draco, whattt made you think that???)

I could totally see an option where Draco got forced to hang around the reader for whatever reason and on his part, it's enemies to lovers and for the reader, he's just totally oblivious to this man's rage and is the physical embodiemnet of ':D'

I'd love to see this dynamic and how draco drals with this 'golden-retriever' type of guy–that eventually becomes his partner!! What do other people think of them being together, why is the reader so nice to him, how did they meet, etc.

Hello, hello! Sorry it took me a while to reply, but anyway, I hope you like it! And happy early new year!

Grumpy x Sunshine *⁠.⁠✧

draco malfoy x m!reader

It all started with detention. You, a cheerful Hufflepuff who had gotten caught painting a "masterpiece" on the castle walls, and Draco, serving his own punishment for being a bit too mouthy with McGonagall.

You took one look at the sulking Slytherin and decided to brighten his day.

“Hi! I’m Y/N. Isn’t this just a lovely opportunity to spend time together?” you chirped, completely ignoring the withering glare Draco shot you.

“Who the fuck is this human, and why am I stuck with him?”

Draco was initially irritated by your endless optimism and constant attempts to chat.

You? Completely oblivious to his disdain. You thought his eye-rolls and sarcastic comments were just his “funny little quirks.”

Over time, your kindness started to chip away at Draco’s walls. You’d bring him freshly baked cookies

“I made extras, so I thought of you!” and talk about your latest painting projects.

“I didn’t ask for cookies.”

“Oh, but I know you secretly wanted them.”

Draco, begrudgingly eating a cookie “Maybe.”

For Draco, it was enemies to lovers. Every interaction left him both annoyed and… intrigued.

You’d compliment his hair, offer to teach him to bake, and flash that beaming smile of yours. It drove him mad.

“Why are you so nice to me?” he asked one day, exasperated.

You just blinked, confused. “Why not? Everyone deserves kindness!”

“You’re insufferable.”

Little did you know, Draco found himself looking forward to your encounters. Your positivity felt like a breath of fresh air in his otherwise dreary world.

The moment Draco realized he had feelings for you?

When he stumbled upon one of your paintings and recognized himself on the canvas.

It wasn’t just a portrait—it was him, looking softer, almost serene. You’d captured something he didn’t even recognize in himself.

He confronted you about it, flustered and defensive. “Why would you paint me?”

You laughed nervously. “Oh, um… practice?”

Draco, staring at the painting, murmured “This idiot.”

Once Draco gave in to his feelings, he became fiercely protective of you.

He’d grumble about your endless optimism, but deep down, he adored it.

“How do you manage to be so cheerful all the time?” he’d ask, half-annoyed, half-awed.

“Because I have you to grumble for me,” you’d tease, earning a rare smirk.

Your dynamic became the talk of Hogwarts. People couldn’t believe Draco Malfoy was dating such a bubbly Hufflepuff.

The Slytherins?

Mixed reactions. Some were shocked, others found it hilarious. Pansy Parkinson teased Draco relentlessly about his “sunshine boyfriend.”

The Hufflepuffs?

They loved it. You were a walking ray of positivity, and they couldn’t imagine anyone better to thaw Draco’s icy demeanor.

Harry and Ron were suspicious at first, but even they couldn’t deny you seemed to bring out a softer side of Draco.

McGonagall secretly approved. “Mr. Malfoy seems… less insufferable lately,” she remarked to Flitwick.

Draco wasn’t one for public displays of affection, but in private? He was all in.

He’d watch you paint, fascinated by your talent. “You make it look so easy,” he’d say, trailing his fingers across the canvas.

Baking became a shared hobby. Draco wasn’t great at it, but he’d try just to spend time with you.

He’d even let you sneak a kiss on the cheek while he grumbled about flour getting everywhere.

You balanced each other perfectly. Your warmth softened Draco’s edges, and his quiet strength grounded you.

He admired your ability to see the good in everyone, even when he couldn’t.

You, in turn, loved seeing the softer, vulnerable side of him that he rarely showed anyone else.

Draco often joked that you were like the sun—blinding, inescapable, and impossible to ignore. But he’d never want to live without your light.

And as for you? You’d happily spend your days painting portraits of the boy who taught you that even stormclouds have their silver linings.

[dracarysapologist]

With the new season of PJO coming out I want to rant for a bit:

I’ve seen a lot of discourse about the changes in Annabeth in the PJO show and whatnot which, the only part I agree with is yes, Leah is Annabeth, she played her perfectly, but she’s also not, the Annabeth from the books was a little more intense and entirely too prideful from a side of never wanting to disappoint her mother, leaning a bit into being a mean girl from time to time, which to be fair, which girl isn’t? they are different but also the same, Rick is catering to a new group of kids who (if I’m to be honest) wouldn’t have liked it much if she’d been mean to Percy at first, so he changed her.

And I’ve seen so many people talk about it and how (what I agree on) we should keep both versions instead of picking one over the other because they’re both Annie. Thing is, we should apply that to Percy as well, because Walker did an amazing job, yes, he is Percy, but Percy is also ruthless and cunning and deceiving, he is not a ray of sunshine, we see him that way because we love him, and he is very emotionally intelligent (however he is highly insecure so he doesn’t see himself as someone worth pinning for, which is why he didn’t realize so many characters were into him)

And I know I’m ranting, I just want to say, as much as I enjoy the show it definitely is a different story, for a different generation, but I’ll always love the seaweed brain I grew up with best, with the black hair and green eyes, with sassy and sarcastic comebacks, soft glances and ruthless power, he is the sea after all.

All I’m saying is, stories change and adapt but that doesn’t mean we forget, and it’s also incredibly fitting as part of Greek myths, the way they’re told adapts to the audience but the message remains, doesn’t mean we let go of the versions we knew or be mean about the adaptations.

[sarahkrolokfan]

I hate fanon-ization of Lily, James, Regulus and Barty (Evan, Dorcas, Marlene etc. are literally only mentioned in the books, there is nothing to mis-characterize)

Lily is side-lined for a non-existent, non-sensical ship (yeah, I hate jegulus), her Muggle origin is overlooked even though it played a MAJOR role in her life (heck the entire Marauders era takes place during the war against a wizard-supremacist, Muggle-hater and his racist followers). Her relationship with Snape and how his words and newly found ideologies affected is completely overlooked when he was her only magical friend during her entire childhood. Her relationship to her son? (yk, that one thing that set the entire series in motion...) - pfft, don't be silly, she is just a surrogate to James and Regulus.

James is portrayed as a ray of sunshine, good boy whose biggest sin was being a bit sarcastic. No, he WAS an arrogant asshole who mercilessly bullied another student simply for his own enjoyment. Yet he was also incredibly loyal man who didn't hesitate to share his home with his friend after he ran away from home and who grew out of his arrogant phase and changed himself for better because of a woman he loved (loved so much he died protecting her and their son later).

Regulus is portrayed as an edgy yet kind-hearted little aristocrat boy whose parents forced him into being a Death Eater - no, he wasn't pressured into becoming anything, Regulus for the longest part of his life WAS a Voldemort supporter. He collected newspaper articles about Voldemort, he talked to Kreacher about how great Voldemort is and how great his ideas were - yes, he realized later he was wrong but it doesn't suddenly mean he was pressured into anything.

Barty is portrayed as a silly little babygirl who has an IQ of goldfish. No, he was one of the smartest characters with multiple talents but was also a mentaly-unstable young man (Azkaban/Dementors have horrific influence on everyone but while other Death Eaters managed to last 10+ years there he was already on his death-bed in a year and started to scream for him mother the same day he was brought in) who went completely insane and evil by the end and craved for father figure so deeply he was ready to become a murderer/torturer to get one. His manipulativeness and sadism? Non-existent in fanon...

In the end... I truly dislike the overall state of "Marauders era" fandom - like, they are a generation impacted by war and ever-changing politics who essentially needed to choose a side while they were still children, some betraying their families and loved ones - and then you try seeing stuff in Marauders fandom and they are turned into edgy teens who all wear crop-tops and black nail polish, listen to Taylor, go to Starbucks and talk in a Tik-Tok slang....

[starsofang]

cod characters as detroit become human characters

soap as connor

- extremely skilled at what he does

- makes sarcastic/snarky comments towards people he doesn’t particularly like/trust, but can be very serious and sharp when doing a job/interrogation

- dedicated to his work, hence why he’s so good at it

- gets along with essentially everybody, but people end up letting him down/turning on him ): graves

- soap was the youngest to pass the sas selection, and connor was the first android to be created for police work :p

- very smart and knowledgeable, literally know SO much about everything, especially their jobs

- both rays of sunshines

ghost as luther

- it was hard picking who ghost would be, and at first i said hank. they’re both lieutenants, have lots of trauma ): and liked working alone until their partners came along

- but i also think he’s a lot like luther

- first off, big boys

- reserved personalities that make them appear off putting and cold at first, but once you realize that’s not all they are, they’re very kind people who just happen to be intimidating

- luther is very protective of his ‘family’, ghost is protective of 141, he’d very much die for them and kill for them

- history of abuse and mistreatment, they come from bad backgrounds that created who they are today

- gentle giants. i don’t like the trope that ghost is scary and mean, because he’s not outside of missions. in dbh, luther was made out to be the same way when all he wanted to do was protect kara and do his duty of being a guardian, and i feel ghost is very similar

gaz as markus

- natural born leader

- gaz is very selfless and wants better for the world, the same as markus

- well spoken and executes their voices very well

- extremely strong willed while also knowing how to keep their temper in check, they know how to do their job and do it well

- does what they have to do in order to guarantee the best outcome, even if it’s not always what they want to do

- they’re also very pretty to look at lmao

price as hank

- at first this didn’t really fit in my mind, but after some thinking, i think they’re pretty similar!

- both of ranking in their respective jobs

- experts at what they do, have been doing it for a long time and know how to lead their men in the ways they know best

- hank is a bit more of a grump than price is, but when they’re both angry (ex. price literally any time shepherd is around), they bring hell to whoever they’re angry at and don’t have the nicest things to say

- the world on their shoulders, they just need a nap man

- hank doesn’t show it as much, but they both have a lot of care in their hearts, especially for the people they work with and they’d do anything for them

- love their liquor after a job lmao

farah as kara

- selfless women who have been through so much

- both deserve better

- but because they’ve been through a lot, they’ve become strong both physically and mentally and use that trauma to their advantage

- will do anything to protect the ones they love, even if it means hurting themselves in the process

- farah is such a soft spoken person with high maturity and intelligence in the way she conveys her words, just like kara

- i literally love them to death, best characters in their respective games ):

graves as elijah

- can be manipulative as fuck lmao

- when they have an end goal for themselves, they do anything to achieve it, even if it means taking others down with them

- both can be perceived as complex characters that have good intentions and good moments, but also know that the reality is they’re rather selfish people who make decisions for themselves

- even the way they talk is similar at times !!

- many people who don’t truly know elijah trust him, just like graves, but only the people who they’ve hurt know the real side of them

- many people like them, while many people don’t, that’s how conflicting their characters are and it’s hard to pick a side

shepherd as amanda

- literally hate them both

- but really, they’re great characters that bring so much to the story and the way it progresses

- has lots of impact on the way the characters navigate themselves. amanda controls connor, while shepherd controls graves. it’s a very similar concept imo

- lots of knowledge and wisdom but uses it to manipulate things the way they want

- betray the very people they’re working with and supposed to guide, for their own selfish reasons

- both dead, technically lmao

replaying dbh for the sixth time and i was like !!! this might be a fun concept. to some it may not be entirely accurate, but i thought it was fun to dissect all the characters and see who fits who the most, and this is the way i see everybody 🙏🏻

[willalove75]

The Estate | Lady Dimitrescu x Fem!oc Chapter 5

Summary: You have a relaxing weekend with your daughter before your first full week of work begins - and it begins with a surprise visitor and a spontaneous conversation with your new boss.

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI

Tags: fluff, angst if you squint, plot development

I'll add more tags as needed!

Notes: Chapter 5! In reference to the gif: if you know. You know. BECSPK gang 4 lyfeee💕 (Although my go-to is egg whites and bacon on a seedless🤤)

I want to SO apologize for not updating this fic in MONTHS! For those of you who haven't seen my Alcina's New Maid update (or my Tumblr post update) the reason for my lack of writing has been because I'm pregnant! I'm officially 20 weeks (halfway! WOO!) and have been trying to get myself back into a regular writing schedule. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the update!

Ik slow burns can be boring and I'm trying my hardest to keep it entertaining while also not rushing too much!! I have a LOT planned for this fic and I'm excited to get into the meat and potatoes of it!

Gif source

Saturday mornings are your favorite. They're usually relatively quiet, not a lot goes on and you get to spend some lazy quality time with Emma. Just as you're clipping her into her booster seat your phone dings with a text message.

Open the door, bitch

Rolling your eyes, you walk to the door and open it to find your sister, Sam, standing in front of you with a brown paper bag in her hands.

"Finally!" She says as she walks into the apartment.

"How long were you standing out there for? Thirty seconds?"

"Thirty seconds too long!" She says over her shoulder as she drops the bag onto the table and leans down to kiss Emma. "Hello my sweet little angel, how are you this morning?"

"Auntie! I'm hungry!"

"You didn't eat yet, did you?" She asks you as she opens the paper bag.

The smell of bacon immediately fills the kitchen and it makes your mouth water. The signature scent of an egg sandwich causes your stomach to growl in response.

"No, I was just about to make Emma something. Fuck that smells so good." You say under your breath. "Where are the kids?"

"Good, I got you a sandwich. And Tyler has them today. It's his weekend." Sam says.

"Ah, gotcha."

Sam hands you a sandwich from the bag and you eagerly take it from her.

"I don't think I've ever loved you more in my life."

"Ha ha" Sam sarcastically laughs. "Yeah I'm sure."

After whipping up Emma eggs of her own you sit at the table with Sam and dig into your sandwich.

"God I haven't had one of these in a minute."

"Consider this a 'congratulations on getting a job' gift." She says and you laugh in response. "How was it?"

"It was good, I keep saying this but it's really great to be back working and doing my thing. I missed it."

"Well I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. How are the people?"

"They're good, my boss is really nice, her kids for the most part are nice too. The CFO is kind of an ass, at least that's how he comes off."

"That sounds about right. Your boss' kids work there?"

"Yeah." You tell her about Bela, Cassandra and Daniela and she chuckles at Cassandra's attitude towards you.

"She sounds like a ray of sunshine." Sam says.

"You have no idea."

"Mommy! I want out!" Emma says.

"Okay baby, let's get you out."

You take Emma out of her booster seat and set her on the ground.

"Can I go play?"

"Yes baby, go ahead."

"YAY!" Emma screams as she runs into her room. You chuckle and shake your head at her.

"Well I'm glad you're liking it so far and that your boss is pretty cool. Have you told her about...?"

"No, not yet. It's too soon."

"She hasn't questioned why you've been out of work for two years?"

"Oh no, she has. But I danced around it. I'm not ready to talk about it in the office yet. It's nice not having people look at me the way they do once they find out, you know?"

"Not really, but I can understand. Is she at least understanding that you're a single mom?"

"Well, she just found that out yesterday, on accident really. Bela asked if Em was a mommy or daddy's girl."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. But I think I played it off well enough. And Bela definitely felt bad for asking because she blurted out that Alcina is a single mother too."

"Oh shit, really?"

"Yeah. Alcina shot her a look. A 'don't tell people about our personal lives' kind of look. Then before I left for the day she thanked me for being so kind to her daughters, especially the youngest one. It was really sweet."

"From what you've said she doesn't seem like the type to get sentimental with her employees like that."

"She isn't. I honestly don't know if she's ever showed anyone else in the office that side of her before. Everything is always strictly business with her, at least from what I've seen so far. But it was nice seeing that softer side of her."

"What does she look like?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm nosey and want to know!"

"I don't know, she's tall, like six feet tall and she wears heels."

"Holy shit she must be a giant."

"She is. She has short curly hair, really pretty blue-grey eyes. I've never seen eyes like hers before, they're beautiful. And she has the best figure I've ever seen, it's almost fake but you know it isn't."

"How so?"

"She has like, massive tits." You say as you imitate the size of her breasts with your hands. "And a small waist, but not like, too small? Nothing about this woman is small honestly. She has a like, perfect hour glass figure. But you can tell it's all natural. And she dresses like she walked out of the 1950s."

"Sounds like you've looked her over on more than one occasion." Sam says as she smirks at you.

"You would too if you saw her! Practically everyone does. She gives off this crazy alpha energy."

"You're single, right?"

"Oh god Sam stop. She's my boss!" You say as your cheeks turn pink.

"That hasn't stopped people before!"

"You're ridiculous. No."

"You're turning red!"

"I've been there three days! I can't have a crush on my boss! Plus, just because she's a single parent doesn't mean she isn't seeing anyone. And I doubt she's into women and she's. My. Boss."

"Whatever you say." Sam says with a smirk as she cleans up the table.

"You are a pain in my ass."

"Yet you love me anyway. So how's sassy pants downstairs?"

"Margie? She's fine, same as usual. She finally gave up driving, thank god."

"Oh fucking finally. Deb's been trying to convince her mother to stop driving for years. What made her finally give in?"

"Well, a few months ago she ran into the garage door."

"Oh Jesus."

"So she bargained. She said she would stop driving if she could start smoking again."

Sam laughs out loud and shakes her head. "She is stubborn as fuck."

"The most stubborn woman I know."

Sam hangs out with you and Emma for a few more hours before heading out. Around one in the afternoon you put Emma down for a nap and you decide to jump in the shower. After your shower you get dressed and clean the house a little. Emma only naps for an hour and a half before you go in and wake her up.

The weather is finally warming up so you decide it's the perfect day to head to the park nearby. Emma squeals with excitement when you pull up and you can barely keep up with her as she runs to the slide. There's a few other kids at the park with their parents watching close by. You keep an eye on Emma as she goes up and down the slide a few times before growing bored of it and moving to play on the jungle gym.

Kids and their parents come and go as you sit on the bench watching your daughter. Dinner time is slowly arriving so you tell Emma she can go on the slide three more times before it's time to go home. After the third time she puts up a little bit of a fight but the moment you suggest going and getting dinner from her favorite place, she's more than eager to leave.

After pulling into the parking lot you and Emma enter the 1950's-style diner. The hostess seats the two of you and when your waitress comes you place your order. Not long after the food comes out and you start on your sandwich as Emma munches on her chicken fingers. Emma squeals with excitement when you tell her that she's allowed to get an ice cream and she happily orders a vanilla sundae, you of course also order one for yourself.

As usual, Emma is wearing her ice cream by the time she's finished with it but truthfully, you couldn't care less. After getting the check and paying at the register you and Emma head home.

Once Emma is bathed and dressed in her pajamas, the two of you pick out a book, as you do every night, and you read her the story as she falls asleep.

The rest of the weekend flies by and before you know it, Monday is back again. After dropping Emma off at your in-laws house you make your way to the estate.

Walking inside you see Cassandra and one of the other bartenders prepping the bar for the day. You wave at them, Cassandra as per usual ignores you but the other bartender, Dave, waves at you with a smile and a pleasant "good morning!"

Rounding the corner towards the offices you spot Chris and Alcina talking in the hallway. Alcina is leaning up against the wall inspecting her fresh manicure, looking like she couldn't be more uninterested in whatever Chris was talking about if she tried.

When the sound of your shoes against the floor reaches her ears her eyes flick up towards you. A bright smile stretches across her lips and she pushes herself off of the wall and steps towards you.

Chris stops speaking mid-sentence and gives Alcina a look. She returns the look and says to him "I already told you you can go ahead with the project, I don't need you to continue to bore me with details that are irrelevant." before turning away.

"Good morning." You say.

"Good morning Kathleen. How was your weekend?"

"It was good, quiet but relaxing. How was yours?"

"Excellent. My weekend was busy, as usual, but pleasant."

Just as you go to speak you're interrupted by the sound of a door being slammed open in the tasting room. A second later a voice rings through the tasting room and down the hall.

"DELIVERY FOR HER HIGHNESS!"

Alcina's head snaps in the direction of the room, her eyes narrow and you hear a low growl rumble in her chest.

"If you'll excuse me." She says through gritted teeth. You notice a vein in her neck begin to pulse and she storms towards the noise.

"Oh this will be good." Chris says with a little excitement in his voice.

"What? What was that?"

"You're gonna want to see this." He says with a smile as he walks in the direction Alcina took off in. You drop your bag at your desk and head towards the direction Chris and Alcina went off to.

Alcina opens the doors to the tasting room and her vision turns red. Waltzing into the room is her brother, Karl, making his way towards the bar.

"Cassie, hook your uncle up will ya?" He says, taking a seat.

"Heisenberg." Alcina hisses.

"Ah, there she is!" He says as he puts his feet up on the bar.

Alcina smacks his feet off and glares down at him.

"Do you not have any manners?" She says as her eyes flash with rage.

"What? I'd think you'd be more appreciative that I worked so hard to finish whatever the hell it was you asked me to make."

You walk into the tasting room behind Chris and watch as Alcina stands next to a slightly disheveled man. He's wearing a stained t-shirt with baggy pants and boots. A hat, sunglasses, and a trench coat.

He goes to grab the drink that was set in front of him, ignoring the fact that Alcina is practically shaking with anger. He takes a long sip of the beer he was given and pulls out a cigar, sticking it between his chapped lips. As he goes to grab a lighter from his pocket, Alcina snatches the cigar from his mouth and breaks it in half, dumping it onto the counter in front of him.

"The fuck was that for?!"

"You cannot smoke in here!"

"You're such a fucking buzzkill." He mutters, rolling his eyes and taking another drink from the bottle. "Cassie I don't know how the fuck you put up with this shit every goddamn day."

Cassandra snickers and Alcina shoots daggers at her. Rolling her eyes at her mother, Cassandra turns around and continues putting away the glasses.

Karl finishes off his beer and lets out an obnoxiously loud burp. Alcina scrunches her face in disgust and wafts the air between them away from her.

"You are a truly vile human being." She says.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry I don't meet your standards, princess." He replies. "Hey Cass, get me another round will ya?" He says, slapping his hand down on the bar.

"Absolutely not." Alcina says. "I will not have you come in here, make a scene, drink all of our imported beers and pay not as much as a dime for them. Up! Go," she says, shooing him away from the bar. "get the table and get the hell out of my establishment!"

"Someone's in a great fuckin' mood this morning. What happened, woke up on the wrong side of your coffin?"

"Karl you are testing the very little patience I have left." She says through her teeth.

"Hah! You? Having patience? I didn't know you were a comedian."

Alcina squeezes her eyes shut and rubs at her temples as Karl gets up and starts to head towards the door. As he turns around he sees you and Chris standing near the door leading to the offices.

"Ho shit! If it ain't the fancy CFO himself!" Karl belts across the tasting room before meeting Chris halfway. "Howya doin' ya son of a bitch?" He says, shaking his hand.

"Karl my man!" Chris says. "I've been good, keepin' busy. How about yourself?"

"Hope slenderwoman hasn't been too rough on ya!" He says before laughing too loud, earning another eye roll from Alcina. "And not bad, not bad. Your boss here commissioned some kind of table from me so I'm just droppin' it off. Nice excuse to ruffle a few feathers too if you know what I mean." He says, nudging Chris in the ribs and laughing. "And who is this little lady here?" He says, looking over at you.

Not a second later you hear Alcina's heels stomping in your direction, looking up you see her eyes narrowed at the back of his head.

"I'm Katie, the new marketing and social media strategist."

"Karl Heisenberg," he says, taking your hand in his. "the pleasure is all mine." He gives you a small bow before kissing the back of your hand and letting it go.

The action took you by surprise a bit and you swore you saw steam come out of Alcina's ears as she walks up behind him. Karl lets your hand go and Alcina grabs him by the back of his jacket and begins to pull him away.

"Will you keep your filthy hands off of my staff? God only knows when the last time you washed them!" She hisses before whipping him around and pushing him towards the door. "Go!"

"What?! Is this how you treat family here?! What kind of establishment is this?!"

"One I will have you removed from if you don't get that table this instant!"

"Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm going, I'm going!"

Alcina lets out a huff and brings her fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose. After gathering herself she turns back towards you and Chris and makes her way over.

"I do apologize for my little brother, he is quite feral."

"Ah come on Alci, he isn't so bad!" Chris says and Alcina shoots him a glare.

"I told you, do not call me that. And that man is insufferable at best." She turns towards you. "I do apologize for his behavior."

"Don't worry about it, really, it's okay." You say with a smile.

The doors open once more and you can hear Karl barking orders to the guys lugging the table in. Alcina physically cringes as they bang into the doorframe while trying to get it inside.

"Ay! Watch it! That table is worth more than what you get paid in a month!" Karl yells.

"If you will excuse me." Alcina says before making her way over to the men and directs them where to go.

Both you and Chris take that as your cue to leave so the two of you head back to your offices.

"Told ya you'd wanna see that." He says with a satisfied smirk.

"See what? Ms. Dimitrescu and her brother?"

"Yeah! I've never seen anyone else be able to get her riled up so easily. Just his presence is enough to make the woman lose her shit."

"I guess." You say

It aggravated you a little seeing Chris find so much enjoyment from watching Alcina get frustrated and riled up. If anything, you felt bad for the woman. Luckily you and your sister got along great but it would probably piss you off too if you had a sibling that was to blatantly rude and dismissive in your place of work. If anything it's probably as embarrassing as it is annoying.

The rest of the walk back to your office was quiet, much to your surprise Chris seemed to get the hint that you weren't in the mood to revel in Alcina's misery and didn't say anything else. When you sat down at your desk you finally able to get started on today's work.

A few minutes later you hear heels on the tiled floor and see Alcina walk past your office. She looked less than thrilled for the couple of seconds you were able to see her. The door to her office opens and a minute later you hear it close and she walks past you again. Thinking nothing of it, you dive back into answering emails.

Once your inbox was taken care of you go to check your to-do list to see what you needed to prioritize for the day. Digging through your bag you realize you must have left your notebook in the car so you grab your keys and head out the side door towards the parking lot.

As you open the door the smell of fresh air quickly changes into the smell of cigarette smoke. Looking over, you see Alcina leaning up against the brick wall with a cigarette perched between two fingers.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were out here." You say as you close the door behind you.

"No need to apologize. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just left my notebook in my car." You reply.

Alcina brings the cigarette to her perfectly painted red lips and takes a long drag before pulling it away. She turns her head away from you and exhales the smoke. Usually you found smoking to be unattractive but somehow every single thing this woman does is attractive as hell. You'd put money on the fact that she could shovel a pile of shit and still look good while doing it.

You make your way to your car and find your notebook on the floor of the passenger side. Walking back over to Alcina you notice her eyes are still on you.

"I didn't know you smoked." You say as you walk up to her and immediately wish you kept your mouth shut. Why would you say that? What a stupid thing to say.

Alcina chuckles as she takes another drag before exhaling again.

"Yes, it's truly a disgusting habit I've yet to break. I had been doing well, however, my brother certainly knows how to get under my skin."

"I get that, siblings definitely know how to rile each other up."

"He is a man-child. A petulant fool." She grumbles.

As you chuckle a van drives by and slows down. In the drivers seat you see Karl. He blares on his horn a few times as he drives by, causing both you and Alcina to jump. Your hands fly up to your ears and Alcina visibly winces at the noise.

"Nenorocitul acela." Alcina grumbles under her breath as she sticks her pinky in her ear. (That fucking moron).

She takes another drag from her cigarette and looks over at you.

"You said your daughter is starting daycare this week?"

Her question took you by surprise for a second, you definitely weren't expecting Alcina to remember that from the conversation you had last week.

"Yes! She starts tomorrow." You say with a smile that doesn't reach your eyes. Truthfully, you were excited that Emma was going to spend time with other children her age and be able to socialize more, but the thought of sending her to daycare also gave you a lot of anxiety.

Alcina notices your apprehension even though you hide it well in your voice. It brought her back to when the girls were little and she sent them off to daycare for the first time. Granted, it was more of a private school than daycare, but leaving the girls behind and going to work was still anxiety-inducing for her.

"Nervous?" She asks before taking another drag of her cigarette.

Knowing Alcina was asking about you, you decide to divert your answer.

"Oh Emma is really excited. She wasn't sure at first but as soon as she saw all of the toys they had she was thrilled. She was very upset that she wasn't able to stay the day we did the tour."

"I was asking about you." She said with a smile.

"Oh."

"I remember when I dropped the girls off at daycare for the first time. I think I cried more than they did." She says with a chuckle. You notice a faraway look in her eye as she thinks back on the memory.

Alcina walked down the large, ornate hallway with Cassandra's tiny had in hers. In Cassandra's other hand, Bela clung tightly to her. When they arrived to the classroom the girls' daycare teacher greeted them at the door.

"Good morning! You two must be Cassandra and Bela." She says with a warm smile.

Bela and Cassandra clung to each other tighter, staring between Alcina and their new teacher. Alcina bends down and runs her fingers through Cassandra's dark hair.

"Girls, do you remember your teacher? Ms. Jackson?"

Bela's blue eyes scan the room as she holds onto her sister.

"Eu vreau sa merg acasa." She says quietly as tears begin to fill her eyes. (I want to go home).

"It will only be for a little while, draga. I'll be back before you know it." Alcina says, turning both girls to face her. She wipes the tears from Bela's cheeks and shushes her. "Nu plânge, e în regulă draga mea." (Don't cry, it's alright my darling).

"Vreau să merg acasă, te rog." Bela says as her voice trembles. (I want to go home, please).

"How about you give it a try? I have to go to work, but then we will go back home and we can play with your toys." Alcina says.

"No!" Bela yells, taking Alcina by surprise. "Vreau să merg acasă la mami! O vreau pe mama mea!" She cries. (I want to go home to mommy! I want my mommy!).

Alcina can feel her heart breaking in her chest. Cassandra's eyes begin to fill with tears as she watches her big sister cry. Even though she's only a year younger than Bela, she still understands that so much has changed and that they're no longer with their mother.

"O vreau pe mama mea." Cassandra whimpers before she starts to cry as well. (I want my mommy).

Wrapping her arms around the two little girls, Alcina pulls them into her and they grab onto her shirt and jacket as they cry.

"Shh, shh. Nu plânge fetele mele dragi, nu plânge. Va fi bine, doar respira, totul va fi bine." She says softly as she rubs circles across their backs as she tries to soothe them. (Don't cry my sweet girls, don't cry. It's going to be alright, just breathe, everything is going to be alright).

Their small cries chip away at Alcina's already fragile heart. She squeezes her eyes shut, refusing to shed a tear, refusing to let the girls - or anyone else for that matter - see her cry.

After taking a few deep breaths, Alcina begins to quietly hum the girls' favorite lullaby. She may still be brand new to parenting, but the one thing she figured out that works was singing to the girls in their native language. It was one of the few things that have been able to calm them when they were upset or scared. Alcina's mother would sing it to her and her sister when they were young. One night when she was at her wits end, she began singing it for Bela and Cassandra and they immediately began to calm down. It's been her go-to ever since.

The girls finally stop crying and Alcina pulls away enough to look at the two of them. As heartbreaking as it was, she couldn't help but think of how cute they looked. Bela's blue eyes and Cassandra's hazel eyes always looked brighter after they cried. Even their flushed cheeks and runny noses made them look cute. Alcina cupped each of their faces and wiped away their tears before placing a kiss in the center of each of their foreheads.

The girls looked up at her and it was almost pitiful. So much of her wanted to just take them home but she had to go to work and she had to let them go. Taking both of their small hands into each of hers, she looked both girls in the eye.

"I know it's frightening, I know you girls are scared, but I am coming back. I promise, I will be back and we will all go home together, okay?" The both nodded at her as tears began to fill their eyes once more. "No more tears my darlings, alright? No more tears." She says as she wipes away the stray tears from their cheeks. "I need both of you to be brave? Okay? Bela, I need you to look after your sister, to be protect her, alright?" Bela looks at Cassandra and back at Alcina and nods. "Cassandra, I need you to look after your sister, to be brave for her, can you do that for me?" Cassandra wipes her nose and nods at Alcina.

She strokes their hair before pulling the girls back in for a tight hug.

"Vă iubesc, vă iubesc atât de mult fetelor. Mă întorc, promit dragilor mei. Mă voi întoarce după tine. Nu te voi lăsa." Alcina whispers to them before giving them one last squeeze and letting go. (I love you, I love you girls so much. I'm coming back, I promise my darlings. I'll come back for you. I will never leave you).

Alcina stands up and straightens out her shirt and jacket. She takes the girls hands in each of hers and guides them to their teacher. Ms. Jackson smiles down at the girls and points out all of the toys scattered around the room. Cassandra eyes a baby doll and another little girl picks it up. The girl sees Cassandra and walks over to her.

"Play?" The little girl asks.

Cassandra looks up at Alcina and Alcina smiles down at her.

"Go ahead darling, go play."

Cassandra hesitantly releases Alcina's hand and looks at Bela, reaching out towards her. Bela's grip on Alcina tightens and Alcina strokes her hair.

"It's alright love, go play with them."

Bela looks up at Alcina who nods. After contemplating for a moment, Bela takes Cassandra's hand and the three little girls make their way over to the rug and begin playing with the toys.

Alcina takes the opportunity while they are distracted to thank the teacher and leave before they see her again. With her heart still breaking in her chest, Alcina makes it to her car and starts the engine.

Before she can pull away, the floodgates open. She grips the steering wheel and rests her forehead against her hands as she cries. Different emotions bubble up, but the strongest one is anger.

She's angry that the girls were put through so much at such a young age. She's angry at how unfair the last few months have been for them. Angry at the situation she herself was put in.

Alcina slams her fist against the steering wheel before pulling herself together. She takes her makeup bag from her purse and fixes her makeup before taking one last deep breath and driving away.

You can see memories flash across Alcina's eyes, memories you know nothing about. But you can see the emotions in her eyes, worry, sadness, and anger. Alcina snaps out of it and takes another drag of her cigarette and exhales.

"It's certainly not easy," she says. "the first few times are the most difficult, but eventually they were so excited the girls didn't even say goodbye when they ran through the doors." She says with a laugh.

"I'm sure we'll get there, but like you said, the first few times are gonna be rough."

"I have no doubts that the two of you will do great." She says with a smile.

With one last drag of her cigarette, Alcina puts the butt into the cigarette receptacle.

"Shall we?" She asks, nodding towards the door.

"Oh! Yeah." You say sheepishly.

Alcina opens the door and holds it for you. "After you."

"Thank you." You say with a smile before the two of you head back in.

[rubykgrant]

(I remembered this one thing I wrote, and had to dig around to find it, so here it is again; a "South Lives", and "Tex is on Chorus" AU~)

Wash was entirely too on-edge to chit-chat with all the Feds... Sarge seemed to have adjusted quickly, switching back and forth between making random death-threats and barking orders like he was in charge over here. All in all, that was typical behavior for him. Lopez continued to stand on the side-lines, watching all the humans be stupid, and say what was almost certainly very sarcastic comments in Spanish. Donut was trying to keep a positive attitude, and Wash wasn’t sure if that was admirable or just naive. Donut had also met his match as an almost unsettling ray of sunshine in Dr Grey, whom Wash wasn’t exactly comfortable with, but he trusted her when she said she wasn’t a fan of this civil war (how it had started, the fact that it has lasted so long, how eager some people were to end it with extreme and permanent measures... she found that all to be a combination of rather small-minded thinking. She also had no problem performing surgery without putting the patient under, completely unfazed by the screams. So yeah, Wash was still on the fence when it came to Dr Grey)

Most of Wash’s interactions were with Doyle and Locus. Wash wasn’t especially intimidated by Doyle, he seemed like he was well-meaning and in over his head with this whole situation. He had apologized several times for how badly the “introductions” at the crash sight had gone, and seemed willing to help Wash find the rest of his friends (and find the News’ hidden base in the process). Locus was... not fun. Sometimes being around him was like working with the Meta again; quiet, except for the occasional grumble of anger/irritation. It was almost like having an itch you couldn’t scratch... sometimes Wash wanted to scream at Locus, over everything that had happened, and things that Locus had nothing to do with (really, he wanted to scream at HIMSELF). Then there were the times when Locus was more talkative, comparing them both to “living weapons”, and this was worse... Wash DID scream at him occasionally, and it didn’t sound like a professional Freelancer or dangerous soldier, it sounded like a teenager having a tantrum. The worst part was, when it was over, Wash almost felt like APOLOGIZING. He refused to do that. He had already gotten whatever weird kind of friendship-syndrome from the Reds and Blues, he was definitely not going to “bond” with Locus.

For the most part, Wash kept to himself around the other Feds, and they gave him breathing-room either out of fear or simply respecting his personal space... except for one person. Wash didn’t know her (he barely knew anybody over here), but she seemed to be a soldier that specifically made equipment-runs. Every time she went somewhere, out for a mission or just passing him in the hallway, she bumped into him. On purpose. It wasn’t very hard, BUT. It was in the exact same spot. Every. Single. Time. This was more annoying than painful, and Wash didn’t know what to do about it. Go crying to Locus and Doyle because one of the other kids was picking on him? Lord, that gave him Freelancer flash-backs... he was a big boy now. He could handle this responsibly, without losing his cool or making it escalate.

He tried talking to her. She snorted laughter, shook her head, and walked away... bumping him as she went. Well, he had made an attempt... then he found out, this same soldier was evidently being all buddy-buddy with Donut and Sarge! What the actual heck? He never got close enough to hear them saying anything (he actually never heard her speak at all), but he saw them chit-chat often. Later, Sarge would praise a certain young lady who had a very “Red Team Attitude”. Donut confirmed that she definitely had a fiery temper, but he also found her charming (basically, she was really mean and really funny). Great. Wonderful. At least he finally figured out her name; May. If that was a first or last name, he wasn’t sure. She still wouldn’t speak directly to him, just that huff of cruel amusement (and he was SURE she was rolling her eyes under that helmet). She was starting to up the ante as well... she took the last bits of food if Wash was reaching for it. When he went for the bathroom, she cut in front of him. She would rev the engines of whatever vehicle she was in to make him jump. This was getting out of hand! It was like... like he was the younger sibling, getting picked on, or- or something!

“Maybe she LIKES you!” Donut suggested when Wash tried to vent his frustrations. Wash seriously doubted that.

Finally, Wash loses his cool and asks her to just spar with him if she wants to push him around so badly.

Wash woke up to Dr Grey giving him some kind of shot... everybody had been worried that May broke his arms, but she had only dislocated them. Well, “only” wasn’t the right way to describe it; she had given him two black-eyes, a bloody nose, some of his teeth felt a little loose, and he had various bruises all over his body. As his memory clears back up, he remembers that he’d held his own for a little while, but had completely underestimated her, and by the time he realized this, it was too late to bounce back. She had absolutely SLAMMED him. He hadn’t been wailed on like this since... well, since Carolina had used him for practice. May didn’t often enter combat situations (she seemed to avoid it, for whatever personal reason), but she was quite a fighter. Some of those moves had been specifically Freelancer techniques. Now Wash wasn’t just irritated with her; he was suspicious.

He doesn’t have long to be suspicious, though... May leaves for several trips to gather equipment, and Wash recovers. He decides he needs to stop focusing on distractions that don’t matter; he’s here with Sarge, Donut, and Lopez. He needs to get back to Tucker, Caboose, Simmons, and Grif. That’s it. Doyle’s civil war is a distraction. Locus trying to have a connection with him because they have “so much in common” is a distraction. May deciding that Wash’s existence was some kind of personal offense to her was a distraction. The only things that matters are his friends. Once they’re all together again, they can figure the rest out.

Eventually, they ARE all together again. As usual, it was chaotic and dangerous, and suddenly Carolina was there, and Dr Grey had come along, and so had May, and... May wasn’t May. Suddenly, Wash feels VERY lucky; he can’t believe she didn’t just MURDER him during that sparring match...

---

Epsilon goes off-line for a couple of days. Carolina tells herself not to worry about it, because he explained that this would happen, and why; he still needed to sort through some data and rearrange things. After all, he wasn’t just the memories of Alpha, he was a combination of ALL the AI Fragments, plus being his own version of himself; undeniably “Church” (because Church was always Church, no matter what), but a new Church, with the rest of the Fragments being part of him now. He needed to parse all this information. At least, as much as possible... they would still be connected, and that was just a fact. Together, they were all that was left of Alpha, and had each become so much more. So, it was alright, he wasn’t gone, he wasn’t ignoring her or leaving her, he would be OK.

Carolina still worries a bit, though. She can’t help it. Sometimes, when she dreams, she falls back into painful memories. Sometimes, the memories aren’t hers. She sees things from Sigma and Omega’s point of view, she feels the way Theta felt when he was taken from North, she suddenly knows several knock-knock jokes from Gamma, she senses Eta and Iota’s guilt over hurting her... she shares the moment with Delta when York died. Something else, too. Something she can’t place. It was like a conversation in the back of her mind, a memory of something that had never happened... it has something to do with Church, so even though it confuses her, it doesn’t frighten her. In these dreams, she knows he’s talking, but can’t make out the words. Somebody else is also speaking with him, quietly. No distinct words there either, but they sound... sort of happy?

When Epsilon reappears, his pale-blue hologram coming into focus in front of her, he tells her that he should be able to process all his data much better now. He also tells her “Don’t freak out”

Then, he’s almost... coaxing another AI to appear. Carolina’s seen him interact with them before, usually Delta or Theta, and she wasn’t sure why one of them would suddenly be “shy”.

It isn’t Delta or Theta. It isn’t ANY of the AI she expects.

The little avatar that appears is a soldier in dark armor, almost mistaken for Omega, but the glow is different. When the AI speaks, the voice is different. This was the memory of Beta AI. This was Tex.

“Don’t freak out!” Carolina hears her say, echoing Epsilon.

Church had made a big deal about “forgetting” her, but in all honesty, was that really possible? The answer was NO. However, he could let go... he could let go of whatever the Director had put into both of their programming that kept bringing her back, and kept trapping her in that failure-loop of death. He knew that it was possible for her to return somehow... he had just wanted to make sure she really WANTED to. At least one version of Tex deserved to have a choice. She also had the option of leaving. She didn’t need to stay with him or keep doing dangerous missions with Carolina... it was a decision Tex could make for herself, and he had promised to respect whatever it was (evidently, spending time with your kinda-sorta-sister who you also saw as an almost-daughter who happened to have a wicked temper helped you figure out communication skills).

Tex wanted to come back. She wanted to stay. She wanted to get to know Carolina. It was awkward, and at times very stressful, but some moments were more bitter-sweet. Church tried not to get in the middle of every little fight Carolina and Tex had (he’d go from being the peace-maker to the a-hole real quick if he didn’t reign it in). After a while, they found a somewhat comfortable dynamic; Tex and Church would bicker, and somehow wind up laughing about it. Church would annoy Carolina until she finally cracked a smile. Carolina and Tex would have talks together, occasionally both glancing at Church, until it finally drove him crazy, and he’d ask what they were whispering about, and the response was always “Nothing~”.

Tex also helped when it came to various combat scenarios. Together, she and Carolina hit harder without going into a rage-fit (no thank you, Omega). She helped with some of the communication filters too (Tex was familiar with how to disguise her voice). Finally, the little team saw the chance to solve the problems they had been running into with all the dangerous tech AND get the whole gang back together. The group of morons had evidently gotten into a LOT of trouble while they were gone... but really, what else was new?

Looking around at everybody, Carolina couldn’t help but smile. She was so happy to see tham all again. They seemed surprised enough by her appearance, but that wasn’t all-

“Miss me, assholes?” Church asked cheerfully as his avatar came into view.

“How about me, cock-bites?” Tex added, right next to him.

“Well... isn’t this just one big Freelancer Family Reunion?” somebody near Wash says. It is one of the Feds, somebody new Carolina doesn’t know... except, maybe she does? That voice sounded familiar, and she acted like she was part of this somehow...

She takes off her helmet; the hair is shorter, the dyed streaks are gone, and she has a few new scars on her face... but that is South. Agent South Dakota.

Wash makes some kind of strangled, nervous laughter-noise. Carolina just stares. Tucker ignores all of this, and attempts to tackle Church while yelling “You FUCK!”

[urnumber1star]

Character Poll Tag!!!

Thanks for tagging me @leahnardo-da-veggie :)

Rules: Make a poll with five of your all time favorite characters and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favorite!

These are all my favorite OCs of mine and I'm curious what you all think!

Tagging @kaylinalexanderbooks @the-ellia-west @illarian-rambling @agirlandherquill @mysticstarlightduck

Also here's a little more information for them all below.

Micheal: My favorite sunshine boy. He's the city's main superhero and he loves being able to help people, along with his city. Though being a hero at night and even sometimes during the day mean's he's constantly sleep deprived, but he tries to give everyone a second chance, sometime even the villains he's fighting.

Serita: Rude, evil sense of humor, and bank robber. However she is very charismatic and funny and likes to tease. She's a robotics genius and has a long standing rivalry with Ray as she LOVES to try to one up him and tease him.

No One: Evil. No morals at all and no sense of responsibility. Despite being eighteen he acts twelve as he like to play games with his victims and messes with people of entertainment. Especially Micheal. He has the ability to puppeteer people and only really sees them as dolls.

Ray: Sarcastic, always done with everyone, and could care less about everything. Has a killer ego that deffinatly needs to be humbled which is part of his arc. Along with Serita he's a robotics and chemistry genius and is basiclay Micheals tech support as a hero. As much as he tries to deny it, he actually cares a lot. He's a stupid teenager who doesn't know how to handle his feelings lol.

Talia: A little air headed but also very emotionally mature. Very artsy and even help design Micheals suit. She's usually very nice and a little quiet but if you piss her off she will absolutely mess you up. Unlike Ray she's a great liar and is usually the one to vouch for Micheal when he's being a hero.

[kajilychnis]

Chapter I of "Arcane Heterize" a Trollhunters, Arcane Order fanfiction.

Author's Note : Before reading part 1 of my fanfiction about the Arcane order (which are characters from the trollhunters series). I wanted to warn you about several things about this fanfiction. First of all, I don't think I'll insert a ship during this story. I know people are tired of reading erotic fanfiction with ships (me too obviously). So this fanfiction won't contain this HOWEVER for Bellroc's past which would surely be revealed in the next chapters, it will surely have original characters since there "must be" people in their past who made them hate the humans. Secondly, I strongly advise you to go read my previous post before reading the first chapter, it's kind of a summary of this fanfiction. Third, I was wondering if I should continue posting on Tumblr or create an account on AO3 to post this fanfiction ? What do you think ? Is this a better idea idea ? Or maybe both.

Now that the essential has been said, enjoy reading !

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

The Arcane Order, a trio of primordial demigods who wished to maintain balance between magic and mortals. Even though in reality, their actions only caused suffering to humanity and magical beings... well yes... that's what we know about them. But in this alternate universe, the trio of demigods are different from the ones we know. Not completely... Bellroc is still the hothead of the three, Skrael is still the sarcastic pessimist of the trio, and Nari is still their only remaining ray of sunshine who always sees the bright side of things. Every day Nari comes up with a new idea to convince the other two that humans aren't so bad. Of course Skrael and Bellroc always try to question her opinion on humans but despite this she does not let herself be discouraged. Bellroc had even almost managed to convince Nari about humans, by saying : "Aren't they the same ones who are trying to raze your trees and pretty plants in order to acquire ever more polluting territories ?".

That day, Nari thought she was sinking into despair and pessimism for a moment. She looked around her and saw humans throwing trash on the ground, humans trampling plants without any qualms, factories that polluted the air and made the air less and less breathable. But she has also seen humans protecting nature, humans defending nature against those who exploit it, humans trying to save our beautiful blue planet and its breathtaking oceans and natural spaces. And for Nari, that was enough to have hope, for a better future. Skrael was always bringing up statistics about the pollution of the earth and its consequences to Nari, only because he couldn't stand her optimism. Skrael is a very pragmatic and rational person, he often tries to make his peers listen to reason. He doesn't really have any bad intentions, he just thinks it's about stating facts and nothing else.

Just today, he had done an internet search on his computer that he almost never leaves except if it's to read a book, and he found an 'interesting' video for Nari. As he entered Nari's room, he saw Nari dressing in a strange green florist's apron. He analyzed her from head to toe, she was wearing boots ! Boots ! He thought outraged. He frowned when he saw the woolen hat she wore to hide her antlers.

-"What is the meaning of this... pitiful attire ?" He hissed in a tone full of disdain.

-"Please... do not tell anything to Bellroc... but..." She retorted nervously.

Skrael quickly glanced her up and down before raising an non existent eyebrow.

-"But what ?"

-"But I work in a plant shop as a florist !" She said quickly without articulating as if she had always been waiting for this moment.

The ice demigod standing before her was speechless, he was opening his mouth then closing it then opening it again. He couldn't find the words. But he quickly pulled himself together, swallowed before adopting a firm and assertive tone.

-"Don't you think I didn't already know what you were doing behind me and Bellroc's back ? Do you think I'm as gullible as the hothead ? You see, my dear, you can't hide anything from me, you always go out on the same days at the same time and quite quickly as if you didn't want to be seen... by us."

Nari's eyes widen, of course yes, she knew that Skrael was the most observant and intelligent of the three, but she didn't think he suspected anything.

-"I... I know that... yes..."

-"Well, what are you waiting for to offer me interesting and tempting suggestions so that I don't tell the whole truth to the mighty and fiery Bellroc ?" He said in a low and mocking tone.

End of the chapter...

Spoiler Alert : Douxie and probably Zoe will be in this fanfic, so stay tuned. Chapters will be longer than this one... Oh and sorry for my bad english.

[nemo-of-house-hamartia]

Also, fml, I just decided that my Rook is going to be the younger sister of my Inquisitor, Velahris Lavellan.

Like, I can see Ravenna just poking at her sister to actually spill the beans about Varric (because yes, I ship my Inquisitor with Varric AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME FROM DOING SO LOL.) because SHE KNOWS that her sister is hiding something.

Like, she just cannot stop mentioning him in EVERY SINGLE LETTER they exchange (even if she always refers to him in a professional manner), but Ravenna CAN READ through those lines.

Because yes, I am going with the whole shtick of Stoic sarcastic emotionally constipated older sister vs fun-loving, little ray of sunshine (to hide away the sadness) younger sister.

I mean, this just means that Ravenna is already equipped to deal with Lucanis, considering she had to deal with her sister's grumpiness HER ENTIRE LIFE.

But one thing is for sure: at least Lucanis will make a better coffee lol though, I do envision some rivarly between him and Ravenna because MY GIRL CAN COOK (sorry, but as an Italian, I cannot for the life of me have an Italian-Based Character that has no idea how to cook. It's a matter of personal pride lol).

Like, I have to be honest, from what little I know about Lucaris and his personality, I can see him as a bit of a grouchy sad cat.

So now I want Ravenna to be his safe haven, from when things are so dire that not even a good cup of coffee can chase troubles away.

Now I just have to see how things are going to be in general, considering that I made Ravenna's sister a Mage lololololol

gods am stocked.

This will be running in the back of my mind for a while, I already know that things are brewing.

BREWING.

And now I have basically both that and Mephistea running parallels.

this is going to be FUN.

[tazahan]

hiii :) !! I just wanted to say that I really admire your artworks and your oc Áila (she's so precious <3) I've been wondering what's her personality and how she would act normally.

Aww, thank you so much, and hello! Of course.

She is witty, cheerful, easy-going, and pensive. Although her personality might look like a ray of sunshine she is also a bit timid, awkward, and clumsy. She never sees herself as a strong champion due to her self-consciousness. While in fact, her strength is overqualified for the Earthrealm champion standard. She also sometimes gives pretty good one-liners and she also accidentally cracked mean roast but always ended up apologizing. When she feels annoyed, she also can be sassy and sarcastic.

[icescrabblerjerky]

Miri's Rooks! A post.

Given my last post why the fuck not, gonna give a run down of my Rooks.

Sema Ingellvar: She's my canon Rook. MW Mage. I've had to make a timeline adjustment that makes absolutely no sense but I don't care because Bioware. Any way she's the daughter of my Saoirse Hawke and Blackwall (aka Thom Ranier) and was born in the fade and it's very complicated and you'll hear about her in fic. She romances Emmrich and has NOT escaped the sarcasm gene from her mum.

Alim Surana: Warden Ice Mage. I remade my original warden because I'm always sad that I didn't get a good CC for him in Origins. That said, every game since where I've had the opportunity to make him I've failed. He didn't turn out right in Inquisition and he didn't turn out right here, but I still like him. He romanced Lucanis, the less said about that the better.

Yelena Mercar: Elf Rogue. I made her to romance Davrin and oh gosh, she was a ray of sunshine. Pretty much the only Rook I've played where I just went where the wind blew me as far as responses were concerned, she was a very even mix of sarcastic, militant and lovely and it worked so well for the Davrin romance. I will certainly be writing fic about her. She's a Shadow Dragon freed slave, rogue, adventurer and just fun all around.

Blodwen Laidr: Sword and Board, Non-binary dwarf Lord of Fortune, adores Bellara. They're on the older side of my Rooks and have seen a lot, very patient and very competent, probably the one I would, personally, choose to be the Rook who had the fate of the world in their hands. They're blunt, to the point. A surfacer dwarf since birth.

Carver Hawke: He's literally just Carver Hawke but Varric recruits him as Rook. You can imagine how that goes. God I love him. (gonna romance Harding because also why the fuck not, I may even make that canon for fic)

Malavai de Riva: Crow rogue. He hates them, hates everything he went through to be a Crow and has no love for any of the folk who made him go through hell to get where he is. Romances Neve. He is actually my NICEST character, aside from the Crow hate, literally chooses kindness over all other things all the time and sometimes it bites him in the butt.