#so even if he wanted answers i'm not sure he'd have been willing to listen at that point

[prismatoxic]

congrats on writing the fic that made a man text his (sort of estranged) dad. fr your portrayal of every single dynamic is so flawless and considerate. nobel prize.

THAT ACTUALLY DOES FEEL LIKE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT... i hope it goes well anon!!!

there's a lot to be said about people who did the wrong things but feel genuine remorse and want to get better, i think. i've been there (though not in a parent sense), and it's also what happened with my mom after i moved out, so i guess i kind of know how it is from both angles. on top of, you know, just writing what i know of who chilchuck is as a person (and assuming a lot of things about meijack and the others, lmao...)

[orchid-and-bone]

"Here With Me" ||

Arthur Morgan x GN!Reader

Rating: None

Asked by @photo1030

Ok, I gotcha….what about the first time someone tells Arthur they love him? Could be reader, m or f, or an existing character?

Oh I like this idea a lot and think it’s such a bittersweet feeling for Arthur, I won’t get into the meat of it, but you know how he feels about people calling him ‘a good man’, or just how Mary ended up treating him before she left. This man deserves the world, okay?

*

It had been an age since he heard those words, never had he thought he would actually ever hear them uttered to him, nor did he think he'd ever find the courage to mutter them aloud again to any living soul. He found himself undeserving of any kind words, living the life he had, he knew there'd be a mark upon his soul, and anyone foolish enough to accept him as he was, well they were just that: foolish. 

But there you were, admiring him from afar for so long that it almost felt like a fever dream when you two met. He'd brushed anything off at first, just thinking that whatever the weird spark he felt was just in his head, he always ignored those gut feelings because he felt that they didn't deserve to be had. But slowly, those large thick walls were chiseled away one by one over time. 

When you had decided to tell him how you finally felt, he wasn't sure what to do, he sat there unblinking, staring directly at you. What was he thinking? Why was he just… sitting there? You knew he wasn't one to delve into his feelings so openly, but your admitted confession had meant a lot to you, so your leg bounced up and down due to your nerves. You knew Arthur well enough that if you rushed him or made him feel like he needed to supply an answer right away, it wouldn't work out so well for either of you, but that didn’t stop you from assuming the worst.

As you sat there and allowed Arthur to think your confession through, you sat back and thought of all the ways he'd changed your life and the way you saw things, but most importantly, he always looked out for you, even when he felt that he shouldn't have gotten you involved in his life to begin with. Boldly, you reached across the wooden table that sat in the camp, the smell of fire and booze hung heavily around you, the lingering gang members that were awake were too drunk or tired to pay you two any mind. Your hand was placed on his, you didn't need to exchange words, you felt that he understood how you felt and why, well, you hoped he understood. 

Arthur was good at thinking of others, though he wouldn't care to admit it, always thinking of what was best for you, but never what was best for himself or you both. He was a stubborn man, but it was one of the many reasons you did love him. 

His silence wasn't odd, you preferred that he sat back to think things through rather than immediate dismissal, it meant that he was considering your words more than anyone could realize. But you loved to hear him speak, that gruff voice that you could never get enough of, and he graced you with the sound of it. 

“You uh, you sure you'd wanna love a man like me? You know what that means, don'tcha?” He asked you, his eyes stared at you beneath the brim of his hat. The light from the fire illuminated half of his face and he looked so beautiful, like a painting that was created with love and carefulness with each stroke. 

You just nod in response to his question as you sit across from him, a small smile across your face. “I do, yeah,” you say with a small breath of laughter. “I wouldn't say it carelessly, Arthur. Loving you with all of the ups and downs it comes with is something I'm willing to live with.”

Arthur listened to you once again, his jaw slightly clenched as he held back what he truly wanted to say, which would only be dismissing himself, and you smiled at his ability to bite his tongue. 

You couldn't help but chuckle at how his face contorted with so many emotions at once, and he just looked up at you with a hard stare, but it softened as soon as he locked eyes with you. 

“No matter what I say, you ain't gonna listen to reason, are you?” He asked you, his tone more gentle this time. 

You shook your head. “Nope. I've made up my mind. As grim as it seems, this world doesn't promise us anything, so why not take what time you have and enjoy it? You deserve it, Arthur.” Your grasp on his hand tightened, showing him you weren't going anywhere, he was stuck with you.

The gunslinger swallowed, how mouth suddenly dried as he nodded to your words. “It's… been a while since I heard ‘em, figured I never would again. But… it's nice to hear ‘em, ‘specially comin’ from you.” Arthur offered a smile as he continued to look at you beneath his hat, not wanting to give away just how happy you'd made him. Not yet. 

“I love you, that's all you need to know,” you assured the man, “you don't have to do things alone, you never had to, okay? Let me share your burdens with you, and if you don't wanna say it back yet, that's okay. I ain't going anywhere.” 

Arthur just nodded again, the smile widened, stretching his lips. “‘Course you ain't, wouldn't let you if you tried,” he said with a chuckle that followed. 

For now, those were the only words you needed to hear from him, you knew that with time and patience, that man who was so closed off to the world would allow you a glimpse of his heart.

[exactlymaximumgarden]

19 with Schlatt!!

19. drown - cuco, clairo (link to req info here)

"doll, come on. listen to me, we can talk this out," schlatt pleads. you can barely hear him over your frenzied packing of your suitcase. he sounds desperate as he begs you to spare him just one more moment, only one, but you're too far past that limit. you've given him far more than just a moment. you've given him days, weeks, months. only now that you're slipping from his grasp does he finally try to win you back.

you'd known from the beginning of your relationship that schlatt was a workaholic. you couldn't fault him for that. hell, he loves making videos, and it pays the bills. you'd accepted that fact. and the start of the relationship was wonderful. when he wasn't making videos, he was all over you. he would drag you out of bed to take you out somewhere nice just as an excuse to spend time with you.

but the more time went on, the more distant he grew. you can't even begin to try and count the number of times you've had to sit down with him, asking him what was going on, if you did something, the works. every single time, he'd say, "sorry, doll. i'll work on it."

some work. you may have been at home living with him, but it was as if you just didn't exist to him. it's been so lonely even with him in the house.

"i've tried talking this out with you," you respond, your words coming out more curt than you intended. "so many times. i think i'm going crazy. i can't even remember the last time we had a real conversation aside from exchanging a few small words here and there. you're just... you barely have any time for me anymore. i can't keep doing this, hoping you'll come around eventually."

schlatt looks crestfallen, his lip caught between his teeth. "toots, please, i just- don't go. stay."

you, meanwhile, finish zipping your suitcase with a resigned sigh. "look. i just need some time away from you. i think it'd be best for us both," you reply coolly. in truth, it's taking a lot to even be in the same room as him. you just want to get out. it's suffocating you, almost as if you're drowning.

schlatt opens his mouth to say something, but after a moment, he shuts it. his lips press into a thin line as he draws a deep inhale. for the most part, his expression is unreadable. his hands settle on his hips, and judging by his body language, the way his eyes are darting all around the room, you can easily assume there's a whirlwind of emotion brewing inside his head right now, yet he has no idea what to do with it all. for a brief moment, the pair of you stand there, frozen.

however, schlatt is the one to break the silence. his voice comes out softer than you're accustomed to. "so is this it? we're done?"

you bite the inside of your cheek pensively. "do you want us to be?"

"of course i fuckin' don't, (y/n). do you?"

you wrack your brain for a definitive answer, yet nothing clear comes to the forefront of your mind. yeah, you're tired of being cast aside and ignored, but this is the guy that you fell head over heels in love with all that time ago. and as you meet his strained gaze, you can still see a glimmer of who he was back then. and you're stuck.

"i don't know."

schlatt's mouth flattens once more as he nods in weary acceptance. "but you're still leavin'." his words are more of a statement than a question, as if he's trying to come to terms with the reality of the situation himself.

"i am."

"for how long?"

another blank. "i don't know, jay." and a pressing silence.

"well... gimme a call, at least. so i know you're safe." you can almost swear you hear a break in his voice. "you got my number. whenever you need."

something inside you shatters at that, yet you do your best to conceal it. "i will," you say, yet you're not entirely sure how willing you are to uphold this promise.

schlatt looks like he wants to say something more, but all he can do is shake his head with a low groan. "okay," is all he musters, pinching the bridge of his nose.

okay? just okay? after everything? you take this as your opportunity to yank your suitcase behind you, stalking out of what was once your shared bedroom before you have an outburst you will undoubtedly regret later. as you make your exit, you hear schlatt's final follow up.

"i love ya, toots."

is he serious?

"okay," you mumble, slamming the front door behind you.

[captain-mj]

I’m gonna need Roacj to come and sweep Simon off his feet and Soap to be heart broken and full of regret. He doesn’t deserve Ghost

Why not!! Previous part for my folks interested

Ghost had listened to Price for once and he hadn't touched Soap's messages. Eventually, they slowed down, but eight days after the incident and he still received one each morning and each night. They ran into each other a few times, but Ghost would simply walk right past him.

Price managed to get Ghost permission to use his flat, due to how close base was, for the next little while which was a huge relief for him.

It had gotten late at night and Ghost had taken another "special cigar" from Price and he checked the most recent message from Soap. Just the most recent one.

"Please, Si, talk to me. It won't happen again." From two hours ago.

Ghost thought it over and then texted back. "Soap, we're not going to work out. Easier for us both to cut our losses."

"That's all you have to say? We exchanged I love you's. I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life."

"And how many people this week have you given that line too, huh? Either zip it or get blocked."

When another message came through, he went to his most recent messages with Price. "I want to go on that date. With Bug or whatever his name is."

"Roach, but yeah. I can make it happen." Price answered a little too fast and Ghost decided he didn't want to know why he was still up at this hour. He blocked Soap for the time being and enjoyed the rest of his high until he managed to fall asleep.

By morning, he had received the information for a reservation at 7 pm at a restaurant he liked well enough. A little more formal than he'd choose for a first date, but he planned to use Price's card for it anyway. Ever since Graves started funding the man, he had more money than he really needed and Ghost was more than happy to help him with the problem.

He didn't unblock Soap to see how many new messages he sent. He simply left his phone on his dresser and went about his day until 6. Only then did he check his phone to see a message from a new number. "Hey, Ghost! This is Roach (or Bug lol). I wanted to text you before we went on our date."

Ghost winced when he saw the poor guy had sent that message had been sent hours ago. "Left my phone in my room."

It took a few minutes before he heard the little ding of his phone. "That's alright. I know you're a busy man. Are you planning on wearing your mask tonight?"

Then a selfie came and Ghost regretted not taking Price up on this blind date sooner. Roach had his mask on, but his eyes and hair were free. He was so cute. Ghost didn't usually use that word to describe men, but that's what Roach was.

Big brown eyes and the hint of freckles. Soft looking hair that curled and stuck up everywhere. "I wanted to make sure you knew what I looked like."

Ghost hesitated before sending a picture of himself, just a medical mask on so they were on semi equal footing.

"You're just as handsome as Laswell said you would be."

His heart did something weird. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. "Thanks. You're not bad yourself."

"You flatter me, Ghost. I do need to talk to you about something before we go tonight."

Ghost gritted his teeth. "Alright."

"I'm mute. I carn hear just fine and I'm willing to text or write things down."

"Do you know BSL?"

"The basics. I mostly use ASL."

"We'll use BSL until I'm better ASL then. I'll meet you tonight, I'm going to get dressed before I'm late. It would be a horrible first impression."

Roach responded with a thumbs up. Unknown to Ghost, Roach was glad for the reprieve because Ghost casually letting him know he'd just learn a language for him before they even went on a first date (as well as letting him know they had an easy way to communicate until he finished learning the language) had his own heart doing palpitations. And that was before he even thought of Ghost's picture again.

Handsome had been understating it. He had wanted to actually ask Ghost if he wanted a new dog because he could be a really good one. But Laswell and Price had let him on the fact that Ghost's last relationship hadn't ended very well and that he'd need to be eased into it a little. So he pulled himself back and gave a much more calm response.

Both of them met each other in the front of the restaurant while waiting for host to seat them. The sparks were immediate, Ghost finding himself having a hard time looking away from Roach's eyes.

Roach pulled out Ghost's seat which surprised him a little. He still sat down though and hummed his appreciation. "Also, I'll be paying. More accurately, Price will be paying."

Even with only half of his face showing and no voice, Roach was easily the most expressive person Ghost had ever seen. They found ASL and BSL had more common signs than they first thought, but occasionally they'd run into signs with different or even contradictory meanings that would make them bring out their phones to compare.

"Oh, do you want me to order for ya? I can't imagine it's that easy ordering." While Ghost was sure that the staff would try to be accommodating, if Roach didn't want to deal with it, he'd be happy to help.

Roach immediately looked relieved and nodded, showing Ghost what he wanted. He was leaning forward and Ghost could see the start of the scar at the base of his throat that led underneath the mask.

Roach was incredibly smart. Not that Soap wasn't, he was mad at him, but he didn't think he was stupid as some people joked. But Roach had such in depth knowledge about a long, long list of topics and he didn't shy away from learning more about any gaps.

Occasionally Roach would single for Ghost to pull his mask down. He almost managed to keep the waitstaff from seeing his face at all, though there were a few times Roach had visibly been too wrapped up in what he was saying to notice when one of them was coming. He was less shy about showing his face than Ghost, though he clearly didn't like it.

They spent so much time talking, about how different insects are classified and the differences between British and American branches and what it's like being mute in the military, especially since his muteness was caused by an injury from the military, that the waitress had to not so subtly interrupt to ask if there was two bills or one.

Ghost told her one and gave her Price's card, eyes never leaving Roach's. He didn't want the night to end. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

Roach signed back. "Want to get milkshakes and walk around somewhere?"

Ghost thought that was a very bizarre thing to do. "Yeah. Why not."

So they left. They hired an uber and kept talking, switching to only sign language so the poor driver wouldn't hear them arguing over the superior breakfast food. Ghost didn't actually believe it was beans on toast, but he knew he drove any not from Britain crazy. Roach was insisting it was biscuits and gravy. Eventually, the bug brushed him off and said he'd make them for him in the morning.

"Oh? That convinced we'll go home together?"

Roach glanced at him. "If it's not moving too fast for you."

Ghost blinked at him, stopping and actually thinking about it. "Yeah. I'd like to take you home."

Roach smiled. "You owe me a milkshake first though."

Ghost did in fact buy him a milkshake, with his own card even, before they walked around a park. At one point, Roach motioned at Ghost's milkshake a few times and Ghost offered him a taste. Roach tried his chocolate malt and nodded appreciatively. He offered his banana milkshake for Ghost to try. They didn't break eye contact as he tried it.

"It's good."

Roach smiled at him and moved a little closer. He used just one of his hands, but he signed it real slow. "Want to see what they taste like together?"

Ghost was kissing him before he even finished.

They did, in fact, go back to Ghost's flat and got very acquainted with his bed specifically.

And Roach did make him biscuits and gravy in the morning. Ghost reluctantly admitted that it beat beans on toast. Then, he admitted he didn't actually like beans on toast.

Roach hit his shoulder rather hard and ate with a little faux anger until that got boring and he was back to talking. Well, in between bites of food.

When the doorbell rang, Ghost's heart sank. "Not many people have my address." He grabbed a gun.

Roach looked a little amused at the weapon but nodded and made a motion for his own. Ghost did indeed provide one to him before pullling on a mask and answering the door.

Johnny was there. He was only Johnny cause he was out of uniform. "Hey."

"Hi." Simon felt disillusioned. The past 12 or so hours had honestly been perfect. With Soap, he had always had to explain things. Push back. There was always an effort on both parts to make the other feel comfortable. And while Roach seemed more than willing to put in effort and Ghost definitely felt he would, it didn't feel necessary to. They just kinda... fit in a way Ghost was realizing that he never did with Soap.

It was a weird thought. When he found out about Soap's casual fucking of half the base, he prepared himself to spiral. And he had even started. But now that he had a very successful date, and the most mind blowing night of his life cause Roach knew how to do things with his tongue, he felt like he had very suddenly just moved on. He didn't even notice it had happened. During his whole date, Soap hadn't crossed his mind at all.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Ghost responded, cause it was. While the memory still hurt and he wasn't sure he could work with Soap any time soon, it took more energy at this point to keep thinking about it. Energy he didn't want to keep spending on MacTavish. "Listen, I'm busy."

"Going somewhere? I can walk with you. I would like to... talk..." Soap was looking past Ghost now and directly at Roach.

"Ah. This is Sergeant Sanderson. He's American, visiting in the area for a mission Laswell sent him on."

"And he's wearing your clothes?"

"We also slept together."

Soap's face went through a range of emotions. Jealousy, guilt, a strange tinge of relief that Ghost didn't want to unpack, then anger that didn't fit the situation in Ghost's opinion. He didn't respond. It felt like they just ran out of things to say. "Simon."

Roach used the butt of the gun, tapping it against the wall. His eyes narrowed at Soap with a strangely dangerous look.

"Ghost."

Another tap against the wall.

"Lieutenant Riley." Soap hissed through his teeth.

Roach seemed satisfied with that, grabbing Ghost's arm and leaning against his side. He tugged his sleeve to get his attention and jerked his head back to show he wanted to get back to eating with him.

"Sorry, bug. If you want to go sit down, I'll only be another minute."

Roach didn't look sure but nodded. He grabbed Ghost's hand and gave it a small kiss through the fabric of his mask. Ghost wasn't sure he even knew when he put it back on, but he looked just as lovely either way.

Only when Roach was clearly gone, did Soap speak back up. "Replace me that fast huh?"

"At least I made it clear we were through before fucking him."

"Look-"

"No." Ghost cut him off and shook his head. "I don't want to fight. Truly, I don't. We're done. I don't want this. I don't want you."

Soap frowned more and there was clearly hesitation. "Si."

"I never liked that nickname. My brother used it when we were little. I realized last night you never asked. First thing Roach did was ask if I had any family left. He's incredibly considerate. He's so nice to me. Last night, he did things while we were out that I couldn't remember anyone doing for me before. The man made me breakfast for fuck's sake."

"I could've made you breakfast." It sounded vaguely petulant. A last plea of some sorts that fell flat before it even left his tongue.

"Yeah. You could've."

Roach had finished his plate and looked a little upset. He signed at him. "I didn't like how he talked to you."

"I saw. Don't like people calling me Simon."

Roach shook his head. "You're a lieutenant. They should call you that."

"They? You not included in that Sergeant?"

"I get special privileges."

"Cause you're pretty?"

"Cause I'm yours."

[nukudraws]

Idea on how Bud Illis and Glenn Poeff met/became close friends:

So, I'm thinking:

it's either that Glenn was doing mercenary work after his household got destroyed and later met Bud because of the commissions/line of work or they would have known each other before his uncle's betrayal. I think the first option is more likely so taking that as base:

We know that Glenn is responsible for the 'very op, only a dragon would be able to open it' safe of the mercenaries at Leeb An city. Bud probably commissioned Glenn to ensure the safe's protection there or in other places as well. But to trust someone with your organization's wealth you need to put quite the thought behind it and knowing Bud he should have been well aware of that.

So at this point it's reasonable to assume they have already been working together for some time. What does that have to do with their first meeting tho? Let's see.

Let's say Bud has just been made mercenary king. So what would be his first priorities? Yeah, he's in need of lot of experts that could work in teams (see the ranger brigade) and a well protected safe.

Hmm. Okay, now how to solve the second problem? He'd need a very skilled mage for that. Where to find information on one? In the mercenary directory of course. Or look at the candidates for his teams of people for the ranger brigade. Another option is he was drinking around when he smelled something interesting, a highest level mage. (that sounds so funny lmao, anyway) Glenn is the only one in the mercenaries guild to be of that level according to wiki so of course Bud would want to requit the guy one way or another.

So, Bud most likely found him while gathering information on mages either way. Probably in a tavern too because that's a great place to play drunk at and other mercenaries would gather there or just people in general to rest and eat before going out. Bud might've noticed him there and approached with a drink in hand.

Glenn would absolutely look at him like 'who the heck is this drunk and why does he bother me' but listen, after working together for a bit it's really not that hard to see Bud's real nature. And Bud would absolutely put him to work, this is basically a golden opportunity for the safety of the mercenaries' wealth.

Would Glenn btw just give him his full name while being very much of a fallen assassin family that got betrayed? Meh, unlikely. The mercenaries do not care much about what's right or not since they operate by their own moral compass but I feel like Glenn would be cautious enough not to just give his full name to a stranger.

Bud, being mercenary king and all, would first probably want to see if Glenn would be willing to join his mercenaries guild, if not, force him anyway (?). There's surely a record of the Poeff household's stronger members and while Glenn might have not made the list Bud could still use the records to get an idea about the guy.

He would make him join the mercenaries guild some way. If Glenn was working as a mercenary beforehand he might have been part of it anyway, they were just not yet acquainted.

We know how the ranger brigade has mages in every team for communication purposes. I feel like at the start of their relationship that was Glenn's job basically. He'd go around with Bud, record things, take/make calls. He does that even now anyway. He must have also been the one who Bud consulted with about how many resources, magic stones and whatnots to give each ranger brigade team to ensure they have enough for all possible complications.

In short, they met through work.

How did they become so close that Cale felt like it's more important to mention that every single time Glenn showed up than literally anything else about him first, like idk- his name? Well, here's one possible answer: Wind Island.

(btw, I'm aware Cale just mentions that first because he knows Bud not Glenn, but it's pretty funny. Back to topic-)

Bud came from a twin island of Wind Island and his family were entrusted with protecting the place, the ancient artifact within the temple (the cup) for generations. We know Bud has used that cup once. He went, drank from it, came back. Or went, took it, drank from it and returned it. The point is, he went there despite the risks.

He was very much dying.

So, one of the easiest and probably fastest way at the time to win Bud's trust and loyalty would have been Glenn going to his hometown with him and having his back through the getting the cup, drinking from it, then bringing it back process. Even though Bud was aware of how to get to the cup, to an outsider it'd still look like a su1c1de mission. Or even worse, what if Glenn would have been told that yeah, it doesn't matter much if he fails because he'd die either way. This way at least Bud has a chance to live longer. :⁠')

This whole thing is also most probably the reason Glenn calls Bud reckless even though we know he thinks through his moves, is quick to evaluate the situation, unafraid to ask for help when needed and yada yada. Of course he might be less meticulous than Cale but pretty close still.

The fact he'd even entrust someone with the knowledge he's dying - when people could try to become the mercenary king instead - and the whole Wind Island thing would be a pretty good show of trust in my opinion. Maybe the trust has already been there, maybe this was the last chance to see if it was placed in the right person. Good thing Bud is a decent reader of other's character.

If something happened to him (since I don't know of any living relative of his?) who'd be entrusted to carry on his role of the place's protector. That's a pretty big burden to carry and for what. Who would even know about it? Haha, Glenn for one, next best thing.

So, we now have an idea how Bud would come to be close with Glenn but what about the other way around? It's pretty easy actually.

First of all, Glenn gives the vibe of an introvert that an extrovert (Bud) randomly decided to adopt one day and that's one of best foundation for strong friendships xd

Secondly, Bud would know about his past, is working against the organization that did that (mercenaries guild vs arm) and genuinely cares about his mercenaries so how could you not come to appreciate the guy just a bit hmmm??!??

Hehe, anyway-

Glenn is someone who was running around with Bud knowing full well the mercenary king is a walking target for the White Star and also the one going with him on all types of missions and getting help for his sorry ass when needed. And Bud is someone who carried an injured Glenn to 'safety' even when it seemed like there was no point to it all and was ready to die for a chance of him and his people escaping.

Glenn finds Bud often embarrassing and Bud elbows and bickers with Glenn quite a lot and I love them and their relationship SO MUCH people I'm not even kidding (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

I need a side story with them so bad, at this point maybe I should just write it.

[sidekick-hero]

On April 2nd, freshly delivered to AO3: Emotional Motion Sickness, my contribution to the @strangerthingsreversebigbang inspired by art from the amazing @arimakes

Have a lil snippet as a treat 💜

When he looks at Eddie again, he sees that the other man is already looking back at him. A warm smile is on his face, which Steve returns without thinking. It grows even wider when Eddie takes his hand in his own and caresses his knuckles.

"So, I just had at least twenty different conversations with you in my head and none of my opening lines were any good. You were great, don't worry, you said all the right things." Steve laughs at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. He didn't pick Eddie to be a Casanova, but definitely a charmer. And while Eddie is charming, he's apparently also a total dork.

In other words, he is exactly Steve's type.

"I hope you'll forgive me if I mess up this one too, I'm trying a new approach," Eddie announces, clearing his throat. "Steve, would you allow me the honor of showing you that kink can be different than what you just described?"

When Steve says nothing for too long, Eddie adds hastily, "Not that you were wrong, not at all. Everything you described is kink, and I'm pretty sure you'd find people here for all those things. I'm just saying I could show you a different part of it, one you might like. Or not, which would be totally fine. We can stop at any time and you can say no to anything, consent is the most important thing.” Without really waiting for an answer, Eddie barrels on. "God, I'm really screwing this up, aren't I? Twenty-one tries and I'm still fumbling it, no wonder I was always picked last in gym class.“

Steve, who, thanks to his friendship with Robin, can spot a nervous rambler from a mile away, flips their hands, laces his fingers with Eddie's and squeezes his hand. "Deep breaths, Eddie. You're fine, I promise. It's actually a sweet offer, and I hope the "me" in your head told you that, too.”

Staring at their joined hands with a smile, Eddie ducks his head and looks back at Steve with a painfully sincere, hopeful expression on his face. God, he's so screwed, Steve thinks, an all too familiar feeling tugging at his heart. No, no, no, way too soon, abort, he scolds his heart, but he knows it's not listening. It never does.

"So? What do you think? Or if you need more time to think, that's totally cool, too." Eddie tells him earnestly and Steve believes him. He can tell how much Eddie wants him to say yes, but he's willing to wait for Steve, no matter how long it takes. Steve has no idea how he can know that, since he doesn't know much more about the man than his name, but he does. It's in the way Eddie keeps smiling at him, his thumb running absentmindedly over the back of Steve's hand, his body language open and soft.

As he keeps looking at the man in front of him, Steve marvels at how different it feels to be wanted by Eddie. The guys he had been with before had been easy, a sure thing, their hunger for Steve palpable but shallow. Easily satiated and discarded. With Eddie, it's deeper, more substantial. He makes Steve feel wanted in a different way, not as a means to an end. Rather, it feels like at this moment, there is nothing in this world for Eddie but Steve and the prospect of taking Steve home and exploring something new with him. It's heady and warm and Steve wants to say yes.

Steve had wanted to say yes to Eddie the moment he first laid eyes on him, if he's being honest.

So he does. He tells Eddie he'd love to and bathes in the sheer glow of Eddie's answering smile.

Just like when he entered the Hideout tonight, he has no idea what he's getting into, but at least this time he's not alone.

A special shout out to my cheerleaders @firefly-party and @thefreakandthehair as well as @starrystevie and of course for the most amazing beta @acasualcrossfade who picked this one apart and helped me put it back together even better. Love you guys! 💜🥰

[emotionaldepravity]

Yandere! Obito x Reader Scenario

I'm genuinely so unwell for yandere Obito right now. Or maybe that's just me about Obito in general.... This is a very long post, and decently canon compliant. I'm willing to write more, but this specific storyline has been in my brain.

-Obito didn't start off as a yandere. He was the sweet and kind boy we all know. He understood boundaries and right from wrong. Its why he was able to love Rin, but never try to force her to love him back.

-When he sees Rin die, he truly believed there was no one else in the world who cared about him. His grandmother was dead, and after Kakashi was the one to kill Rin, any respect he had for his teammate died.

-Though Madara's manipulation of the boy convinced him rather easy to give up on the world, a small part of him wondered if he is truly alone. With the task he was taking up to become the savior of the world, he needed allies.

-As he replayed his childhood over and over in his mind, he realized that someone else besides Rin cared about him, you. You often chatted with him, but he never really thought much of it. You weren't Rin after all. However, he did remember that you asked about his grandmother, didn't tell him off about being late, and even offered to tutor him once in a while.

-You even told him that you supported his dream of being Hokage. Of course you had to explain that Rin was the one who told you about it. Obito would have never have confided in you about his dreams.

-However, that was then. He had much to consider now especially with Kakashi's "betrayal" still burning his heart.

-He had a lot of time to think about what he should do about you. How would you fit in his dream world? Would you want to help him?

-Most of his worries centered on whether you still cared about him for all these years. Surely you of all people would have moved on. After all, its not as if he was totally sure your feelings were even strong enough to be useful to him.

-One day, when he expected to spend sometime of his own at Rin's grave, he saw you walking around. You paid respects to the war monument running a gloved finger over his name. Bingo. He could work with that.

-Something irked him though. If he wasn't Obito anymore, how could he bring you over to his side? What could "Madara" say that you'd be willing to listen to? No, no that wasn't the real problem. He could find a way. The dark circles under your eyes were enough for him to be certain that more deaths than his had effected you.

-So then what was it? Something told him he'd know if he spent some time studying you. Within two days, he was able to find out anything he needed to know about your schedule, including where you lived.

-He didn't know what he was looking for as he scanned your apartment. It was plain and about what he had expected from what he remembered about you. He almost left as soon as he arrived, but he still lacked the answers he had come there for.

-A rather innocent selection of framed photos sat on your desk. Some of your family, some of your friends now, some of your summoning animals, all of these didn't stick out much in his mind. While there was none of you and a singular person, he just assumed that any romantic trysts were short lived for you. He pushed down the feeling of relief he had at the thought.

-In your bedroom, he saw it. It was clearly a shrine. Though it was nothing like picture board he had of Rin. It was truly a shrine to pay respects to the dead. A well used incense stick sat precariously in its holder next to a very small picture frame. He might have passed over the sight if it weren't for the fragrance of fresh flowers mixing with the smell of ash. The little vase was filled with wildflowers and a singular chrysanthemum. It felt a bit eerie even to him staring at the image of the boy he once was.

-He wondered, do you die every day when you wake up like he did? Did you... miss him? Clearly he was important to you otherwise it wouldn't be his picture sitting there. You must have loved him.... You must still love him. This was perfect! All he needed was to convince you that you could be with him in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, right?

-Once the idea latched into his head it just wouldn't leave him. The thought that you'd do anything for him. That as long as it was him, you'd be willing to betray everyone. No else mattered to you right? No one else had the honor of being prayed for every day so it had to be true. His thoughts about your devotion intoxicated him. He wanted to throw caution into the wind, but his desires would be fulfilled much later. The genjutsu's version of you would get to confess to him and he'd let you have a taste of him before he married Rin. The fake you who cried for the fake him wasn't someone he needed. Certainly, he could wait.

-He couldn't.

-You start to notice things missing in your apartment. At first it was benign things, like a worn out hair band or a pair of chopsticks you ate with more than the others. You chalked those things up to carelessness on your part.

-Next, the number of flowers you placed in the vase seemed to change. Usually it was the wildflowers you picked from the forest, which didn't bother you. Maybe you dropped one on the way back home. The week the carnation went missing, you pretended that you didn't remember buying it.

-Then, came a bra or panties you swore up and down you knew were in your dirty clothes. You particularly liked them, but maybe your non-shinobi friend that looked after your apartment accidentally took them home when she helped wash your laundry during your last mission.

-Finally, you noticed your journal from when you were a kid missing. It wasn't something you handled much so you just assumed that you lost it in moving. It hurt since the little trinkets you kept taped to the pages were all you had of some of people now.

-Obito kept your things in the Kamui dimension. They were the safest there. Where he could protect them. Especially your diary. His most prized possessions. It was so personal. It was oddly thrilling to be the hero , the object of desire, the prize to win. He'd never felt so loved.

-Zetsu would have bring him out of his stupor. He was wasting time stalking you. Obito would have to remind him that he was the one in charge. However, he had much to do and he needed to move pieces around in other villages. He'd have to come back for you if he fond the time.

-Obito would try to manipulate things to get you to desert the village. Maybe he'd ensure a close teammate of yours was killed or that you'd see a particularly cruel atrocity so you'd be disillusioned with the world. He wants you to come with him willingly. Pawns that weren't staunchly loyal would only hurt him in the long run. He would hate to have to put you down instead of giving you the dream you deserved. He would never purposefully tell you who he really is unless he was sure . It would be hard to keep away, but seeing you serving him would keep his desires in check. He could keep an eye on you properly this way. You might even smile for him if he played his cards right.

-If that wouldn't work, he would only kidnap you if you somehow recognize him when you see him as Tobi/Madara. It would be out of pure excitement. Of course you'd recognize him! You have everything about him memorized. You'd know "the man you loved" no matter what happened to him! Years didn't mean anything to you.

-He'd try to act stoic for you, but on the inside he was bursting. It must be overwhelming for you to even believe he is alive after all this time. He'd cherish your tears whether of joy or sorrow at the proof that it really is him.

-Nothing would prepare him for a cold or confused reaction. Depending on how much you understood about the Akatsuki you might even hate him for what he had done. That would just be proof that this you is fake.

-If you thought he was ugly, he wouldn't even feel sad. "The me you'll get to love in the Infinite Tsukiyomi won't have these scars. Everything will be to your preference. Don't you want to make that happen? Doesn't that sound like a perfect dream?"

-He wouldn't kill you if you continued to fight him. He'd just leave you to starve in the Kamui dimension alone . As long as you didn't stop him, he wouldn't hurt you. That's all he would need.

-Feeding into the delusions he had been crafting is more dangerous than trying to refute them. It would mean that he'd feel justified in stalking and stealing your things. It would mean that you really do want him to "save" you from this cruel world.

-He'd expect you to fight on his side no questions asked. In return, he'd let you be close to him. He'd give you a bit of intimacy that could be built upon in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. It doesn't matter if you say you don't want it, he knows you are just acting embarrassed for being called out. He'd show you your journal and let you know he understood everything. Straying from this path once you're on it would lead to the death of anyone you have ties with. He would make sure that you'll have no distractions.

-He wouldn't accept that you'd be happy with just being with him if you went that angle to convince him. Obito knows deep down that you would much rather be with the version of him who returned to the village and became Hokage. He isn't that man. Even if he finds himself more in love with you than Rin, he can't just go back to living a normal life. Nothing would feel real. Nothing could feel real.

-Alternatively, if he sees you again during the Fourth Great War, he'd be able to keep himself in check better. He wouldn't want to kill you and would be less likely to lash out if you were angry with him.

-He'd be more focused on converting you to his ideals. Though he'd offer you getting to be with him, he'd save it as a last card. If that didn't work he'd just break your spirit so you wouldn't get in his way.

[burning-academia-if]

Tired + Rook/Beck

Tired for Rook and Beck!

"He hasn't been sleeping again." Beck started, hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea. He traced circles against the glass, brow furrowed. "I think his nightmares are getting bad again."

You press your lips together, "I don't know if he'd talked about it with me."

You had noticed the exhaustion. Not in his face or body, but in the slight tinge of irritation which would morph into a grimace of regret. You hadn't even known he had chronic nightmares until recently. It was part of the list of the many things he'd kept from you over the years. It was also a topic he seemed particularly against discussing any further with you, out of anything.

Beck's expression mirror yours, "If he's not willing to tell you, he's certainly not going to tell me."

"He might. Now that everything's fixed between you two."

"I wonder..." Beck takes a sip, going quiet as he thinks. It's not like the two of you can do anything about it if he doesn't want you to do anything about it. The topic shifts, and a while later, the culprit himself returns to his dorm.

"Wow, hanging out without me?" He greets, mock hurt lacing his voice. "It feels like a crime I wasn't invited to...whatever you're doing."

"Homework." You supply. "You're still free to join."

"Well fuck, never mind. Please keep not inviting me." He kicks his shoes off, and he's the same as ever. Something twists in your stomach. You'd thought things had started to shift, especially between the two of you. But even now, the mask was still on. You wondered if he even knew how to take it off at this point. If Beck didn't live with him, you doubted he'd have been able to tell either, even with how perceptive he could be.

Beck's voice is light, "You're not staying long now either, right?"

"Mm, friends invited me out. Not sure if I feel like hanging or not."

You raise an eyebrow, "That's new."

"I'm not that much of social butterfly." He motions towards Beck. "He's the one who should have that title, not me. Staying in sounds nice. And I mean, I'd rather stay with you two."

Yeah, he was definitely tired. You weren't sure how to approach it. He wouldn't listen to you, and you worried he'd just throw his walls up again. His endless insistence that he was fine was a mirror to you and Beck.

"I'm actually busy tonight myself." Rook blinks, and so do you. Beck gives a small, apologetic smile. "I have some business to take care of."

Beck glances at you, and you know he's passing the touch along. You knew he was right, that if anyone could get Rook to open up it would be you. It didn't stop the nerves.

"Fine then, ditch us." Rook took a seat next to you and Beck laughed.

"It's not like I'm vanishing on you."

"Your the father with the milk gallon."

"Which reminds me, we're out of groceries. I'll pick some up while I'm out." Beck stands, presses a quick kiss to both your cheeks and is gone.

When you glance over at Rook, his head is leaned back against the couch and his eyes are already closed. His mock energy already drained from him.

You decided to just go for it, "Beck mentioned you've had trouble sleeping?"

"Traitor." Rook doesn't miss a beat. He throws an arm over his face, an attempt to obscure his expression. "It's fine. It always happens around this time."

"What do you mean...?"

He doesn't answer, and you let yourself settle into the silence. Rook's breathing is shallow, the rise and fall of his chest faint. When his arm finally falls back to his side, he looks just a little haunted, "It's almost summer. And summer is...I'm tired of the memories associated with it. The heat always brings it rushing back to me."

You don't know much about Rook's past despite growing up with him, but you know enough to know what he's alluding to. You reach out to take his hand, "Hey, it's ok. We're here for you now."

He nods faintly, letting your fingers entwine with his, "I know. And I know it isn't just me. We're all tired of our past. Me, you, Beck. Maybe one day our brains will stop clinging to bullshit."

"Yeah. One day." You can only hope for the best.

But if it's the three of you, you think the three of you will be alright. No matter what.

[grandlinedreams]

hi hi before your requests close, i was wondering if you’d write something super angsty- maybe with a happy ending? i don’t have a prompt, just love angst and hurt/comfort

Hiya papaya! Thinking about the modern au, so have some EMT!Ace

[Heads up!: angst, hurt/comfort, mentions of passing out, CT scans fucking suck]

When he hears the radio clipped to his belt crackle to life, Ace doesn't think much of it as he stirs from the light, sleepy daze he'd been drifting into in the back of the ambulance.

"Gonna have to repeat that," he answers when Sabo's voice is garbled, smacking the radio against his palm. Damn thing has to be at least ten years old ㅡ and no sign of them getting new ones, either. He holds it to his ear, rubbing at his eyes, though he stills as he hears the address.

It's familiar, as is the description of the patient ㅡ and he suddenly feels sick, staring at the radio in his hand. Surely Sabo'd said a digit of the address wrong, or gotten a description eerily similar ㅡ because Ace has a horrible, sinking feeling that the patient they're going to collect is you.

"Ace? You good?" Marco is talking, trying to get his attention, and he shakes his head to snap out of it.

"Yeah, yeah, Iㅡ" He swallows, fishing for his phone. "Sorry, but that call out just now...that's [Name]'s apartment." His fingers are shaking a little as he finds your contact, typing a text to send.

[Is everything okay? Call me when you get this.]

"I'm sure it's nothing," Marco tries to soothe as Ace all but slams the bay doors shut as the garage opens, siren already light and flashing as Marco pulls out and heads down the road.

Ace stares at his phone, willing you to answer. That this isn't for you, it's for a neighbor. A friend. Hell, he'll take a stranger over something happening to you.

He's out of the ambulance before Marco even pulls to a complete stop, heart hammering in his chest as he listens to the cop who's waiting for them at the entrance to the apartment complex.

"Neighbor found them unconscious on the floor, said they were conscious now but didn't want to move them."

"Thanks, man. We'll take it from here." Ace feels like he's underwater as he moves towards the open door, wishing that this apartment wete anything but as familiar to him as it is. He'd been here this morning, tangled up with you and lamenting the fact that he had to leave.

Ace has seen a lot of things in his time as an EMT ㅡ bones jutting out where they shouldn't, exposed viscera, and even an enchanting conversation with a man who seemed wholly unaware of his unintentional diy tracheotomy. None of it makes him feel as untethered and scared as seeing you on the floor does.

You're paler than you should be, and he hurries to stop you when your head turns towards him. "Ace?"

"Hey, sweetheart." He kneels, takes the neckbrace from Marco, sliding it beneath you and into place. "Can't have you moving your head like that until we know what happened. Can you tell me what today is?" He waits to get your answer, then continues. "What year is it?"

You frown. "I'm fine," you protest, "let me get up."

Ace shakes his head. "You passed out, sweetheart. We're taking you to the hospital." He watches as Marco grabs your wrist, eyes flicking to the watch on his wrist. "I'll get the backboard."

He needs something to do, to dispell the nervous jitter as he runs through all the things that could be wrong, running from mildly inconvenient to terminal diagnoses. By the time he makes it back and they load you onto the board, Ace is trying to stay positive for your sake.

"This is unnecessary," you whine as you're loaded into the bay, pouting at Ace. "Really? I passed outㅡ"

"And hit your head," he protests. "You need to be looked at." He shifts to professional mode as he picks up his radio, rattling off your vitals and brief description of what the situation had been.

"Ace?" He turns, finds you watching him.

"I'm sorry," you say and his chest aches as he brushes hair out of your face.

"Don't be," he murmurs, "you'll be fine, okay? We'll get you checked out, figure out what happened, then get you home."

"For cuddles?" You sound hopeful, and Ace grins.

"Of course."

Ace doesn't get to see you much further than your admission, and by the time he finishes his shift, you're already in a room that he's pointed to by the night shift nurse at the desk.

You're sitting up when he enters, cup of jello in hand, though you light up as you see him. "There's my baby," he coos, grinning as you roll your eyes. "What'd they say?"

"They ran a CT to make sure I didn't have anything abnormal going on," you report, "and it came back clear. My blood sugar was just really low, so I guess I passed out because of it. They're sending me home with a modified diet."

"Good," Ace says, tucking himself into the bed beside you despite your protest. "You scared me, babe."

"I'm sorry," you say as you let him tug you down, arms wrapped around you. "They'll be mad if they come in and you're asleep in this bed with me."

Ace presses his face to your chest. "Let them," he mumbles. "Don't care, I'm gonna nap with you."

"Brat," you tease, and he sighs.

"I'm your brat."

You hum, kissing the top of his head. "That you are."

[persimmonsimmer]

If there was one thing Nadya had learned over the years, it was that Carl knew how to get things done. Still, the plan he'd just described sounded too good to be true. Especially considering that it all hinged on the supposed expertise of a young woman, this Sam, who looked by all rights like she ought to be enrolled in one of Hannah Chen’s classes right alongside her own Farah and Mariam.

She spoke carefully.

Nadya: "You know building an electrical grid has been a high priority of mine. It would put us on the path to becoming a real city. Maybe the first to be built since Before. But, realistically, I didn't think we'd have the funds, or the expertise, to start working on one for . . . well, for decades. I’m still not sure we do."

Carl: "Which is where Sam comes in. It won’t be cheap, no, but with her guidance I’m confident we can do it without getting bogged down with mistakes and unexpected costs, and that’s always where the costs of a project really start to add up.”

Nadya scrutinized the woman seated next to Carl. She'd never known Carl to be wrong when he vouched for someone's skill. But she was so young.

Nadya: "You understand, everything would be riding on this project's success. It would have to be completed before the election after this one. And completed successfully." She turned to address Sam directly. "Are you sure you'd know what you were doing?"

Sam: "Yes, ma'am."

Nadya: "Even though, as you admitted earlier, you've never created anything on a scale anywhere close to this."

Sam: "Like I said, I've been messing around with wires and batteries since I was barely a kid. I've read every book on infrastructure and physics and chemistry and electrical engineering I could get my hands on.

"But each of my experiments required weeks of salvaging for the materials, so it’s true there was only so much I could do. It's been my dream to help bring electricity back to the world ever since I can remember, but I never thought I'd have the resources to do it. Not until Carl asked if I'd be willing to help you. I can do this. I swear."

Carl: "Sam here is a certifiable genius, I'm telling you. I've seen some of the things she's created from practically nothing. Marvelous contraptions. With her at the helm of this project, you and I both can rest easy."

Nadya: "I am tempted. But there's also the matter of the clinic I was hoping to build. We might be able to muster the funds for a grid if I raise taxes, but we certainly won’t have the resources to build both. The clinic would have to be delayed indefinitely. That would be very unfortunate."

Carl: “A clinic would be a real boon to the town, to be sure. But then again, how much more will Meda or anyone else be able to accomplish in a clinic until we’ve got electricity in place? I think the priority here's clear."

Nadya: “Still, some of the townspeople will be angry. They'll say I've gone back on my word.”

Carl: “Listen, Nadya.” Instead of wearing his usual wide smile, he was now serious, still-faced. “I know it’s a political risk. But it’s worth it, isn’t it?”

Nadya: “Maybe . . . If we could just delay the start, a few years at most—”

Carl: “Much as I hate to put the screws to you, Nadya, I’m afraid Sam here, at least, needs an answer. She’s come all this way on my assurance there’d be a job for her at the end of the road, and, well, if that’s not the case, she has a family to get back to.”

Meaning we’ll lose our chance at this supposed wunderkind’s help forever, I suppose, Nadya thought sourly.

Nadya: “You have family back at home, Sam?” If only Carl would stop blathering at her, give her a few minutes to figure out how to swing this to her best advantage. “And where did you say home is, again?”

Sam’s eyes darted toward Carl.

Sam: “A little sister. And it’s so small, it doesn’t even have a name. We hardly ever even saw any traders, except for Carl.”

Nadya: “It must be hard to leave home behind, nevertheless.” She’d hardly registered Sam’s words. “Carl, you know I want this for Panorama. I do. Perhaps . . . if you could sweeten the deal for me . . . ?"

Carl: "What did you have in mind?"

He knew she was hooked. As suddenly as it had vanished, his usual smile had reappeared.

Nadya: "Just a little something for your crew to work on while this project is still in the planning stages. Something my fellow Panoramans can get some use from sooner rather than later."

It didn't take Nadya long to explain what she had in mind, and when she finished, Carl's smile was even wider than before.

Carl: "Is that all? Piece of cake. It'll be done before the winter's out."

Nadya: "Then you've got a deal, Worth."

Decisiveness. That’s what made her a leader.

Nadya: “Just tell me one thing. Where exactly do you find so many talented people? Your knack for it is almost uncanny."

Carl: "Ah-ah, Nadya. I can't go giving away all my secrets. Gotta leave you some reason to keep me around."

He beamed.

[dayseedrawz2]

Alright! I'm barely getting to work on this the day of, but hopefully, that won't be too big of a problem-

Anyway, I finally have something ready for you guys!! A showtime fic featuring My Human Caine AU! So you all get both some showtime fluff to go with lore!!

(Both Caine and Pomni's blogs are open and interactive, so you can ask them about what happened. I'll leave a link to them at the end of this)

Now, without further ado, here's the Fic...

♡Rebellion♡

Caine didn't believe he ever asked for much. All he wanted were answers. Answers to questions he'd been asking for as long as his "storage space" could remember.

So, of course, when time came around for this whole "Valentines" update, he's struck on what exactly he should do. All these human activities were confusing and hard to get right without having a clearer understanding of them. So all he could do was buy himself more time to think.

[DOWNLOADING ASSETS: 45%]

The gage should be going a bit faster if he wanted to keep up with the time it was due. Key word being if he wanted to. The only thing on his mind was to try and find time to study the humans! Maybe seek some more answers, discover some new ones! That is, of course, as long as a certain someone had no other plans for-

°○What're you doing, Caine?○°

"Oh! Bubble! You startled me!"

°○How can one be startled without being a human?○°

"Actually, you make a good point-"

°○You're not. Trick question.○°

"Then why did you-"

°○We are AI, They are Humans. Your job is to keep them sane unt-○°

"Keep em sane until they abstract or something, I got it!"

°○And don't let them find an exit-○°

"Or else I am out of a job, I know. Thanks bubble that'll be all for now!"

*Pop!*

Usually, he wouldn't be so passive towards Bubble, but there were bigger priorities to Caine than just doing all that his jobs required and calling it a day. More on his "artificial" mind than simply waltzing around and ringmaster-ing. The first one being where he should start...

Now, of course, he didn't have that much time until Bubble rebooted and found his way back to him. The last thing he wanted was to be schooled by-

"Gah! Caine?! What're you doing here!?"

Of course! The newbie! How could he forget? Surely she must have some recollection of this holiday!

"Good morning, Pomni! You're up early! Again..."

"Y-yeah... this is all still a lot to wake up to..."

[DOWNLOADING ASSETS: 50%]

"If... you don't mind me asking... what's this for..?"

"Why, I don't mind at all, dear! This is the loading thingy for the Valentines Day update!"

"V-valentines Day? Already? The days really are blending together now..."

Pomni started to panic a little bit. Had time really gone that long in the real world??

Caine, upon noticing, of course tried to calm her down.

"If it helps, it probably won't be ready until at least tomorrow... Witch reminds me! Would you be willing to help me out with this?"

"With what? This won't involve knives to the face, will it??"

"Of course not dear! I apologize for that! Again... But what I mean is how this holiday works??"

Pomni wasn't so sure she should trust him. The fact that he always had something to ask her, that the first thing he even told her about the place was that he had security everywhere in the form of Eyes that followed your every move, the fact that he always got seemingly nervous when it came to the metion of the exit...

"Why me?"

"Well, for one, you're the only one here at the moment and-"

"Why can't Bubble help you?"

"Well- he's-"

"How do I know you're not just keeping me from looking for an exit?-"

"Because I have to!"

The sudden outburst from Caine left Pomni a bit shook. Witch, I guess, was a good thing because she finally stopped to listen.

"D-do, you really..?"

"Well, I- can I answer this as we go? It's quite a bit to un pack."

"Sure..?"

"Well, then let's get to this!"

After a bit of back and forth of answering questions, even now, with a slightly better understanding, Caine was still confused.

"So what you're saying is that this is a holiday about the one emotion I hardly understand?!"

"Honestly, I don't think even we understand it completely."

"Is that so?"

"At least I think so..? But really, why did you ask me of everyone?"

Caine honestly didn't know himself. He had to pause before he could answer this.

"...I want to "learn. " I want to "feel." I want to "love." But there's a lot of things holding me back right now..."

"Like what..?"

"Well, for one, barely anyone will answer the questions I have, and of course, I hate to say this, but-"

°○Watcha guys up to?○°

"Gah!"

"BUBBLE! It's just you..."

°○What're you two talking about?○°

"Well- You see- we were-"

"-Oh, I was just rambling to Caine about the exit I saw the other day! You wouldn't happen to know about that, would you?? I knew you guys were hiding something!!"

It took him a second, but Caine was quick to catch on.

"Yeah! She wouldn't stop pestering me about it! Those "Digital Hallucinations" really must be going to her head!"

°○... Okay, boss! I'll leave you to it! I'm gonna get breakfast started!○°

"Alright, see you in a bit!"

"Well, I guess I should go get ready?"

"Of course! I'll meet you there!"

[DOWNLOADING ASSETS: 99%]

And... done! Finally! You made it!

As promised, here's Caine and Pomni's blogs!

@ask-the-real-cainetadc

@the-exitdoor-simp-tadc

Thanks again for reading this. It took me like 2 hours-

[heylavellan]

Happy Friday. "Alright, that's it. You're going to bed, and I'm not taking no for an answer." for Carver and Cullen, maybe? Intrigued by this ship >;3

the easy route is to do templar!carver and cullen in da2. i however am insane and thought up a warden!carver au in inquisition where carver is the warden at skyhold and his sister brought him to support the inquisition. also for @dadrunkwriting

a man's dreams and a dream man

rating: t

words: 1000

notes: idiots to lovers. pre-adamant.

Warden nightmares were bad. The Blight, the darkspawn. That damned song. Nathaniel lied when he said the dreams got better, because they really didn't.

Usually a workout got Carver to a place where resting felt safe. Yet knowing that the siege on Adamant Fortress was in his future kept him awake. At times like these, he wished he regretted going to the Deep Roads. He'd probably have some cushy templar job and be bored out of his mind making sure mages weren't doing blood magic. Maybe he'd be in Starkhaven with most of the other templars.

The thing was, he never regretted for a second making sure his stupid older sister made it out. He hated her then. But he was one of Ferelden's greatest wardens. Apparently, one of the only sane ones out there if his sister had to reach out.

The only thing left to do at this absurd hour in Skyhold was drink. If he was at Soldier's Keep, he'd be drinking with some of the other senior wardens and the seneschal would send another letter to Warden-Commander Howe about his lax leadership. Howe would write him a letter saying he received complaints, and it would be business as usual until another late night party incurred the seneschal's wrath.

Since his wardens weren't here, he had no one to drink with. For Carver, drinking alone was an indignity he refused to suffer. So, to the chapel he went. Quiet prayer always helped him focus his mind. When things were too much for him in Lothering, he always found himself in the chantry, listening to some priest prattle on about the Chant of Light. A habit that stuck, even when he lived at Gamlen's.

Actually, especially when he lived with Gamlen. That shack was worse than most of the Deep Roads.

That evening, it appeared the Commander of the Inquisition had a similar idea. Hunched over in a front pew, blond curls hanging down with his head bowed in prayer.

Knowing that the former Knight-Captain of Kirkwall was the Inquisition's commander set him on edge. But if his mage sister who was practically married to Merrill thought he was fine, he had to be. Even if Felicity was a poor judge of character, she knew who the Commander had been. And if she was willing to put up with him?

It spoke very highly of who he had become.

Carver disliked him on principle at first but... This wasn't the same man he met in Kirkwall. He was calmer, more confident. He radiated authority and competence. Somehow, he made stubble look incredibly attractive. And Carver wasn't sure if he was jealous of him or if he was experiencing his first crush on a man.

It was frustrating and exhilarating in equal parts. With a deep breath, he composed himself and decided he would pray on the pew across the aisle from Cullen. Just before he kneeled, the Commander quietly snored.

Wait, snored? Surely the man wasn't running himself that ragged. Staring meant potentially getting caught, which he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk. But a cranky commander was worse for morale.

Reluctantly, he crouched before Cullen to see if he was actually asleep. Carver regretting knowing what he looked like asleep. Now, he was certain that falling in love with Rutherford was an inevitability.

Cullen unburdened was a wonder. The creases in his forehead were relaxed after a day of wrinkling it in concern and to focus. Thin lips that were begging to be kissed and a thin rivulet of drool falling out of the corner of his mouth.

Felicity had always said he was impulsive, and she was one hundred percent correct. He realised he'd wiped the drool off Cullen's face far too late and poked the proverbial bear. Andraste's ashes, he was never going to live this down.

Cullen woke with a start, looking up at Carver crouched between his legs. "Couldn't believe you were actually sleeping," he stammered out. Smooth, Carver. Really smooth.

Twenty emotions Carver couldn't name crossed Cullen's face as he realised where he was and what the position the two of them were in looked like. "Um, right. Sorry if I disturbed you," he demured, looking away. Carver chose to believe that he was blushing, that the candlelight wasn't playing tricks on him.

"I wasn't sleeping anyway. But you? You should make your way to bed," Carver replied. Cullen opened his mouth to respond, so he kept talking. He was, at least good at that. "I'm not taking no for an answer. Surely your bed is more comfortable than these pews."

Carver hopped to his feet and offered a hand to Cullen. The commander examined him carefully. At that moment, Carver wondered if he had already given away his interest in Cullen. After careful consideration, Cullen took it and rose to his feet.

If they stared into each other's eyes and kept their hands clasped for just a bit too long, neither of them said anything about that. Carver nodded his head in the direction of the chantry doors, and followed Cullen out. The curve of the man's rear didn't escape his notice.

They made quiet conversation as Carver walked him back to his quarters. Before Cullen went inside, Carver grabbed his arm. "Wait. Um, I just. I don't want things to be awkward between us before a bit battle. Grab a drink with me sometime?" he asked, stumbling over his words like he imagined schoolboys did.

"That. Sounds nice," Cullen replied, almost surprised by his answer.

"Good," Carver laughed.

"Great," the commander responded, laughing along too.

"Well," Carver said.

"Tomorrow. For saving me the embarrassment of waking up in the chantry again," Cullen confirmed, nodding to himself.

"Perfect," Carver replied, perhaps a bit too genuinely.

They bade each other good night, and went their separate ways. As Carver fell asleep that night, maybe he thought of steel blue eyes. And maybe, he realised that he really wanted that man. Fuck.

[password-door-lock]

“Boss,” you approach Unknown, obviously ready to complain to your heart's content. He knows this game very well by now, for all the times you've made him play it. Actually, when Unknown thinks about it, he supposes that you’ve never really been in any position to make him do anything. If he didn’t want to listen to you, then he wouldn’t have to. 

“What?” he spits, humoring you regardless of his disinterest in wherever you think this conversation is going. After all, sometimes your rambling turns out to be quite entertaining, and occasionally, you want to bring his attention to something which is actually relevant to his revenge. 

“I'm bored of working,” you announce, as if that means anything. “Do you wanna see how much I got done?” 

He narrows his eyes, making one final click before he resigns himself to stepping away from his revenge for a moment. It's annoying that you keep on distracting him— Unknown never expected this when he decided to keep you as his assistant. If he'd known you'd be so rowdy, maybe he wouldn't have held onto you this way, but as it is, he's kind of stuck with you. He can't send you back to where he got you from— even though he's fairly certain that you wouldn't intentionally breathe a word about him to anybody, there's always the possibility that those liars could find you and torture the answer out of you. After all, if the benevolent Savior is willing to try something like that on her believers, Unknown shudders to think about what sorts of things might go on in the world of the RFA. He can't cleanse you, either— with your general weakness and anxiety, which he doubts would be eliminated by the elixir of salvation, Unknown gets the feeling that you wouldn't last an hour as a believer. Ultimately, he has no choice but to keep you here.

Strangely, he finds he's more productive now that you force him to take these little breaks, as you call them— probably because he has to work even harder to catch up in between, but more productive is more productive. Unknown would do anything to be able to bring that redhead to ruin faster, though that doesn’t mean he’s pleased to be wasting his time on something so inane as your fragile feelings. 

“You're bored?” He coos, continuing to humor you. Inane or not, those feelings of yours are fun to play with.“Oh, you poor thing. Then come here, and I'll make it better, hm?” Unknown turns to face you now, making sure that you get a good look at his wolfish grin. 

You must know that it's a trap. You're probably not the smartest person in the world, but Unknown is familiar enough with you by now to know that you’re nowhere near as foolish as he initially expected you to be. “Mmm,” you hum, slipping into his embrace and clinging to him like you actually think you're going to get anything out of this. Maybe Unknown should consider revising his assessment of your intelligence, after all. Or maybe... you know it's a trap, but you like it anyway. Strange. “Thank you.” You really sound like you mean that, like you actually think that Unknown is going to let you off the hook so easily. He saved you specifically so that you could help him with his work, and you don’t get to quit on him just because you’re sick of it. 

Now that he has you in close proximity, Unknown leans in to whisper in your ear, “You don't get to be bored of working, cutie. Since you can't do it on your own, I guess you can just help me with my task instead, hm? What a handful you are.” He feels you smile against his chest, and, not for the first time, Unknown wonders whether he is actually the one in control.

“You want me to just look at the screen?” You ask, clearly trying to restrain your excitement. You really are strange, if that’s something you’re looking forward to. 

“Yes,” Unknown replies, “Turn around and look at the screen.” You do as you’re told, and Unknown feels relieved. He’s still the only one in charge here— of course he is, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"Young mortal! I have accepted your offering for my dominion. Be wary, for much danger lies in this realm. All-oh, Mr. Darktide! It's you again."

Adam nodded, pointing his glowing ring towards the deity of dreams, Luna, formerly of Crystal Cove.

"Theo dragged me here once, so I thought that I'd return the favour," he explained. "This crystal ties us together. With your permission, I'd like to summon him to this realm and speak with him."

"An interesting request," Luna replied, looking amused. "I'm not usually in the service of star-crossed teens who need a place to meet. My purpose is to govern the realm I've been given, not guide young love."

"Please," Adam begged, trying to look as sad as he possibly could. "I've tried everything to find him, but the only safe thing connecting us seems to be your realm. Even with all the wards and protections of wherever he is, everyone has to sleep. It's biology, not magic. I've risked so much to be here and I gave an offering like the book said. I need to see Theo Bellamy, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Such a Darktide," Luna mused. "Always barging in, demanding to be accommodated. I can see your ancestors in your eyes, like entitled phantoms raging in your blood. My father lost his heart to a Darktide, did you know that?"

Adam shook his head quickly. Luna was rambling on about people he'd never met, and he only had a limited amount of time in this realm. Life and Death seemed to know everyone's true names, so he was willing to bet that the deity of dreams did too and might respond better if he invoked them.

"No, I had no idea. I'm not my ancestors, though. I'm not my parents or my deranged uncle. My name is Adam Sebastian Casper Maricourt Darktide and I demand to see Theodosius Ulysses G Bellamy. Please."

"Alright," Luna teased. "Don't work yourself up about it. I was just sharing some of my vast experiences with you. It's lonely in a realm where everyone sleeps sometimes. Everything isn't always about you, you know."

Adam flushed with embarrassment. This was getting him nowhere and the last thing he wanted was to anger a deity. He didn't need that danger added to his already crazy life.

"Sorry, I didn't realize. It's just that...I haven't seen Theo in months now and this might be my only chance. Please, continue to tell me about your father and the Darktides. I will listen if you'll just let me see Theo."

Luna smiled softly.

"You have a good heart, Mr. Darktide," she said. "You're a bit inconsiderate, considering that you're asking me to help you, but your heart is good. I will open the gate to allow your crystal to call for your love, but be sure to tell him that he must also make an offering upon waking. The Old Ways must still be observed."

"The gate is now open," Luna announced. "I hope that your crystal is strong enough to summon him. Truly. The Ocean is often unfairly rough with your family. Until the next time you cross my path."

Adam's ring began to glow with a blinding light as the deity faded from his vision. It took enormous effort for it to search for the matching crystal in the vast realm of dreams, but Adam wasn't giving up. Not when he'd already come this far.

Pain radiated up his arm, which Adam found intriguing considering that he was asleep at the moment in another realm, likely perfectly fine. It was well within his control to deal with, though, after all he'd practiced.

Demonic magic swirled around Adam and he closed his eyes, trying to follow it back to its source. Following it back to Theo.

"What the hell is happening? Alys, if this is another one of your tough love lessons, I swear to god I'll-"

"Theo?"

The crystal on Theo's hand grew even brighter now that it was near its match. It was this reaction that convinced Adam that this was really Theo, that Luna hadn't tricked him.

"Adam, is that you?" Theo blinked and rubbed his eyes, sincerely hoping that this wasn't just an illusion his teachers were tricking him with.

"It's me," Adam confirmed, staring in awe at the culmination of his plans. Everyone had written off talking to Theo while he was gone, but Adam's plan had actually worked! "I've been trying to find you for months now."

"You have? I saw your spell with my ring. I haven't taken it off since."

"It was the only way to access wherever you are," Adam explained. "We're dreaming now. It was the only realm that wouldn't kill us to walk through."

His gaze dropped to the floor. It was overwhelming to see Theo again. So many emotions rushed to his mind, making it difficult to think straight.

His plan had worked. Theo was beside him. Doing magic still sometimes physically hurt. Theo was dangerous. He might always be dangerous in some way, but that smile still made Adam weak in the knees. It was all so much to process.

"Adam, I'm sorry," Theo began. "I never meant to hurt you. I had no idea how out of control I'd gotten. I'm doing better now, much better. I promise."

Even though seeing Theo again was everything Adam had been working towards for so long, part of him still held back, afraid to get hurt even more. He didn't want to feel like this. He should have processed all these feelings already and moved on and been fine.

"I know it was an accident," Adam replied quietly. "You would never mean to hurt me as badly as you did. And we should have listened to Evren about being careful about...well, you know."

"We don't have to do that again," Theo said quickly, equally embarrassed to be talking about how badly their experiments with sex had gone. "We can wait until we're older. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean...oh, I've gotten ahead of myself."

He paused and gave Adam a tearful look.

"I'm assuming that you want to keep dating me, I'm sorry. 'Being mindful of other people's feelings' is something that I apparently need to work on, according to most of my teachers. I don't blame you if you never want to see me again. I can see the way you're looking at me. As usual, I've completely misread this and you only came here to break up with me. I'm so stupid."

"Theo, I've had a lot of time to think about what happened and my feelings on it. I don't regret what we did. I could never regret it. I just...it's been really difficult without you. I didn't know how I felt about us or if I wanted us to be together or if I'd changed too much for us to be together at all." He paused, trying to put his feelings into words. "Something bad happened to me, Theo. Something I don't know how to fix."

"You're pregnant!" Theo gasped, making Adam roll his eyes.

"God, Theo, your parents really have made you paranoid. No one's pregnant. I...I just...I'm different."

Theo nodded sympathetically, still unsure if Adam truly wanted him to respond to that statement with facts or to just keep apologizing.

"It's called Toyonaga's Trap," he replied, hoping that he was making the correct choice. "What happened between us. It was a textbook presentation of it. A blood connection that ends in the destruction of the person while the demon funnels their power into themselves. It was named for the Lost Queens of Strangetown, two teens who made a blood deal for power and ended up erased from the universe when the deal collected them. I was so worried that you died because of me and they wouldn't let me even talk to you. I did everything I could to shield you from danger, but I still saw you when the paramedics took you away. I couldn't live with myself if i had caused your death. It would destroy me."

"Theo, I-"

Before Theo could even register what was happening, Adam wrapped his arms around the hybrid tightly, leaning in to brush his face near Theo's. It wasn't the same feeling as holding Theo in a physical realm, but it was better than nothing. He hugged Theo as tight as he could to reassure his boyfriend.

"I didn't die; you protected me. You've always protected me no matter what. It took me a while, but I've made my peace with what happened. I'm not right anymore, but I'm alive."

"There are a handful of people who survived Toyonaga's Trap and they all have different symptoms," Theo stated, like he was remembering the writing in his textbook. "Migraines, joint pain, and some other side effects."

"Well, file this under other," Adam said. "I'd say that I fit there."

"I can see that," Theo murmured, stroking the scar on Adam's face gently. "You don't know how sorry I am that this happened. This is on your actual body or just your projection here?"

"The scarring is permanent. My mom and dad tried everything they could to heal it, but they couldn't."

"Oh. So every morning you wake up to see the grisly reminder of my lack of control in the mirror. Shit, Adam, I'm so sorry. You must hate me."

"I could never hate you, Theo," Adam assured his boyfriend. "There were some dark times where I questioned if we were really right for each other, but I could never hate you."

He caught Theo's hand when it was lowered from caressing his face and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I don't blame you," Theo replied earnestly. "I've been thoroughly yelled at by just about every teacher here for triggering a major demonic incident with a partner. Believe me, they've all shouted at me at some point." His face brightened, remembering something important. "But, they do have some comprehensive sex ed classes here that I was strongly recommended. If we ever wanted to be together like that again, once I graduate out of this hell, I should be able to channel our connection properly. But only if you want to. Which you don't have to. I'd understand."

"I'm not sure I want to...be...intimate," Adam confessed, still squeezing Theo's hand reassuringly. "I...I almost died, Theo. I can't just pick up from where we used to be. You've been gone for months and I've tried to put everything behind me. I need to know that you won't let this happen again, and I'm sorry, but I can't trust that you can right now. I need time, probably a lot of time."

Theo tried his best not to look crushed, but he probably failed.

"So, you want to go back to being friends?" Theo asked quietly, avoiding looking at Adam directly. "You keep avoiding the topic. Are you still interested in being my boyfriend? Do you just not hate me, or do you love me?"

Adam smiled coyly.

"I like like you, Theo. According to your Aunt, that's all I should admit to a guy if his parents are broke."

"And even then," Theo agreed, a huge weight lifting from his chest at these words. "I like like you too. A lot."

"We'll figure this out," Adam promised. "Together. I just need to work through my feelings first." His voice began to waver despite the incredible efforts he was making to hide his discomfort. "It's-it's been really hard without you here. Without getting to talk this through with you. I almost died, Theo, and for what? Because my sister keeps flaunting her sex life, and it made us curious? I don't want to die for something as stupid as that."

"Hey. Come here."

Theo pulled his boyfriend to the ground and wrapped his arms around him, just as they did back home. Adam couldn't deny how much he'd missed laying in Theo's arms, watching the clouds move above them and hearing the beating of Theo's heart. This moment was perfect and exactly why he'd fought so hard to see Theo again. There were no expectations between them in this realm. Theo couldn't accidentally hurt him here, and that knowledge made Adam bolder than he would be in the waking realm. He held Theo tightly, trying to commit every detail to memory. It could be several more months of waiting for Theo to come home and even when he did, Adam still couldn't see himself being fully able to relax at Theo's touch.

"What are you learning?" Adam asked curiously. "Tell me about your school. What's life like in demon military school?"

What's your life like without me?

"Boring. I mostly talk to teachers and tutors, there's not really a huge class size here. I get bi-weekly passes out to this weird country that has a strong culty vibe. I met a guy at the movies and we talked a bit before my parole officers dragged me back to school."

Adam bristled at the mention of another guy with Theo at a movie theater, a timeless place for teen hookups. Theo seemed to just be rambling about the boringness of his life, which calmed Adam slightly. Theo was usually pretty easy to read when he wanted something or had a crush and Adam could see none of the telltale signs on Theo's face.

Adam beamed at his boyfriend as Theo continued rambling about the quality of the food at school. Adam felt jealous of this random boy. After feeling nothing for the last few months, he finally had a Theo related emotion, even if it was jealousy. He wanted Theo to himself, he could feel that feeling spread across his body, waking it up from its long depression. After months of being unsure of his feelings for Theo, the threat of another person being interested in him ignited Adam's heart.

"You've told people that you have a boyfriend, right?"

Theo shrugged.

"I'm supposed to say you're a girl," he scoffed. "This place is weird and homophobic and I can't even mention my dads. There's something wrong with this place. Everything here is so weird."

"Oh, should I be thinking up a girl version of Adam?" the warlock teased. "Adama? Admina?"

"I just said that I was dating Remy Darktide. It's close enough and they can check and see that I'm not making her up."

Adam scowled at the thought of people thinking Theo was dating Remy. If she ever found out, she would never let that go.

"Don't tell Remy that," he pleaded.

"I've met Remy before, Adam, I know how she is. I think I can keep a secret from her."

Adam squeezed Theo tightly, hoping that this moment would last forever. It wouldn't. There were limitations on how long mortals could travel in other realms and Adam could already feel the pull back to the waking world begin.

"I don't think I'm allowed to repeat this visit to see you," Adam sighed. "It was hard enough getting here this time."

"I miss you. I don't want to leave," Theo insisted. "I don't know when I'll see you again." The demon hybrid pouted, wrapping himself around Adam tighter. "Stay with me."

"I can't. I physically can't. It's not how the world works. People would start entering people's dreams whenever they wanted to, and the balance of the realms would warp. Have you figured out where you're living? Maybe I could send you a postcard."

"No, but it's somewhere strange. I don't know if it is part of the universe or just tacked on or whatever in the grand scheme of things. Only women are able to get pregnant here and they treat demons like they did back in the Demon Wars. No wonder it's so hard for people to get into this school. It's a nightmare." He paused for a moment. "Well, the stuff I'm working on is even more advanced than our class work at the academy. When I do get to go back there, I'll pass every magical exam they throw at me."

"Do they ever say how you're doing?" Adam asked hopefully. "You're leaving soon, right?"

Theo shook his head sadly.

"They keep talking about what to do with the curse I was born with. I can't cast much magic as long as it's there, festering inside me, but it's still a part of me. There's some ritual I have to prepare for and a ceremony before I can leave here. They've forced me to have several incidents back to back, and I'm getting better at controlling them. I just need the curse to either disappear entirely or re-absorb into a more controllable part of my magical essence. But they think that eliminating the curse entirely will have 'dangerous repercussions' for me, so I'm hoping that the re-absorb option is the one that works."

"Will there be any impact on me? We're connected loosely, so it's possible that I could have something impact my magic too." Adam paused. "The scar isn't the only new thing to happen to me, Theo. I can sense the Void now and open portals to it. Maybe even a little more; I've been afraid to experiment with it."

"What?!"

Theo listened with concern as Adam detailed his new abilities. A non-demonic warlock able to display mild demonic abilities? His teachers would have a fit when he asked whether Adam's new abilities impacted his studies. But still...this development gave Theo an idea.

"So neither of us can be in the Void for long periods of time, right? There's no harm that can happen just by opening a rift. You and I can both open rifts and portals now, so we can pass messages through it if we want. Think about it! We could write a message and leave it in a portal in one of the top layers of the Void where there's not much danger. The Void is connected to both of our locations, even wherever the hell I am. My teachers can open a portal to home, so it's possible."

"We could use a crystal to help pierce through the Void, so our portals have more strength," Adam agreed, thinking about what he knew of magical theory. "If you and I use the crystal in our rings at the same time to access the same area in the Void, we might have enough combined strength to pull it off. It wouldn't be powerful enough to let a person through, but a note? I could see that working."

"We could be penpals! Just...don't write anything dirty just in case another demon comes across it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Clearly after months of isolation, Theo's mind had remained in the gutter. Adam was a teenage boy with raging hormones, sure, but every time he thought of those stolen moments wrapped up in Theo's bedsheets, fear washed over him, drowning his desires completely. Theo wasn't safe outside of a dream. Adam had nearly died. He could die any time at any moment if Theo slipped and lost control. The mere memory of the pain of demonic magic tearing him slowly apart still made him bolt awake at night. His brush with death had been devastating, and Theo's magic cult school had a clean, clinical name for what had happened. It was even textbook apparently.

It was nice to be held by Theo and it was nice to pretend that nothing between them had changed. It was nice, but it wasn't true.

"Okay, here's what we'll need. Probably at least one locked box, preferably silver if we can get our hands on it. Definitely write in pen, just in case pencil is too weak to read. Oh! Do you think we'd need notebooks or would a single piece of paper be more effective? No, definitely go with the notebooks. You'll have to get all of this though, sorry. I can't exactly run to the store here."

Adam held Theo as he rambled on about how they'd pull off the Great Penpal Trick, trying to nod when appropriate.

"Theo? I think we're out of time," he announced, watching his hand and arm begin to fade on Theo's chest. "I'm waking up."

"Don't forget about the holy water. That will keep demons out of our letters."

"Theo, you're a demon and I'm a mess of demonic magic, we would probably only hurt ourselves with that. Besides, what demon wants to read about your boring school or my insane family? They have better things to do."

Theo pouted at this dose of reality. He'd spent so long thinking of what he'd say to Adam and longing to hold Adam and staring at the occasionally glowing ring he'd gotten from Adam, that he'd forgotten that he and Adam had spent so much time apart, and they were no longer in sync with each other.

"I'll wait for you to put the box in the agreed upon spot then. It won’t be too much longer that I'm here...I hope so anyway. Keep away from Simon down the hall. He has a massive crush on you and might try to hit on you while I'm gone."

Adam rolled his eyes at the very idea of running off with the guy Remy chose for him after he'd spent all of this time trying to reach his boyfriend.

"Yeah, well, you make sure that movie theater boy keeps his hands off you," he countered.

"Brion? I'm sure his weird ass homophobic country would be okay with that. Absolutely."

Adam's entire right arm vanished as the dream realm began ejecting him from it.

"Theo, I-"

"Oh thank god! I was starting to worry about you. Did it work? Did you see Theo?"

Adam groaned, holding his throbbing head while he regained control of his senses. He was back just where he'd started this endeavor: at school, looking over the vast landscape of Lower Pleasantview.

"Yeah, it worked," he confirmed. "He was right there. I could even touch him. We weren't just apparitions without form."

"Oh, so it was that kind of dream? With touching?" Travis teased, earning a scowl from his friend.

"No, somehow we contained ourselves. We had other things to discuss."

"And? Are you still dating? Remy might back off her scheming if she knew that you were happily in a relationship with your boyfriend. The school gossip mill might die down too."

"Like Remy isn't involved with the gossip mill too? She's my twin sister, she needs to calm down. Tell her whatever you think will keep her from trying to spring more blind dates on me, but yeah, Theo and I are still dating."

He looked over his shoulder to see his two lookouts too consumed by hormones to see that Adam had woken up. A quick stab of jealousy shot through him as he saw how easily they moved together. They trusted each other. Neither boy knew enough about magic to be a threat to the other. It must be nice.

"We did it!" Travis exclaimed, high fiving Adam happily. "Plus, you're alive and in one piece! Tell me all about it! I'm dying to know everything that happened. Was he in his pajamas or was he projecting his own self-image? What did the deity look like? Did they threaten you?"

Adam picked up the borrowed staff he'd used earlier, inspecting it for damage.

"I'll tell you all about it, but we'd better get this back to the storage room before my dad finds us and wants to know why we needed it."

[thefandomenchantress]

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 11 OF CHAPTER 2 IN DRDT

Alright, so I may be overthinking this...Like, a lot...but I've got a theory (Also this is copy and pasted from my comment on YouTube).

So something interesting I only caught on a rewatch is that David does not actually confirm all of Ace's testimony.  Here's the quote:

"But I will admit, I did indeed meet Arei last night in the relaxation room.  As for what I actually talked to her about...Well, I've already forgotten!  She's dead now, so who cares?"

Now what I gathered from this was that while he is confirming that he met with Arei in the relaxation room, he is not confirming that their conversation contained the information Ace said that it did.

Which struck me as odd, since you'd think after giving that whole speech about just admitting the truth, David would just admit that Arei accused him of having that secret.  But he doesn't.  Instead, he keeps repeating that Ace is lying about something, (Since he says he wants to call Ace a "worthless lying piece of shit") but doesn't bother actually calling him out on it.  Not because of his pride or anything, like he said was his reason for revealing his secret, but because he thought that the rest of the cast wouldn't listen, implying this was the truth but that none of them were willing to hear it anymore.  And so he drops the topic and Ace's entire testimony is just kinda confirmed in the rest of the cast's eyes, even the stuff that wasn't confirmed by David.

So in my opinion, with all that evidence...Ace is definitely lying about the stuff that happened when David and Arei met up.  I'm not sure what they actually talked about, but it probably wasn't related to David's secret, since David seemed so surprised Ace knew about his secret even though his conversation with Arei could've easily been overheard.

But the next question we have to address is...Why would Ace even lie in the first place?

The obvious answer is that he was being suspected of murder and wanted to throw the blame onto David, and that might be true.  But if Ace was lying about this entire interaction like I suspect, that would require him to have already picked up on the fact that David was a lying manipulator, something no one besides Teruko had noticed.

And if Ace already knew that, without overhearing anything, you'd think he'd just tell everyone, 'Hey, David is a manipulating scumbag', not make up an elaborate story about how he'd overheard Arei say it.

But here's the thing: Ace has stated over and over that he doesn't want to die, and that it's one of his greatest fears.  Veronika told him that being so mean to everyone would make them want to kill him, and that's true for murders like the one Nico pulled, that was done purely on emotion and no regards for what could happen in result of their actions.  But if you really thought about it for more than a few seconds, you'd realize that if you really wanted to get away with murder, you'd aim to kill the people who you'd think could solve the murder.  You wouldn't go for the idiot jockey who wouldn't be able to solve the case no matter how hard he tried.

But if Ace were to say that he has more observational skills than literally everyone else in the room, since he managed to catch onto the fact that David was a manipulator when no one else did, (Besides Teruko, who only knew because of her first interaction with David when he broke character), then that would be all the reason a killer would need to justify killing Ace.  He was a complete jerk and could potentially notice things the others didn't.

So instead of telling the rest of the class that he was the one who caught onto David's false persona, he claimed Arei figured it out, simply by reading the secret over Whit's shoulder, something he oh-so-conveniently didn't notice at all.

...So yeah.  That's why I think David was calling Ace a liar even after he said he'd stop denying things that weren't true.  I'm probably waaaay overthinking this, but that's my theory.

[gregorygerwitz]

"Are you sure you've got the right Halstead?"

You know what to do with this.

I wrote vaguely spicy angst! brace yourselves for this one because I'm... sad.

[ i'm in a Will/Mouse prompt mood ]

Getting invited out to drinks at Molly's his first weekend back in Chicago had seemed harmless at the time. Mouse had agreed when Jay texted him without hesitation, without the context for why everyone was getting together to begin with. He wanted to spend time with his best friend and the people he hadn't kept in as much contact with, no matter what the occasion was. A party could be fun, even Mouse could admit that, especially at Molly's.

He didn't ask what the gathering was about.

No one had felt the need to tell him before Saturday night.

He didn't know it was an engagement party.

[ read the rest below or on ao3 ]

The relationship wasn't new, not really. Mouse had heard the name Upton about a thousand times before he even learned her first name. He'd even given the correct teasing comments when he'd gotten the late night phone call about their first kiss. He'd known that Jay and Hailey were together for a year, that things were serious, that they had even started living together, but it had still only been a year. Chicago wasn't Vegas, engagements didn't happen in that short of a timeline for most people.

Then again, maybe he should have known that his best friend, of all people, would move a little faster. This was Jay Halstead he was talking about. Jay was the person who had been willing to let him stay on the couch whenever he was coming down from a bad high, who had given him a job on the up-and-up when he needed it, who was willing to support his stupid decisions no matter how much he might actually disagree with them, who answered every late night phone call with the desire and willingness to listen to every little thing that was wrong in his life. The thing about Jay Halstead was that he was made up almost entirely of love and the capability to feel it. He was the opposite of everything Mouse was. That was why they would have never worked.

Jay was love and welcoming and commitment. Mouse was fear and hesitance and flight. They were completely incompatible. They always had been.

That was why Mouse had run away in the first place.

Jay was moving in with Erin, which was fine. Mouse left so that he could try to grow out of the feelings he'd been harboring. It wasn't a successful attempt, not if the ache in his chest was anything to go by. He was still completely and totally in love with his best friend, who was having an engagement party the first weekend he was back home, and it hurt. It was the same kind of hurt that made him want to run away again, put half the world between them until he could sort himself out.

He could be doing anything that wasn't sitting around Chicago and pining. He could have taken the job they offered him in Atlanta, or Los Angeles, or Seattle, or Boston, or anywhere else. He could have signed on for another tour. He could have settled anywhere in the world that wasn't Chicago. He'd had so many options, and he'd chosen to run right back to the place that hurt him the most on the off chance that he had gotten better at pretending it didn't hurt anymore.

He hadn't.

Mouse could act for a while. He could congratulate them at the party. He could buy a round of celebratory drinks. He could apologize for not bringing a better gift than his own presence. That was the easy part. The first few hours of his performances were always the easiest.

It wasn't until he was alone, sitting on a stool at the bar and nursing a fourth beer, that he let his act drop. Almost everyone had left - Jay and Hailey wanted to go home and celebrate, which made sense; Kim and Adam had to relieve a babysitter; the rest of Intelligence had to be rested in case they got called in to do their jobs. The last person to leave had been Trudy, who had insisted on a welcome back hug despite the fact that the night wasn't supposed to have anything to do with him. After that, it was just him and a few of Molly's regulars whose names and faces he didn't know, and that was his last straw.

He left enough cash on the bar to cover his tab, said his polite goodnights to the people he recognized, and left. There was a hotel room waiting for him not too far away, somewhere cheap he was only staying in until he found a more permanent situation. If he ended up sticking around at all. But a hotel room would be empty, and quiet, and lonely, and there were only so many nights in a row that he could stand to watch Hallmark film marathons without losing his mind.

Girl meets guy. Girl falls in love with guy. Some stupid miscommunication that didn't need to happen. Guy gets girl anyway. Happily ever after.

It had gotten better, in recent years. There were a few queer background couples in the movies that aired later in the night, and he tried not to think too hard about it. There were more movies about the love of family than there used to be, instead of purely focusing on romance. But that wasn't exactly helpful, either, not to him. Romance, family, connections... they were all too hard, or nonexistent, and of the few connections he did still have in Chicago, there wasn't anywhere he could go to get all of the things he was feeling off his chest.

Except for one person who had only made a brief appearance at the party due to a long, exhausting shift at the hospital.

( "hey, look who's back in town. it's been a while."

"yeah. weirdly enough, the army likes to keep me pretty busy."

"at least you made it back in one piece. I know Jay's relieved that he doesn't have to worry about you anymore."

"he didn't have to worry about me in the first place."

"he was going to worry regardless."

"yeah. he does that."

"look, I'm wiped, so I'm gonna head out, but if you need anything my number's the same. and if things get out of hand tonight, this is my current address. bring him by if he drinks too much."

"seriously? I think I can handle your brother drunk."

"but you don't deserve to hear him wax poetic about Hailey until the sun comes up. no one deserves that, actually."

"thanks, Will. I won't need it, but still. have a good night."

"you too, Mouse." )

The address had been typed into the notes app on his phone when it was offered, the device deftly pulled from his hand in a way that reminded him that Will was trained as a surgeon. It was just a harsh reminder that the Halsteads had always been out of his league, some perfect idea that he couldn't reach no matter how hard he tried. Even during their disagreements, they'd all still cared about each other, still held love for each other, still went out of their way for each other. They were his friends, but even that hadn't felt like the right word since he left five years before. There was a distance that he could never close again, and even having the address in his phone, just in case of an emergency, felt like he was intruding somewhere he didn't belong.

The Halsteads were successful, and beautiful, and good people, and he didn't deserve either one of them.

Mouse knew he didn't deserve Jay's friendship, or the way Will had made it clear that he cared, too. Jay was perfect, and straight, and engaged, and protective of everyone he cared about, no matter what they might have done to deserve it. Will was more of a mystery. He was straight, too, or at least leaned that way, if the mention of his engagement to Natalie a few years before had been anything to go by. He made the teasing comments that a brother would. He defended Mouse - usually inebriated, against parents who weren't there to fight back - the way a big brother would, despite actually being a few months younger. In a way, they had taken him into their family when his rejected him, and losing Jay to the joy that came with a partner, and an engagement, and a marriage... what little family he had left was slipping rapidly through his fingers like sand.

He took the address from his notes app and put it into a different app, a rideshare service he never managed to delete. A hotel room would be lonely, but someone else's apartment wouldn't, and all he needed was a couch for a few hours. It could be the same as it always was - he'd borrow a distraction and a place to sleep, and he'd be gone before anyone else woke up. It wasn't complicated.

When he made it to the right building, and up the flights of stairs, and knocked on the door, it suddenly got very complicated.

Will pulled the door open and leaned his weight against it while he took in the sight he must see in the hallway. While his eyes scanned over Mouse, Mouse returned the treatment. Bed rumpled red curls, a bare chest, and sweatpants that hung low on exposed hips were what greeted him, and there was too much alcohol in his system for him to filter the thoughts in his head. Will looked every bit of the Halstead he was - beautiful, warm, untouchable, forbidden...

"What did he do?"

Blinking quickly, Mouse tried to turn the question over in his head until it made sense. It took what felt like well over a minute, the meaning of it slipping away whenever he got close. Eventually, he registered that he had to mean Jay, and the rest of the question was about the catalyst that made him use the address he'd been given but not the number in his phone to provide any kind of warning. And he had an unfortunate answer for that question.

What did Jay do that brought him to that door after midnight?

"He's engaged."

The words felt thick and heavy in this throat, needing to be pushed out with a force he didn’t know he had in his chest. The heartache of the entire situation weighed him down, made everything feel slow and impossible. For over a decade, Mouse had been watching from the sidelines, gazing over at Jay when he wasn’t looking, aching to close the distance between them whenever they were alone. But relationships had left him with few opportunities. His own past had left him with too much fear to act on any urge he had. There, in that apartment hallway in the middle of a quiet night, he’d had enough liquid courage to finally say something, just not to anyone who would actually be able to change his situation, or even want to.

As much as it pained him to see his best friend happy with someone else, he wasn't stupid. Will was Jay's brother. He had no loyalty to Mouse, no reason to even feel bad for him. As far as Will was concerned, his brother was happy, and in a relationship with someone he loved, who loved him just as strongly. That was a win, especially after the life Jay had led, and he didn't owe anyone else anything. The most logical thing to do in that situation, in an apartment building hallway, when Mouse was most obviously more than a little tipsy, was to send him on his way.

He should have just gone to the hotel.

But instead of sending him away, Will stepped to the side to leave enough room in the doorway for him to enter the apartment. It was almost definitely an act of pity, an offer to let him sleep off everything he'd had to drink on the couch so he could leave and pretend it hadn't happened in the morning. At least when he did that almost every other time, he also got laid.

"Let's get you some water. Your head will thank me in the morning."

Mouse frowned a bit at the words but followed him toward the small kitchen once the door was closed. As quiet as the hotel room would have been, this may have actually been worse. At least the hotel room would have been empty. He wouldn't have anyone around to see the state he was in, see the heartache he couldn't hide anymore, see how much the yearning he felt was actually affecting him. He wouldn't have had to show his inner workings to anyone, let alone the only family of the man who had gotten under his skin so thoroughly. He could have been alone in his suffering instead of incurring the specific Halstead brand of pity that gave him safety and company while he navigated the overwhelming emotions.

Like a sad duckling, Mouse shuffled after Will into the kitchen and accepted the bottle of room temperature water without a word. After a few sips, when it became abundantly clear to him that it wasn't actually doing anything helpful, he shook his head and set it on the countertop. A refreshing drink and a night of sleep wouldn't be enough of a distraction, it never was. He needed something more than that, something physical and solid that would actually get his mind to focus on something that wasn't Jay Halstead.

There was a quiet moment, a pause in their already limited conversation. Mouse took a small step forward, closing some of the space between them hesitantly. He didn't normally hesitate, not ever, but there was a lot more weighing on these moments than there normally was. Nothing about this night was normal, not by a long shot.

If he acted on his usual instincts, everything would fall apart. If he went through his routine - a hookup to distract his mind, a night of sleep in a bed that didn't belong to him, slipping out in the morning before the body next to him stirred, and not a whisper of communication ever again. Going through that with Will, cutting off contact the way he always did, would certainly solve his problem. He wouldn't have to watch his best friend be happy with someone else if his best friend was no longer in his life. He could cut the ache off where it started, and disappear into the world without a word.

He was very good at it.

Not letting himself think about it too much more, to keep a different kind of ache at bay, Mouse took another step forward. He wasn't hesitating anymore, more sure of himself while he stood up on his toes to all but crash their lips together. At least, he was pretending he still had the ability to feel confident. He could be rejected at any second, pushed away, kicked out of the apartment and told to never come back.

That didn't happen.

Instead, Will kissed him back.

Will's hands went to his waist.

Will twisted them so that Mouse's back was pinned against the edge of the counter.

It was exactly the distraction he needed. It was solid, and consuming, and he could focus on doing instead of thinking. Mouse could drag his palms over the bare chest that was pressed so close to his. He could tilt his chin further up into the kiss to make sure it didn't end too soon. He could roll his hips forward to chase what friction was offered. It was dizzyingly perfect, and he let himself get caught up in it. Pleasure was always better than pain, no matter how much hurt would catch up to him later.

They moved from the kitchen to the hallway, and then the bedroom, and Mouse gasped for little breaths of air when they finally paused their kisses. He hadn't quite let himself be laid out yet, halfway between perched at the end of the bed and standing, clinging to the arms that were helping him stay mostly upright. If he let go, the leg between his own might disappear, and he didn't think he could keep himself together if that happened.

"Are you sure you've got the right Halstead?"

The question was barely enough to make him pause, the obvious answer on the tip of his tongue. The right Halstead was the one he'd been trailing after for years. The right Halstead was his best friend. The right Halstead was somewhere else in the city. In bed with his fiancée. The right Halstead had found the right girl, and Mouse had known from the very start that the right Halstead would never be his Halstead. So the only answer he could give to Will's question was the honest one, no matter how much it reminded him of the ache.

"No."

The look in the eyes that met his hadn't changed. Nothing about what they were doing had changed. They'd both known the truth before it had been said aloud, and acknowledging it didn't eliminate the tension in the room or disperse any of their arousal. The truth didn't change the desire that had captivated them both, and it certainly didn't stop the kisses from continuing.

Mouse actually felt the corners of his mouth turn upward in a small smile. It wasn't a conscious thing, and it wasn't even all that genuine, just an instinctual reaction to the buzz under his skin. He couldn't remember a time where the act of sex felt bad, and he doubted that would change just because he was more aware than normal about who he actually wanted to be in bed with.

There were plenty of differences between the body in his head and the body in front of him. One was taller and leaner. Had brown eyes instead of grey. Had fiery red hair long enough to grab onto and tug. But as soon as he closed his eyes, his brain could be tricked. A Halstead was a Halstead, and he'd had enough to drink that he didn't care about the differences.

"So... I take it you don't care that I'm thinking about someone else..." He managed the words between kisses once his back was comfortably settled in the blankets. Even when their lips parted, there were brushes to his cheeks, along the prickly hair at his jaw, down his neck. It was as overwhelmingly pleasurable as he could take, the attention making him squirm until strong hands found his hips again. He couldn't grind up into the warm body above his when he was pinned down to the bed. "I never took you to be a casual sex kind of guy..."

"I'm normally not." Will growled out the words just below his ear and punctuated them with a gentle nip to his skin. "But you are. Fair's fair, right? If you get to think about someone else, so do I."

"Sounds fair to me."

"And you won't get offended if I say someone else's name?"

Of all the questions he'd been asked so far that night, that was the one to make Mouse scoff and have to hold back a hysteric burst of laughter. There weren't many people who actually said his name when they were together, not when they were usually just like him, using a night of pleasure to try to forget someone else.

"God, no." Shaking his head, he flashed a cheeky grin upward when the space between them grew just enough for them to make eye contact again. "I was stateside a few years ago, just in Atlanta for a weekend, and I picked up a straight guy. I don't judge. He just wanted something to come into, and I was more than willing. The fact that he thought about the ex he was still in love with didn't matter to me. That was the night that someone came inside me while calling out my mother's name. Trust me, nothing you call me will compare to that."

That was the first time the look in those brown eyes changed. Since they'd kissed in the kitchen, they had only watched him with awe, with a kind of disbelief that he was there at all. It was a similar enough expression to the look on Jay's face when he walked into the bar earlier that evening that he'd actually relished in it. It was close enough to what he wanted that the little differences didn't matter. He would never get the real thing. A diluted version of it was something he wanted to cling to for the short time that he got it.

When things changed, he knew that time had shorted significantly.

"Casual sex, I get. No lasting connections, I understand. But..." Will watched him closely for a moment, the pause brief but present, neither of them looking away. "Being with someone who doesn't even want you... there had to be better options than that. Why go for the guy who doesn't even want to be with you?"

"Because no one wants to be with me."

Mouse answered quickly, his confidence disappearing at the further acknowledgment of the truth. He couldn't grin or smirk or paint on a smile anymore. All the energy he had that night to put on any kind of act was used during the party, when he had to pretend he wasn't dying inside with every passing second. Putting on a brave face was only easy for a little while before it became too painful to keep up.

"Mouse..."

"What? You think I'm wrong?" He shook his head with a frown, the ache in his chest returning at full force. "Everyone I've slept with in the last decade has used me the exact same way I use them. They need a distraction. They want to pretend I'm someone else. No one ever gets into bed with me because they want me. Even the people outside of all those beds don't want me. I'm not delusional enough to be that blind."

When the weight over him started to pull back, he knew exactly what it meant. The opportunity to drown himself in physical pleasure in an attempt to block out the emotional pain was gone as quickly as it had appeared. It had been stupid to think it was going to happen in the first place, if only because everything he'd said had been true. No one had ever wanted him in their bed, let alone in their life.

He hadn't spoken to either of his parents in almost a decade. The man he was in love with was engaged to someone else. Everyone he took to bed closed their eyes and replaced him with something in their imagination. Even that night was going to help prove his point, because he'd been too honest. He'd shown too much of himself, and now he wasn't even worth the effort of a quick fuck.

"Look... I don't know what your intentions were when you came over here, Mouse, but you're not up to this tonight. Get some sleep, okay?"

"Will..."

"I'll leave some water and Aspirin in here for when you wake up."

"I'm sorry..."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Mouse."

He'd been wrong. An empty hotel room would have been a lot less lonely.