#so it's fully understandable why they would dip as soon as they could from the situation.

[djsangos]

//who are THESE fresh squids?? (made here)

okay these guys might not get a mention on this blog for a while- if ever- so i'm gonna talk about them now bc i've been rotating them in my mind for a while

these are captain's siblings! the ones they left behind when they were 14 to run away to inkopolis. captain certainly isn't proud of leaving them behind at ALL, in fact the one thing they wish they'd done differently is taking them with them, even if it would've been damn near impossible to take care of 2 younger siblings all on their own away from home when they were already struggling to take care of themself. they have no idea how their siblings fared with their neglectful ass father after they left, but pierce (right) was only a year or 2 younger than them, so they hoped he'd be able to leave soon too- taking harper (left) with him

so yeah harper (left) i think is probably around 16 or 17 now, having been 7 or 8 when captain left. since she was pretty young she didn't really know exactly why they left, and they didn't tell her either, so i'd say she probably resents them for it. she's a hotheaded edgy teen, classic rebel, you know the deal.

and then there's pierce (right), who's around 21 or 22 now, so he would've been 12 or 13 when they left. even if they didn't say a word to him before packing their bags and hopping a train at the asscrack of dawn, he knows exactly why they did. because being a kid and not only growing up, but having to parent your 2 younger siblings in your father's place, is hard. he basically had to take on their role as caretaker of harper when they left, being the second oldest, and that's how he realized. he doesn't resent them exactly, but he does wish they'd at least said goodbye. he's an outwardly chipper guy, and puts on a brave face even at the worst of times.

and they both did eventually get out of that house- pierce didn't leave as soon as he turned 14 like captain did (though cod, he wanted to) but when harper was old enough to be left home alone he got a job and saved up what he could to get himself and his younger sister out of there. and then when harper was 12 and he was 17, he got them both out of there. they might have gone somewhere else first, but i wanna say they probably ended up in splatsville, living in an apartment together with pierce doing what he can to support harper through school, and she does some turfing herself to help with rent and save up her own money so she can get her own place eventually.

i feel like the reason they probably haven't run into captain is that captain lives in inkopolis and only really goes to splatsville to visit rookie, and the last time they saw their siblings, neither of them were fully transformed yet, and they aren't so easy to recognize anymore themself. so if they've happened to pass each other on the street, it'd take more than just a cursory glance to realize just who they're passing. so it could definitely, and likely will, happen eventually. who's to say.

[avonne-writes]

do you think you could do #8 “Who did this to you?” From your reblog. Maybe like In the stalag when Bucky shows up and goes to give Gale a hug but Gale flinches away. Bucky is immediately worried and try’s to get Gale to spill but it doesn’t work. Blah blah blah, Bucky might see Gale interact with a guard and understands why. Idk take it your own way if you want 😅

Thank you for the prompt! 💕 Sorry for only getting to it now. I went with a different take, but I hope you like it!

8. Who did this to you?

After stumbling inside their quarters at Thorpe, Bucky tries to make his way to his bed blindly in the dark. He counts his steps to measure a distance he knows well by now, but the haze of booze makes his brain sluggish, and the numbers get all jumbled up. Nevertheless, he finds the frame of his cot, locates it with fumbling hands, and lets himself sink down on the mattress with a relieved sigh.

Except, it’s not his cot.

He lands on something simultaneously soft and bony, and gets kneed in the ribs so hard for it that he falls on his ass. Groaning, he gives in to gravity and goes limp on the floor.

"John?" Gale whispers somewhere above him. When Bucky grunts in response, one of their other roommates hisses a shut up their way. "What are you doing?"

"Sleeping." Bucky replies. He feels rather comfortable where he is. At least the room isn’t spinning. Down here, nothing wants to crawl back out of his stomach to show him exactly how much whiskey he poured down his throat to wipe their last mission from his memory.

Slim, warm hands pat at Bucky's chest, trying to locate his shoulders in the dark. When they find a good place to grip and try to pull Bucky up, Bucky turns his head and nips at Gale’s wrist.

"Come on, you big loony." Gale murmurs, completely ignoring the fact that Bucky's mouth is full of the cotton of his shirt. His teeth dig into Gale's arm. Out of curiosity, Bucky bites down harder, until Gale yanks his arm away with an annoyed huff.

"Son of a bitch." He swears under his breath, but a moment later, his hands return. They hook under Bucky's armpits to pull him up by force. "Up. On your feet, Major."

"Don’t want to." Bucky whines.

As soon as Gale gets him vertical, he starts moving to lie right back down, and finds the bed Gale has just vacated. It’s still warm from Gale’s body. He sinks into that heat with a smile, squirming until the dip Gale's body left in the mattress fits his own. Like coming home. His drunken mind imagines it would be just as comforting to climb inside Gale's body. To be one with him. Always welcome, always safe.

"All right." Gale's tired exhale brushes Bucky's ear as Gale leans over him and tugs the blanket out from under his body to drape it over him. Tucking him in like his mama would've. Or a wife.

"Should've left me on the floor." Bucky sniffs. The urge to cry makes his throat tight, but he holds it back. He’s a man, damn it.

"What kind of best friend would that make me, huh?" Gale murmurs softly. He’s so close still. His hands are on Bucky’s back and arm. He should lean in for a goodnight kiss, Bucky thinks. "Go to sleep, Bucky."

"'S your bed."

"You can borrow it tonight."

Fingers run through Bucky’s curls, a ghost of a touch, then there's nothing. Bucky turns his head into Gale's pillow because it smells like him. He falls asleep in a minute.

-

Morning arrives with a dull, heavy pain behind Bucky's eyes that he welcomes like an old friend. Most fellas get cranky when they're hungover, but it just makes Bucky feel alive. It seems as if fewer and fewer things do. Drinking. Singing, dancing, flirting. Gale.

Speaking of - Bucky should find him. Yes, that sounds like the perfect hangover cure. Getting teased by his best friend.

Still fully-clothed and wearing his boots, Bucky climbs out of bed - Gale's bed, he notes, sifting through his blurry memories from last night and coming up blank when he tries to explain it. He figures he might have tried to get in beside Gale, who thought it was better to just surrender his cot. Bucky ought'a thank him for not kicking him out to sleep on the floor.

He finds Gale by the small sink they all share, just finishing up with shaving. He’s stripped down to his undershirt and his hair is not yet slicked back with product but falls over his forehead in soft bangs. It makes him look younger. Pretty, even, if Bucky were being honest. He tries not to be though. Wouldn’t do him any good.

Grinning with all his charm, he walks up to Gale and leans on the wall beside him, his free hand in his pocket. "Hey, Buck."

"Morning." Gale says without looking away from the mirror, but there’s a small smile in the corner of his lips as he slides the blade over his skin.

Bucky has the strangest urge to offer to do the last few swipes for him. "Thanks for the bed."

"You’re welcome." Gale's voice is amused. Although there's a shadow of exhaustion under his eyes, he looks happy, so Bucky feels safe to joke around a bit.

When Gale rinses the blade and starts wiping his face, Bucky nudges him with his foot. In return, Gale flicks water at him, which tickles Bucky into a short laugh. For the first time this morning, Gale's blue eyes meet his and give him a playful look.

"You look like that chow they used to feed us back in Texas." There it is. The teasing.

Bucky grins. "Delicious, you mean?"

For a moment that steals Bucky's breath away, Gale just holds his gaze, but then he turns back to the mirror to comb his hair. "Not the word I'd use."

That's when Bucky notices the bruise on Gale’s forearm. Without thinking, he grabs Gale's hand and pulls it closer to get a better look at the mark. It’s circular, red and purpling in some places, about the width of a set of teeth. A bite mark. When Bucky brushes his thumb over it, Gale’s fingers twitch in his hold.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" Bucky asks with a frown. His protective anger rises behind the wall of confusion in his mind. It’s a fresh bruise, can't be more than a day old. Did Gale get up to something while Bucky was at the pub yesterday?

Gale uses his free hand to hike his trousers higher up his slim waist, shifting in place, but he doesn’t move the hand Bucky's holding to examine the bruise. He just stares at it, cheeks pinking. He’s standing close enough that all Bucky can smell is his aftershave, fresh on his smooth face.

"I reckon it was one of those bed-stealing fellas around here." He drawls.

Bucky swipes his thumb over the mark again distractedly before realization hits him.

"Did I do this?" He asks, horrified. When Gale hums yes, it’s like a rock of guilt falling right on Bucky’s heart. He lets go of Gale's hand and rubs his palm over his own face. His hangover swells into a wave of nausea he swallows back down. "Shit. I'm sorry, Buck. Can’t even remember."

"It was good whiskey, huh?" Gale smiles and picks up the towel he wiped his face with earlier. When Bucky gives him an apologetic look, he swats at him with it. "It’s fine, John."

A memory hits Bucky like a bucketful of ice. Back in flight school, on one of their first longer leaves, Gale actually went home to see his Ma in Wyoming because she was bedridden with a chest cold, and they feared she might pass. She made it through, but for what good, Bucky isn't sure, because Gale rarely ever writes her and hasn’t been to Casper since.

But that one time, he visited his parents. Bucky won't forget how it went anytime soon. The first day Gale came back to base, he was sporting a fading shiner on his right cheek. Dark blue pain under pale skin. He clammed up about how he got it, but Bucky prodded, kept asking the same question, who did this to you? Until Gale confessed that he had a fight with his father. The man was drunk. But it's fine, John, Gale told him, pursing his lips. Nothing that won't heal.

Discomfort ripples through Bucky, bitter on his tongue and heavy in his heart. Gale's smiling now, unlike that day in flight school, but there are too many similarities. Bucky has to, he needs to make it better.

"I didn’t mean to hurt you." He says sincerely.

"I know." Gale nods.

Bucky bites his lip. He can’t think of anything else to make it clearer that he’s nothing like Gale's bastard of a father. There’s so little he can give. He has nothing to offer but his company. "Let me make it up to you. Come to London with me. We could both use a break. Let's go paint the town red."

The tip of Gale's pink tongue pokes out between his lips for a second as he considers it. Instinctively, Bucky's gaze drops to the motion before he looks back to Gale's eyes again. "I don't know about that."

There's a wariness in his voice that wasn’t there before. Bucky hates it. He doesn’t know what put it there, but he wants it gone. He claps a hand on Gale's elbow and gives him a friendly squeeze. "Come on. We can go look at all the sights you wanna see, then I'll take you to a pub and buy you the best ginger beer you've ever had."

Gale gives him a lopsided smile. "Is that a bet?"

Bucky smirks. "A promise." He moves to take Gale's place at the sink, but Gale doesn’t step back immediately, which puts their faces so close to each other that for a split second, Bucky imagines crossing the remaining distance. "Tell you what. We could even split the hotel costs."

A fond light shines in Gale's eyes. He steps away with a chuckle and throws the towel at Bucky. "Go wash your face, Egan."

Grinning, Bucky opens the tap and does just that. That wasn’t a no, he notes. Excitement tingles in his limbs. His blood pumps warm joy through his body with every heartbeat. He has never felt more alive than this, but he wonders if he could. And if yes... would London do the trick?

[merci-bitch]

So long, farewell

Angelique Bouchard x fem!reader

Summary: When you are reborn as a Collins, Angelique faces a dilemma.

Warning(s): angst?

A/N: hi! Been a long time, now this one is long. Quite long. I absolutely loved writing it, specially the first bits. I’ve had the honour of getting help from @arewecoolio . You’re an absolute doll and I thank you dearly for helping me with this! Xx

Now if there are any spelling mistakes or such, please let me know and I will fix it!

Taglist: @escapetodreamworld

Through the dark corridors of the manor, a woman was walking with her head held high, despite being a maid. A bucket in hand. The sound of her heels clicking against the marble floors, and the flush of the water brushing up against the sides of the bucket echoing throughout the corridors. Rounding the corner of the corridor, she lowered herself to the floor and began washing the surface beneath her. The French doors leading to the balcony in front of her open, letting in fresh air. Despite the cloudy sky, the sun shone through. Lighting up the room and the woman sitting on her knees on the floor. She looked up when she heard sounds coming from outside. She saw the Lord’s son and a woman. She felt a sudden fury arise inside of her. Just as soon as her anger had begun, another sound came, but from behind her. The woman looked behind her. It was you.

“Oh, I didn't know you were washing the floors in this wing of the manor, Angelique.”

Angelique didn't answer you and looked forward again. Only to see the two people on the balcony kiss. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to love her, and only her. Your eyes followed what she was looking at. You slowly lowered yourself to your knees next to Angelique. You saw the intense look in her eyes and the way her knuckles were turning white from the grip on the brush.

It wasn't a secret, at least not to you. You knew of her attraction to the Lord’s son. Perhaps you were the only one who’d noticed. The way she would look at him. In that way, you’d look at her. You knew it was wrong. A woman couldn't possibly love another woman. It was unheard of. It was dirty, and yet Angelique made you feel different. You dipped your brush in the bucket next to the older woman and began washing the floor by the French doors. Catching Angelique off guard.

“What are you doing?” she said. Her tone carried the intense look from her eyes. They were sharp. You almost wanted to run away and hide from the gaze—those dark eyes. You'd dream about them.

“Helping you.”

-

Angelique remembers you. She remembers how she wasn't supposed to fall in love with you in the end. It wasn't fully love. Barnabas was her love, yet she couldn't get you off her mind even after you were taken from her. She felt this possessiveness over you. You were innocent. You always looked at her. You never gossiped about men like the other maids did. You were burned into her memory. Your eyes, your face. Everything. Even after she’d cursed Barnabas, you seemed to know everything about her. It was as if you knew she was a witch, but that was ridiculous. No one knew.

When you died, Angelique felt another wave of rage arise from within. You died from an illness that wasn't treatable at the time. She did everything she could think of but nothing worked, and for the first time in her life Angelique felt as if she was failing someone. Of course, the feeling went away quickly. It wasn't like her to suddenly show mercy to her feelings. She wasn't a failure.

She was by your bedside when you passed. Seeing the life disappear from your eyes made Angelique feel strangely empty. Why, she couldn't understand. She didn't love you. Despite your confession to her just then, but then again you wouldn't leave her mind. After your death, she kept seeing you everywhere. Your scent kept following her. As time passed Angelique became more of what she was. Creating her own story of ancestors into the new world, you still followed her. She never thought you'd be reborn as a Collins and ruin her plans yet again.

-

“Oh, it is lovely to see you again.”

“It's nice to be able to come back, mum. I know that I said I would come back sooner, but with graduation taking up a lot of thought and time and then you know I just had to travel with my father,” you said with a smile. You looked up and looked into the eyes of your mother.

“You may look like me, but this spontaneous side of you certainly came from your father.” your mother said. Flicking the hair out of your eyes.

“I hardly know what you mean. I am pure innocence.” you grinned. “Is Carolyn in yet?”

Elizabeth scoffed. “As if she ever leaves her room. Now, I do have one more important thing to discuss with you. You see, we have a guest.”

“A guest? Is it someone I know?” You asked curiously as you walked up the stairs alongside your mother. The house seemed to look so much different from when you were here last. Or perhaps that was just the boarding school talking.

“No, you don’t but he is family. His name is Barnabas Collins, the third.” She said with an unweary tone. It confused you. Was this relative, not someone she liked? Then why were they here?

“Is everything alright mum? He isn’t dangerous is he?” You joked.

“Dangerous? Whatever do you mean?”

“You know, like a vampire or something.” You gestured with your fingers to your mouth. Creating fake fangs. The look of short horror in your mother’s eyes spoke differently to the joke. Not seeing the fun in it at all.

“Will you stop that at once? Behave yourself. Go and unpack your things in your room.” Your mother pointed in the direction of your room. You held your hands up in defence, grabbed ahold of your bags, and walked further up the stairs and down the corridor to the right. You walked further down the corridor and opened the door to your room. The chill hit you immediately like a slap in the face. It sent a shiver down your spine. With a breath, cold enough to see it echo out in the room, you stepped in and closed the door behind you.

This room could have used a duster. You walked over to the large windows and with a small struggle, you finally got them open. Walking back into the center of the room you started unpacking when you suddenly heard a loud banging from downstairs. You walked over to the window again, only to see a red car in the courtyard out front. It looked far too fancy to belong to your family but perhaps this was the relative your mother spoke of?

Leaving the clothing item in your hands on the bed, you walked out of the room and down the corridor again to see whoever it was that was banging an awful lot at the door. As you got closer to the main entrance and living room you heard voices. Looking around the corner from the top of the stairs you saw your mother with her back towards two people. A dark-haired man and a blond woman. The more you stretched out to see, the less room you had on the step.

Upon your noise from the stairs, Elizabeth turned around.

“Ah, Y/N, this is Barnabas.” She pointed to the man who then turned around. A small gasp left your lips. The man was pale like snow. A tall and strong figure and dark eyes. The woman behind him seemed frozen in her spot.

“Hi.” You said and waved as you walked down to stand next to your mother. Barnabas reached out a hand to shake yours. It was awfully cold and your mother seemed to notice your hesitation as you shook his hand, hence the nudge to your side.

“And this is Angelique. She owns Angelbay.” Elizabeth said with a tight lip. “Angelique, Barnabas, this is my oldest daughter Y/N.”

The woman walked forward and shook your hand. Her grip is tight. Her eyes were dark, but shining in a way that intrigued you. Her eyes looked like they were searching for something in yours, and she wouldn’t let go of your hand as you tried to pull away. Her grip only tightened.

“It’s uh, nice to meet you ms. Bouchard.” You said, sending a glance your mother’s way. Asking for help perhaps? But as you looked back at the woman in front of you, you felt that sudden feeling again. A feeling you couldn't quite explain. Not even if you tried to.

“You’re someone we haven’t seen around here before. Where have you been hiding this one, Liz?” Angelique turned to your mother and said. The movement with her head was almost doll-like. Despite turning her attention to your mother, she didn’t let go of your hand.

“She lives with her father in England. He shipped her off to boarding school.” Elizabeth said, her eyes finding Barnabas’s behind Angelique’s back.

“England? How unusual. Seems like such a waste to ship her so far away.” As she said the last part, her grip tightened even more. You hissed slightly as you felt the bones in your hand start to grind together. Finally tearing your hand away from her grip, you let out an awkward chuckle. Drying your now sweaty hand on your trousers. The woman in front of you looked almost offended as you rubbed your wrist with your other hand, but the expression was quickly changed to something else. As if she’d let her mask slip.

You heard your mother speak, but you didn't hear what she said. The woman in front of you was far too intriguing. She terrified you, but at the same time, there was just something about her that you couldn’t quite place.

Angelique couldn’t believe her eyes. Was this some kind of punishment sent from her ancestors? Sending you back to her, as a Collins? And as Elizabeth’s daughter out of all? As if she didn’t have enough trouble with Barnabas coming back. Her only love. You just had to be reborn. And you just had to choose to be reborn now. Like Barnabas, you hadn’t changed a bit. Despite being reincarnated again, and being born from another mother. Your eyes. Those same eyes that had told her the truth so many centuries ago. A truth she didn’t believe. Did you remember her like she remembered you? Was this some hideous trick of faith? Of course not. Angelique made her pathway to faith.

-

You’d imagined your life coming back to your mother’s would have been strange, but you hadn’t imagined this. Ever since that encounter on the stairs, not only had your mother been acting weirdly towards you, but so had this new relative of yours. Barnabas.

You’d heard of the story of David’s mother, Laura. It was heartbreaking to see the boy still walking around claiming he’d spoken to his mother. In some way, you could relate to losing a parent. After all these years, despite having your father, someone was missing. You would never mention it to your mother. She seemed to have enough on her plate, not only with just Carolyn.

This doctor. Julia Hoffman. Your mother spoke so highly of her. With sarcasm. Despite your mother’s information that Julia was sleeping off one of her hangovers, she still walked into the dining room with a glass in hand.

And this Vicky. She seemed sweet enough, but something wasn't right with her either. Barnabas seemed exceptionally taken by her. It was a little sweet, but it certainly wasn't what you expected.

Perhaps it was just because you were an outsider at the moment. You didn't truly know anyone. Sure, you knew your mother and your half-sister. Your uncle and his son, but did you genuinely know them? The real truth was no. As you walked through town, this wasn't something you could remember from when you were last here as a child. Your mother had told you of how Angelique had burned the Collins business to the ground with her own company. Angelbay. Despite the name, you had the feeling she was far from an angel.

As you weren't a child anymore and hardly needed supervision, you took a walk. Since nobody else seemed to be even the slightest interested in showing you around, you figured you’d do it yourself. You'd seen a bookstore, a record shop, and a small diner. Being this close to the sea would have been nice if it wasn't for the awful smell of fish the closer you got. You stood by a fence, looking out over the water. The sky was concealed away by the clouds.

“Don’t you have far more interesting things to do?”

A voice from behind you spoke. Startling you out of your trance. Looking behind you, you saw that same woman from earlier today. Although now she wasn’t wearing that skirt. She was wearing trousers.

“Oh, hello again ms. Bouchard. I was just taking a look around town.” You said, suddenly feeling nervous under her gaze.

“Please, call me Angie. No need for such, formalities.” She said with a wide smile. Her tone was teasing as she spoke. She walked up the few steps and stood next to you, leaning up against the fence. Turning herself towards you.

“Of course, I was only being polite.” You said as an apology. Looking down at your hands. You felt so out of place here. It was as if you’d arrived in a whole different world. If Angelique noticed, she didn’t say anything.

“How are you liking the town so far? I’d expected Liz to show you around.” Angelique said, purely faking her enjoyment.

“It’s nice, I suppose. A bit different to what I’m used to. She was supposed to but something came up and here I am.” You shrugged your shoulders and gave a small smile to the woman in front of you.

“How about I give you a little tour then, hm? Finish off with some dinner?”

“Oh, Angie that’s real sweet of you but you’re obviously a very busy lady. I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that.” You tried to reason.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t have the time, and it is my responsibility on behalf of the town council to welcome new members to Collinsport,” Angelique said, her tone firm.

“Oh, alright then. Why not?” You said with a small smile and then followed her back down to the road.

-

You felt very uneasy with all the eyes staring at you and you were certain that it wasn’t because you were new in town but because of a certain blond sitting across the table from you.

“Would you like to leave?” She asked calmly. She seemed used to having so many eyes on her.

“What? No, of course not. I’m just not used to, you know.” You said, trying to gesture with your hands.

“Not used to having dinner with a woman, you mean,” Angelique said as she leaned back in her seat. Bringing the coffee cup up to her lips to hide her smirk.

“No! I didn’t mean it like that. This is great. You’re great. I just meant-“

“You think I’m great? My, completing me already? Darling, I’d thought I’d at least buy you dinner first.” Angelique‘s smirk only grew as she spoke. Despite this not being her original plan, she wouldn’t deny herself the fact that she was enjoying herself. You really hadn’t changed a bit. Even now, you still resolved to a blushing mess before her. She’d forgotten how much she had had you wrapped around her finger.

“Buy me dinner? You don’t need to do that. What I meant was all the staring.” You leaned in and whispered the last part to her. Trying not to let her teasing affect you. Angelique leaned in as well and didn’t look away from the eye contact she held with you.

“Oh, it’s no trouble, darling. It seems that they are just as interested in this new thing coming into our town as I am. It is not every day we have a newcomer.”

“You must be used to all the eyes on you all the time. I mean you’re practically famous!” You said popping a chip into your mouth with a small smile. Angelique let out a chuckle.

“I know how to do business right and so have the women in my family. I won’t stoop so low to not walk around without everyone’s respect. But not all like me, you know.” Angelique said, taking another sip of her coffee.

“Who?”

“Your mother for one.” She said. Her eyes suddenly sharpened when you looked down at your plate. Crying your fingers on the napkin in your lap before looking up again. Her eyes changed once again, as quickly as the wind.

“Half the time I’m sure my mother doesn’t even like me. You’re not special.” You said without even realising it.

“Not special am I? Now that’s a first. I must admit.” Angelique gasped. Enjoying the way you suddenly choked on your drink in realisation.

“Oh my god. I am so sorry Angelique. I didn’t mean it like that. Please believe me.” You almost begged. Angelique only hummed at you, with a small smirk on her lips as she paid the bill and walked out of the diner and stopped by her car.

“I apologise for what I said, Angie. Truly. You must know I didn’t mean it like that.” You said, hoping you hadn’t offended her.

“I know what you meant. I would have thought you and Liz were the best of friends.” She croaked her head to the side, watching you. Leaning up against the side of her car. Her skin shone in the darkness from the pale light of the streetlamp.

“Well, I suppose not. I feel like I hardly know anyone. Especially not that new relative that showed up all of a sudden according to Mum. Barnabas or whatever his name was.” You shrugged, not noticing how Angelique’s body language changed at the mention of his name. Her ears spiked and her body reacted to it like a drug.

“No?” She asked with fake curiosity. Crossing her arms.

“You met him. He is very strange, but sweet I suppose. They all stare at me, much like those people in there.” You pointed at the diner. “You’re the only one who hasn’t looked at me strangely, and I hardly know you.” You risked a glance at the older woman in front of you.

Angelique hummed again before replying. “Some people are special. Different from others. Some people who are different can only understand each other.”

As she spoke, you thought she talked about you. In reality, she spoke about someone else.

In the end, all you did was shrug your shoulders as a response to what she said. You looked up at the sky and sighed.

“I should probably be heading home, Mum’s probably worried sick already. It was nice meeting you under different circumstances, Angie. You’re not as bad as they say, or as my mother says. Thank you for today.” You gave the woman a smile to show your gratitude before turning slowly away to walk on the payment beside the diner.

“Where are you going, Y/N?”

It was the first time you’d heard her say your name. It sent a shiver through you. The way your name rolled on her tongue made it sound so different from when everyone else said it. You turned around in time to see her open the car door.

“Well?” She said with a raised eyebrow. “Are you getting in or what?”

“Oh, it isn’t necessary. I can walk-“

The glance she gave you was enough to make you shut up and walk those few steps towards her and get into her car. She closed the door and walked around the car and got in the driver's seat. As she turned on the engine, she gave you a wink.

Angelique might not have been entirely sure what she was doing with you. You didn’t remember her, and even though she remembered you and your confession of love to her on your deathbed, she didn’t need you. On the other side though, you were suddenly a way to get to him.

-

“And where have you been all day?”

You turned around and saw your mother leaning against the doorframe of her office. She must have heard you come in.

“Out. Seeing town, and making new friends.” You shrugged and turned to leave, but she grabbed your arm and pulled you inside. “What are you doing?” You asked, shrugging out of her hold.

“And out of all the people in town, you chose Angelique as your new ‘friend’?!” Your mother nearly shouted at you.

“What is your problem, mum? Honestly. There’s nothing wrong with her. She was being nice, and she showed me around town and then bought me dinner. That’s all. It’s not like you went with me.” You scoffed and walked over to the large window on the right. The one with the view down to town.

“Nothings wrong with her? She’s a-“

“A what mum?” You turned around, glaring at her. Daring her to continue her sentence. Elizabeth gave up, took a breath and walked up to you, grabbing you by the shoulders.

“Look Y/N, there are some people who are different. Some people do not wish us well, and Angelique is one of them. She ran the business to the ground and has continued to poke us out as strangers to this town. I’m only looking out for you, and you know I didn’t leave you to go out alone on purpose, but I certainly did not mean for you to go handholding with our enemy.”

“Enemy? What is this, seventh grade? She was nice to me mum. She didn’t look at me weirdly like you all do, and she for one seemed genuinely interested in spending time with me.” You turned around again and looked out the window. You felt your mum’s grip on your shoulders tighten.

“Please promise me that you’ll not meet up with Angelique again. She means only trouble.”

You let out a heavy sigh and unwillingly agreed. You didn’t listen to what your mum then later said. Something about rebuilding the Collins fish business. Your mind kept wandering back to the diner. To the day you spent with Angelique. To the way she kissed your cheek before you got out of the car. Purely innocent and done as a friendly gesture of course, but it left you feeling different each time you thought of it. Developing a schoolgirl crush on your family’s sworn enemy on the first day of meeting her surely was something. If not the wrong thing.

-

As time went on, you did your best to obey your mother’s order to stay out of Angelique’s way, but of course, rules are meant to be broken. Technically It wasn’t you, it was her. It was always her these days. You couldn’t get her off your mind. You’d seen her in town and always looked her away. Even unknowingly. Now that the family business was up and running again, it caused even more tension to grow between your family and Angelique herself.

You felt as if you were stuck in the middle of it all. She wasn’t all that bad, was she? She had only ever been kind to you. Your mother and Barnabas kept whispering in secret at times. You always wondered if it was about her. Angelique. He seemed to know her, which surprised you when he was visiting from England himself. And if you were to believe your mother saying it was the first time he was visiting, how could he possibly know her? You almost felt jealous. Not only by the attention he was given by your mum but by the attention given by Angelique.

It sounded ridiculous, you hardly knew Angelique. Sure, she had shown you around town and bought you dinner, but that was it and since your mother had forbidden you to meet her, It was quite impossible. But there was just something about her that caused your mind to wander. Daydreaming had never been something that had affected you, that was until now. She was everywhere in your thoughts.

“Y/N!”

You jumped as you heard someone bark your name. Turning to your side, finding your mother standing there with crossed arms and a rather disapproving look on her face.

“Eh, sorry. What do you say?” You cleared your throat and sat up straighter. Trying not to make it look like you were just caught daydreaming. Again.

“What on earth is going on with you? You’re hardly listening to me at all. And this isn’t the first time this has happened. What’s gotten your mind so occupied you can’t even think to listen to me when I speak to you?” Your mother barked at you. Staring at you intensely. You suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

“Nothing mum. I promise. I just haven’t slept well, that’s all. I’m sorry.” You tried to reason. Hoping she’d fall for the bait and leave it alone.

“Perhaps you should see Julia.”

Now this surprised you.

“What? No. Of course not. I’m fine. I promise.” You said as you stood up and pushed the chair you’d been sitting in, in. “I think I’ll take a walk. You know, to clear my head.”

“This is about Angelique, isn’t it?”

You froze.

“What? Why would you say that?”

“You’ve been acting weirdly ever since I told you, you couldn’t see her again or under any circumstances talk to her.”

“I’ve been acting weirdly? Says the woman who’s been whispering in secret with this new relative who showed up out of the blue.” You sparked back at her. How dare she?

“Barnabas and I aren’t secretly whispering and he is as much a Collins as you are.”

She kept on going with her speech. Your mother was always wise when it came to words and at this moment, she seemed to favour him over you. So you left for that walk.

-

Summer was going away as the leaves were falling off the trees and the clouds coming back with rain every other minute. The air was damp but cool. Perfectly enough to help you cool down. You’d never been the one to raise your voice at your parents, but your mother seemed out of line these days.

As you walked alongside the shops, the wind was getting harsher. The clouds were getting darker too, and you could almost smell the incoming rain, but it didn’t bother you. You stepped into a coffee shop as the sky finally opened up. Just barely making it inside without getting drenched. You sat in a corner booth and drank your tea while watching the rain fall. Rather depressing, but given the circumstances it felt right. Perhaps the only right thing to do after a fight with your mother. It made you miss your father and your home.

“Is it just me, or are you always alone?”

A voice behind you spoke. You turned around and felt the air leave your lungs for just a second.

“Angelique.”

“So you do speak. I was almost certain your tongue had been cut off.” Angelique said as she sat down opposite you.

“Oh, no I haven’t been ignoring you if that’s what-“

“Oh, but that’s exactly what you’ve been doing, isn’t it? Did Mommy finally tell the tale to scare you away from me?”

“You know that’s not true Angie.” You tried to defend yourself. You knew it was useless as she had some right in what she was saying.

“Isn’t it? It wouldn’t surprise me. Liz has always seen me as the big bad wolf. I can leave if you’d like.” She said, halfway out of her seat.

“No! Please, don’t go.” You said, rather fast. If not too fast. And a bit louder than you would have liked. Angelique’s lips curled into a grin and sat back down again. Lightning a cigarette.

“So tell me, why the sudden silence? I thought we were friends.” She said as she blew out the smoke.

“Yes I know, and I’m sorry. Truly.”

“Funny, I’m suddenly getting déjà vu from this conversation.”

You looked down at your hands. A small sense of guilt finally creeping up on you. You suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

“How about we talk somewhere else, hm?”

You looked up and saw her staring at you rather intensely. With a small nod, you got up from your seat and followed her out in the rain. Knowing your mother would probably have a fit if she knew what you were doing right now. You got into her car and let her drive off to whatever place she had in mind.

That place being her house. It wasn’t what you had imagined when she’d offered to speak somewhere else. It was a house on a hill a little further away from town and of course, it was a big one. Despite the big house, it didn’t look as modern as you thought on the inside. Sure, marble floors in the hallway and a massive golden mirror, but it was elegant. Fitting for someone like Angelique. You suddenly felt even more out of place.

You nearly jumped as you felt someone come up behind you, only to remember it was Angelique herself. She’d pulled off your coat. With a hand on your lower back, she lead you into the house. The room on your left was the living room. A room with windows looking out over the town, much like the ones in your mother’s office. Two big white sofas surrounding a fireplace.

“You have a beautiful home,” you said as you looked around. Large paintings hanging on walls. On the other side of the room was a record player. You couldn't help but let curiosity get the better of you, and walked over. You peeked through all the records she had. Most of them being French. You should have guessed it. She did have a rather French name after all.

“Have a thing for music, do you?”

You turned around to see Angelique holding two glasses of wine and an amused expression on her face.

“Oh, I didn't mean to look through your things. I was just curious.”

Angelique nodded her head towards the sofa closest to the fireplace and sat down. You walked over and sat down next to her but at a distance. She handed you one of the glasses but you refused politely.

“What, you don’t drink?”

“I’ve never had alcohol before no. My father doesn’t really drink. Well, not unless it’s scotch.”

“Try it.”

You had a feeling she wasn’t going to give up so you did. It tasted bitter and you made a face as the liquid went down. A laugh arose from the older woman next to you before taking a sip of her own. “You’ll get used to the taste.” She said, closing her eyes and leaning back against the sofa. Basking in the warmth from the fireplace. You couldn’t help but stare at her. It wasn’t intentional but you couldn’t look away. Her pale skin shone in the light from the fire just as it had done with the light from the lamppost that night. You almost wanted to touch it.

Angelique knew you were staring. She had a sixth sense after all, but it felt just like it did all those centuries ago. Your eyes on her at every possible moment of the day. Something in her enjoyed it. She wouldn’t admit it to herself, the fact that some part of her had missed you. Never, but now that her last meeting with Barnabas hadn’t ended well, despite the lustful hour of what she would call love, she couldn’t help but think of the possibilities of having you on her side. What it could mean for her and Barnabas.

She opened her eyes again and caught you staring. You quickly looked away, a blush forming on your cheeks as you’d been caught. A small chuckle came from the woman next to you. Her chuckle was low and sultry, sending a shiver down your spine. Her gaze lingered on you, suddenly cloudy and intense as if she could see right through you. The room seemed to dim around you and the air thick with anticipation, as her hand slowly reached out to touch yours, igniting a forbidden desire within you. You looked down at where her hand suddenly grasped yours, tugging at it. Pulling you closer to her. Your knees suddenly touched hers. You looked up at Angelique again, only to realise how much closer she was. Letting out a gasp as a reaction.

“Don't be shy," she whispered, her voice smooth like velvet. “I don't bite. Well, not unless you want me to.”

The blush that had previously appeared on your cheeks crept up your throat once again. Angelique’s other arm was draped over the sofa’s back. A shiver went through you once more as you felt her fingers trace the skin of your wrist.

“Tell me, how are you getting along with this new relative of yours?”

“He’s nice I suppose. He taught me how to play chess. He’s been spending a lot of time with Vicky. They go down to the water quite a bit with David.” Your eyes had turned to the fireplace, so you didn’t notice the way Angelique’s eyes changed as you mentioned Vicky. She wasn’t going to be a problem much longer. How odd. You being reborn, and Josette too.

“How do you know him?” You asked. Turning back to her, unknowingly curling yourself more towards her. The question caught Angelique off guard. She hadn’t thought of a cover-up story for this.

“We met here in Collinsport. The same day when I met you.”

“Funny, you seemed to know each other, even back then.”

“Funny indeed.”

“I should probably go. It’s getting late, and I wouldn’t want to be a bother.” You said, clearly sensing it had been the wrong thing to ask. As you got up, Angelique grabbed your hand. Her grip was just as tight as the day you met when she wouldn’t let go of your hand. It was giving you déja vu.

“Stay. Have another glass of wine. You’re an adult, aren’t you? Mommy doesn’t need to know where you are all the time.” As she spoke, she filled up your glass and handed it to you, tugging you down to sit.

-

You had shared a bottle. Or mostly, you had drank it. Angelique had had two glasses. It had left you woody, and more unaware of your surroundings than before. Leaving you prey to a predator named Angelique. As the evening went on and the more alcohol you consumed, the more you fell for her trap. Her small touches and her eyes looking you over. You were done for.

Your head was lying on her shoulder. Your body curled into hers as you comforted yourself in the warmth from the other woman. Her fingers were running through your hair. Your eyes were slipping shut and a pleasant hum left your lips. It was a moment someone would have called soft. Not Angelique of course. She wasn’t soft, but she always had a plan.

“Feeling tired, Y/N?”

You hummed in response. Wrapping your arm around her waist to hold onto her. Angelique chuckled to herself. She let you fall asleep curled into her. She hardly knew what time it was, and she didn’t care. The longer you stayed with her, the more of a riff there would be between you and Elizabeth. The more you would be on her side. Of course, it wasn’t because she enjoyed it. Having you so close to her. She was only using you to get to Barnabas. That was what this whole thing was about. Angelique had realised long ago that you didn’t remember anything from your past life, but her plan had always been to use you to get to him.

-

“I love you, Angelique.”

Angelique froze upon hearing those words fall from your lips. She refused to look you in the eye when she moved again. You grabbed her hand and begged her to look at you. Even on your deathbed, you needed to see her one last time. With her by your side, you could pass on peacefully. She didn’t say anything as she sat down. She let you hold her hand. She didn’t understand why you would say such a thing to her. She didn’t love you. She wasn’t sure she liked you. But from the moment you started, you’d been on her side. You had been able to read her like no one had before. Perhaps it was for the best that you were dying. Who knew what you would do if you found out she was a witch?

“I love you.”

She saw the life drain from your eyes. Those three words being the last you said, and the last you said to her left her with a strange feeling. Suddenly, something else was happening to her. She was feeling something other than hatred for Barnabas' denial. She was feeling empty. The anger was quickly coming back. She wouldn’t let the death of you come in her way. No matter how it made her feel.

-

The dream still haunted you. It didn’t feel like a dream. It felt like a memory. Something that happened a long time again that you suddenly remembered, but that wasn’t possible. Was it?

It had been days. Everything was going into chaos. There hadn’t been any time to stop and think about it. Especially not now when the factory was burning up in flames. You’d been in your mother’s office as it happened. She wouldn’t let you leave her eyesight when she found out you’d spent the night at Angie’s. You didn’t remember it. You didn’t remember any of it. The only thing you remembered was that dream. Everything felt so different. Suddenly Julia was missing and nobody knew where she’d gone. Barnabas and Vicky had disappeared as well. You might not have grown up with your mother, but you knew she wasn’t doing well. Something was stressing her more than usual.

As you walked down the stairs to the front doors, you heard sirens. Your mother opened the doors and walked out. You walked out behind her and saw Angelique’s red car pull up alongside a police car. People from the town were gathering in the driveway.

It all went by so quickly as Barnabas suddenly walked out behind you. You’d walked closer to your mother as he suddenly grasped Angelique by the neck. The gasps from the people alongside your own as he bit into her neck echoed throughout your head. Your mother’s accusation of Angie being a witch as she suddenly threw Barnabas back into the house with ease. Her skin looked even paler as she turned around again after greeting the people behind her. It looked as if it was cracking. Like porcelain. A feeling of dread went through you. Perhaps your mother was right after all.

You’d followed your mother back into the house, standing behind her as she fired the shotgun. It all happened in the blink of an eye. The house catching on fire, Carolyn being a werewolf and Angelique making the house bleed. David’s mother’s ghost appeared and screamed Angelique up into the chandelier. Making it crash down into the ground. Your mother carried Carolyn out of the house, screaming for you and David to follow, but you couldn’t. Something in you couldn’t move. Instead, you ran to her.

“Angelique?” You said, your voice trembling with both fear and sorrow. For a reason, you couldn’t understand. That dream came rushing back to you. It wasn’t a dream, was it?

“Angelique, I remember where I’ve seen you before.” You said. You didn’t fully understand what you meant as you spoke, but the woman in front of you did. A glint of something other than pain flashed through her eyes. Her skin looked like a smashed porcelain doll. You looked behind you and saw Barnabas standing there. A scream of your name, coming from your mother made you move. Standing just by the door to see the life drain from Angelique’s eyes as she turned her head towards you.

Something in her was trying to tell you something just before it disappeared. It hit you like a slap in the face. A cry erupted from your lungs as the ceiling fell over Angelique. You almost ran in, had it not been for your mother’s arms dragging you away from the sight of your burning home. It had never been the house or your family. It had always been her. She was your love. Your true love.

[lulublack90]

Prompt 11 - Pirate

@wolfstarmicrofic June 11, word count 774

Previous part First part

"It wasn't until you were on top of me, inches from my face, and you'd dipped your head that I realised why I'd been a bit obsessed with you," Sirius said, before Remus had even fully sat down. "Like the second I saw you I just felt good, you know?" Remus nodded. 

"Yeah, same," He admitted. Then, for some unknown reason that only the impulsive part of his brain knew, he blurted out. "I thought you were beautiful," He froze, eyes bulging as he realised what he'd just said. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks. He tried to duck his head, but Sirius caught it with his hands.

"You're beautiful too," His words ghosted across Remus's lips and he shuddered. They didn’t talk much after that. 

That night Remus listened as Sirius padded across the cabin and slipped into James’s bed. He cracked an eye open and watched as they hid under James’s duvet, whispering and giggling as quietly as they could. 

At breakfast the next morning, after they'd made full use of their first dibs cards, Dumbledore announced that they would be creating rafts after lunch.

“So please make sure you are properly attired as we will be heading straight to the lake after you’ve eaten.” 

Remus looked down at the swimming trunks laid out on his bed. He thought about faking being sick to get out of it. All the adults there knew about his illness, so it wouldn’t take much. Sirius came in wearing black trunks with a skull and crossbones across the front and back in the style of a Jolly Rodger. He furrowed his brow at the still fully clothed Remus before his eyebrows shot up in understanding. He turned away and fished through James’s drawer, pulling out a t-shirt that would drown Remus but also had a skull right in the middle of it. It even had long sleeves. 

“Put this on and we can match.” He smiled confidently. “And if anyone says anything, just say you burn easy.” He grabbed up Remus’s trunks and started to prod him towards the bathroom to get changed. 

“But what about my legs?” Remus pleaded. The scars had faded some, but you could still see the silvery lines where the glass had torn them up. When he was five, he'd had his first episode, and he’d fallen on the glass coffee table at his grandparent's house and had a seizure on the shards. He’d been in shorts and a t-shirt. They’d been his first scars. Little did that young boy know that they’d soon have a collection of friends join them as the doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with him. 

“Your legs?” Sirius’s eyes went wide and vulnerable. He swallowed and held the leg of his trunks up. “Then we can match.” And there on Sirius’s soft thigh were dozens of scars, criss-crossing the skin. 

“Sirius, I,” He started, but Sirius waved his concerns aside. 

“If anyone says anything, James and I will sort them out,” He promised. Remus went into the bathroom and got changed. 

“Stunning,” Sirius proclaimed, smacking a kiss on his lips and pulling him towards the door. “Come on, let’s go build a raft.”

The raft-building tools included blue barrels, wooden planks and rope. They were expected to find the best way to get them together and paddle them across the lake. 

“We’ve done this before,” Peter whispered to Remus, conspiratorially making Remus grin. He was feeling good, no one had said anything about the scars on his legs or the long-sleeved t-shirt he was wearing. 

He and Peter brought the supplies to James and Sirius as they masterfully worked together, seeming to read each other’s minds to build a perfect raft. 

They clambered on one at a time to check the knots were secure. Sirius and James paddled out and the raft held. They did a few more tests and were happy with its sturdiness. By this point, the Slytherin team had finished theirs as well. 

Sirius jumped to his feet.   

 “I am a pirate king!” He cried boldly, jumping to his feet and making the raft bob violently. “Hurry men, I wish to board that ship and claim it as my own!” He pointed at the Slytherin raft, where the greasy-haired boy Snape and the ever charming Mulciber were arguing over how to attach the barrels better. Before Remus could say anything, James put an oar in his hands and they started forward. “Avast ye mangy curs, your boat be mine now!” Sirius called to them with a terrible glee in his eyes. Remus shook his head and kept rowing. 

Next part

[josiesullysblog]

Like the Ocean

~Neteyam x Deaf Metkayina reader

~Fluff

~Proofread?-no

~Summary-You are Tonowari’s youngest daughter, you were a kind soul, always doing what’s right, and we're deaf. This never stopped you from enjoying the world, and one day a certain family came.

Note: This is my first time writing about the Metkayina! I hope everyone enjoys!

Your eyes sparkled as you watched the ocean. This was always your escape no matter what, it was always so beautiful and still. You smiled as you dipped your feet in, feeling the vibrations all around you. Being deaf enhanced your life in a way. Honestly, just by the way your eyes looked at everything, you’d think it was your first time seeing it. Your family never made you feel like a burden, your older siblings, Tsireya and Aonung, stopped any bullying that would be your way. Your mother, Ronal treated you as a baby, even though you were of age.

Anyways, you wouldn’t trade your life for anything. As you continued to play around you noticed people surrounding something. You assumed it might be someone hurt, so you rushed over there. Instead, you were met with a group of forest people. Your eyes widen in amazement as you began trying to get closer. Their bodies were much different, and if they trying to live here it would take them a while to learn the way of the water, you thought. You noticed two boys and two girls, but one stood out the most. His eyes had already been placed on you causing you to smile. You waved at the boy, who seemed shocked you waved and quickly returned the wave.

Aonung took notice before sending a glare toward the boy and grabbing you and pushing you slightly behind him. You frowned a bit till you noticed your father come out. Without being able to fully see him, you weren't able to keep up with what he was saying. You saw Tsireya and went her way and signed to her, “what is going on?”

She sent you a smile, “they want to stay here,” your smile widen at the thought of new friends. You clapped, something you did often to show you were happy. Tsireya laughed a little, till your mother made her way to the group. You adored your mother, constantly wanting to be with her and learn. She hadn't noticed you in the group and began speaking, she grabbed the oldest girl’s hand showing off the extra finger that you thought was cool. You slightly tapped Tsireya, “they have extra fingers! They must be very special!” She nodded slightly bringing her attention back to the conversation. Without being able to understand your eyes began wondering and fell back to the boy. His eyes were very pretty you thought as you examined the jewels he wore on his body.

You could tell the conversation had gone well by the smile laced on your sister's face. She stepped forward a bit dragging you with her. You waved at the family, causing your mother to finally notice you, “My Son, Aonung, and daughters, Tsireya and Raya will show you where you will stay.” You read his lips before smiling, “no, not my Raya!” Your mother grabbed your forearm lightly, “she will be coming with me,” and just like that you left the group, but not without waving to the new family bye.

You sat next to your mother as she softly braided your hair, you enjoyed the sensation it gave you. You softly tapped her leg turning to face the woman, “why was I not allowed to help the new family?” Her smile faltered at the mention of the forest people, “they have sky people's blood in them! They are from the forest and soon will realize they are useless in the water!” you frowned at your mother's words, “but they can still try! I bet they will prove us all wrong mom!” you smiled brightly at the older woman. One thing she loved about you, you always found the good in everything no matter what.

Neteyam's eyes could not lift from you the minute he saw you. You had these big blue eyes and even though everyone else was looking at him and his family as “demon blood” you looked more amazed. Once you noticed his stare, it didn't shy you away at all you smiled back showing off your dimples. He was going to speak with you before Aonung pulled you back. As the conversation with his fathers and the chief continued his mind kept wandering to you. Lo’ak took notice and nudged him, “we’ve literally been here for five seconds,” Neteyam rolled his eyes before looking else where.

“My Son, Aonung, and daughters, Tsireya and Raya will show you where you will stay.” His eyes followed you as you stepped out with your siblings. His smile deepened before being knocked off, “no, not my Raya,” your mother grabbed you and dragged you off, but you still sent a happy wave as you walked off, “follow me!” your sister directed him, and his family to their new home.

He didn't see you for the rest of the day. Assuming you probably had more important things than helping teach him and his siblings. But the next day as he and his siblings made their way down the beach with Tsireya, Aonoung, and Rotox your figure was already there. “I will go get Raya she can help you guys a lot with learning our ways!” Tsireya ran down the beach to get the girl's attention. You sat on the sand as you continued to feel the way it moved, you were at peace till you felt a pull. You turned your head and faced your sister.

You smiled big, “good morning!” you signed as you stood up, “will you be able to help us teach the Sullys sign language?” You clapped lightly, “I would love to!” Yesterday your mother made you stay by her side, which you had no problem with only that you wanted to see the pretty boy again.

You and your sister walked to the group who had already sat in a circle, “hello, Raya I’m Tuk!” The little girl waved at you while speaking. You waved back, “you are very pretty Raya!” this time you were unable to read her lips due to her speaking so fast, so you smiled at her before looking at your sister, “she spoke too fast, what did she say?” Tsireya sighed, “Oh, guys Raya is deaf!” The four children let out a small “o” as you simply sighed heavily, “what did she say?” you signed again. Tsireya laughed, “she said you were pretty!” you smiled before signing, “thank you!”

“She said thank you!” Tsireya translated for you. As the group continued with lessons the only person you helped was Neteyam. You and he seemed to be having a conversation without words but with eyes. He understood everything you said, taking it in like a sponge. Your smile made his heart beat fast, and his eyes to you seemed a lot like the ocean. They were not the same color but they held the exact feeling you got when you were at the beach. You two had gotten so carried away that you hadn't noticed everyone else at all. You certainly had a frown as Aonung tapped you and told you it was time to leave.

“Will you teach me tomorrow?” Neteyam questioned as you got up, “yes, I will try!” Aonung sighed heavily dragging you away from the blue boy. You had a smile the rest of the day, doing everything with a little pep in your step. As nighttime rolled around you and your sister often stayed up late, talking. “Do you like anyone?” she questioned you. You were always a happy person, but you had a different energy today. You nodded while clapping, “I do!” your heart swelled thinking of the blue boy. Tsireya let out a small squeal, “who is it?” she pressed you. You smiled so hard it felt like your cheeks were to fall off, “Neteyam!” you smiled as you signed causing the girl to go into a giggling frenzy, “I knew it!” you stopped smiling and looked at the girl, “was I that obvious?” she nodded, “do you think he knows?” she shook her head, “men are stupid, there is no way he knows,” you took her words in before heading to sleep.

Neteyam stayed up all night trying to practice his sign language. He yawned as he walked close to the spot you were at. He began walking closer till you noticed him, already smiling at him you ushered for him to come closer. Neteyam sat before facing you, “you pretty,” he looked so proud of himself that you didn't have the heart to say he did it wrong. “Thank you!” you said as he smiled. You noticed him yawn before looking at him, “did you stay up practicing?” you at first didn't know if he understood, but the boy quickly nodded. You felt so loved you clapped, “that was so sweet!” you laid back signaling for him to do the same, “you pretty!” you signed to the boy. But he was already fast asleep. You smiled before kissing his forehead and going into the boy's embrace.

***

Sorry if the ends seem rushed! I have school in the morning and have no time to fix it up today! But hope you all enjoyed it!

[nintendonut1]

Hasty

so i

wrote ship fic of my OCs

if you guys are into that sorta thing LOL

Swee/Willow slowburn fic, where they discuss Swee's favorite television program growing up. Includes swearing, small injury, and telenovela-esque drama (thanks to LassDaisy for double-checking my Spanish!)

“What the—dude. What is this lady’s problem??”

Swee freezes mid-slice, the carrot on his cutting board half-diced, and takes a moment to find his center. Were it anyone else, any other time, he wouldn’t hesitate to throw someone who’d dare slander his girl right out of his kitchen. Shutting his eyes, he, oddly enough, finds inner peace in her shrieking voice blaring at full volume from the mounted television.

It’s okay. He dropped in at the season finale of a show that’s in a language he cannot understand. He has no knowledge of her struggles. Go easy on him.

Without a word, he lifts the remote and pauses the DVD, turning to face his guest with his hands clasped in front of his face. “...okay. Do you want the whole list, or just the top ten?”

Willow gives proper pause, blinking, a cracker drenched in cheese sauce hovering just near his open mouth in mid-bite. After the pause, he pops it in, growing nervous.

…oops.

Swee puffs out a sigh. “Sorry. I get melodramatic about my shows sometimes.” He saunters away from the counter and plops into a chair, joining Willow at the kitchen island and dipping his own cracker in the sauce. He needed a break from dinner prep anyways.

“I can, uh. See why,” Willow ventures with an uneasy grin, one that Swee wants to make go away and turn more genuine as soon as he can. 

“Yeah, heh. This one especially gets me bad. But I can’t help but feel for her, y’know?”

“Swee, she just pulled a gun on these two.” Willow points a chip at her frozen close-up of righteous fury, said gun pointed in front of her. “Like, is she dating one of them? Is that why?” (oh stars, he doesn’t know how painfully heterosexual this show is, that’s so cute holy shit) “Still seems like an overreaction, I dunno.”

“I mean…fair. But,” Swee turns to fully face him, swallowing a cracker. “This is the finale of season ten. There’s been a shitton of build-up to this.”

“So, tell me about it.”

Swee looks straight into those crooked eyes, fresh green and glittering, and finds nothing but sincerity in them.

So, he does.

It’s a bit of a long-winded summary of Hayce T. con Amor, a show near and dear to his heart. He followed its initial airing alongside his mom, and as he traveled around he’d spend hours on the phone with her sharing their impressions of the latest episode, up to its dramatic ending years ago. It follows the tumultuous journey of Hayce T., in her constant pursuit of true love in a sea of liars and cheaters. The first episode opens on her finding her high-school boyfriend making out with another girl under the bleachers, and her luck never, ever seems to lift up from there. The theme was that she’d always throw everything she had into a new relationship, naively hoping that this would be the one, and the boyfriend of the week would always find something wrong with that, each reason more outlandish than the last.

“Hell, last season, Pet T. tried to spin it in a way where she was ‘gaslighting and manipulating’ him by putting on some front?? Bess T., that’s her friend, remember, talked some sense into her, but like, damn, man?”

Willow is absorbing this, taking a thoughtful bite of a small stack of crackers as he considers it all. “So, like.” Oh he’s gonna say it, isn’t he. “When are Hayce and Bess gonna kiss?” 

There it is. Oh god Willow you beautiful soul. I could kiss you right now.

Swee doesn’t, and swallows a blush this time, taking a moment to recalibrate at that interruption to his whole spiel. “...okay, well, I’m not gonna spoil anything later on, just lemme get to right now—”

The star-doll looks almost smug as he chomps another stack. “Hellllll yeah they kiss later, don’t they.”

“Shoosh-shush. Yer throwin’ me off.” Swee shakes himself back on track as Willow chuckles. “So that guy, the one she’s pointing the gun at? That’s Gill T. He treated her like a queen, said he’d never do all the crap she went through, it looked like this was it, ‘tu eres mi unico amor,’ y’know?”

Willow nods, leaning in with interest. He doesn’t even point out how little Spanish he knows this time. “Uh-huh? But then she found him with that other lady anyways?”

“Worse than that, dude. That other lady was sent by him to kill her.”

“WHAT.”

“Right??”

He slumps back. Poor thing looks defeated, as if he was beginning to understand and it was all thrown off kilter. “Swee. Swee, what.”

“Look, just—I’ll go back to the beginning of the season,” the toad scrambles back to the counter, fiddling with the DVD menu. “And I’ll hit the subtitles, just. I can’t just tell you everything, you gotta watch it unfold, it’s fuckin’ crazy.”

“Aaaallright, okay.” Willow acquiesces, watching the opening credits play out as Swee frantically returns to his prep work, oops, oops, oops—

“...Swee?”

“Yeah?” Chop chop chop.

“You said you feel for Hayce T., yeah?”

“Uh-huh.” 

“...are you looking for true love, too?”

CHOP. “—AAGGHH. FUCK.”

“Swee???”

In a whirling blur, the toad chef is back at the kitchen island, his hand nestled in a bloodied cloth. Spanish voices fade into the background as he watches Willow tend to the lengthy cut along the top, releasing a sappy healing salve from a digit in his finger and dragging it along the wound. 

Swee’s head is positively buzzing. He almost misses when Willow sighs, “There. Geez. Not as bad as it looked, but still.”

“Thanks. Ugh.”

Aw hell. Now Willow looks away, ashamed, like this whole thing was his fault. Because of course he thinks that. “...Sorry.”

“Shush.” Swee clears his throat, and answers his question. “...yeah, kinda. I mean, I’ve been looking.”

Willow pensively watches him as he continues, “I thought I found it, a few times. A relationship here, a fling or two there…or five.” He cringes at himself. “...when you’re traveling a lot, there’s not any time for much else.”

He feels the gaze of the resplendent star in front of him, and he laughs mirthlessly. “Guess I’ve got that Hayce T. run of luck.”

The silence that follows is thick as molasses, and Swee wants to sink into the earth and vanish— “Well…” Willow’s voice, weedy with nerves, cuts through that spiraling thought, and Swee is greeted with a lopsided grin. “If anyone sends their assassin affair partner to kill you, you at least got me to protect you?”

Oh my god. Willow ventures a small shrug. Oh my god.

A thousand emotions crash into Swee and smash through his walls, and he breaks down laughing. Willow joins him shortly, and they both slump on the table in actual mirth as the telenovela plays above them, the tormented lovers onscreen ignorant of the actual goddamn romance happening here in Swee’s goddamn kitchen.

“Then my luck’s already better.”

[redd956]

Hi there!

Realized I haven’t done much with 1 of my characters.

Could you please do some Medic caretaker/Whumpee prompt’s please 🙏

Sure!

Medic Caretaker & Medic Whumpee Prompts

Medic Caretaker

Caretaker becoming completely overwhelmed with their workload, trying not to let their patients or multiple Whumpees that they see the situation as grim.

Caretaker running into a room, pushing everything off a table whilst frantically giving out commands to those around them. They still shocked by the amount of blood that begins to coat the table as soon as whumpee is set down. They don't think they can do this.

Caretaker's situation has left them with less than inadequate equipment. They've been dipping cold rags into a bucket, plastering them against whumpee's sweating body. Debating which tool would be best to make a last hasty last minute decision. They need to get this shrapnel out of Whumpee.

"What happened?!", Caretaker demanded, running to the scene. They continued to repeat, "What happened", after seeing the grim looks of the team. Whumpee was in a condition they've seen before, affected by a weapon Caretaker couldn't understand even if they witnessed it.

Whumpee was shot by a modified bullet of sorts. To survive it needs to be removed, but it could blow up any moment. Caretaker has no choice, their hands shaking with their tools in hand.

Whumpee has a fear of medical equipment, doctors, or something related from their past. Caretaker can't seem to figure out why Whumpee is so terrified of them.

Medic Whumpee

Whumpee's team has been wiped out, leaving them alive. Now they're forced to care for Whumper's team, healing the enemy, comforting the people with the blood of his friends on their hands.

Whumpee's has been desperately trying to save the sick, especially a close friend of theirs. Constantly being surrounded by them, it is unsurprising that eventually they'd catch whatever is spreading around.

Being a medic makes whumpee a viable target for the enemy. They've always understood this, but never felt the consequences until today.

Usually it's whumpee patching people up, but after the clinic was targeted by enemy forces, they've found themselves on the receiving end of treatment.

A hiss whistled through whumpee's teeth when their strange patient bit them. Already having a bad day, whumpee didn't take the proper time to clean or analyze as much as they should. Perhaps such a bite wasn't fully human.

Whumpee heals people through healing magic, however using it can be draining. As more and more injured come in, Whumpee is giving up more and more energy to treat them. Someone in bad shape comes into whumpee's hands. Whumpee has to choose between risking themselves or saving the other's life.

[furymint]

wc 641 (this ask was sent to my insp blog @unforgettablesilhouette so just to keep my writing in one place i copied it here! thank u @houserosaire!)

"What," Nolanel grunted, "are you doing?"

Elliot strengthened his grip on Nolanel’s hand. "You needn't question what you know—it dulls your understanding of the world."

They strode side by side in one of the brackish portions of the city, where the closely paved walkways of the Pillars began to twist into the impaired streets of the Brume. Lights in Skysteel make hung over the path towards the sector's barracks to guide ale-drunk soldiers home, but as soon as the sun fully set, the rest of the road would be lit only by the windows and brazier fires of the shops.

Nolanel tried to jerk his hand away. "Instead of chaffing me, answer me why," he griped.

"I'm fond of you," Elliot declared. "And walking with you remains the highlight of my days."

Sarcasm soothed Nolanel no further. "Let go of me or I will make a scene."

"The Horde would agree to peace sooner."

"Are you more ill in the head than we knew? Do you see anyone else here making some pathetic show of their affections like this?"

"Not exactly. You're also not looking deep enough." Elliot pouted. He tugged Nolanel toward the center of the street to skirt the collection of low tables and chairs that made a bistro's veranda. "The people don't know you here; you've never been here—"

"Baseless certainty will be your death one day."

"Yes, and I'll march to my grave completely blind in the belief it is my salvation! Now stop pretending there are knives at your neck and start looking at the stars. They're beginning to appear."

Nolanel tried to yank himself free again. To his own annoyance, he could never purposefully harm Elliot or allow himself to appear as trapped by sick enjoyment as he was—so his strength was not in him as he lifted his arm and punched it suddenly down. Elliot dipped readily with the force and leaned against his shoulder. Spite prevented Nolanel from enjoying the warmth.

"You may be correct about the people here knowing me, but what of the agents among them? My aether is poisoned with the inner dragon. The Inquisitors need to see no more than that."

"Be realistic! Hypocrisy may be strong among them, but the Inquisition is abounding with inverts. They're the ones who require intervention from a saint—preferably Raphael, what for their tools, lest—"

"Gods, be silent, afore I scream. The Inquisitors do not look above their caste to sell himself as the adored pet of some nobleman with a penchant for uniforms."

Wagging his free hand dismissively, Elliot shrugged, "If the Tribunal were looking for such a pair, they would find more than one here."

Nolanel finally paid attention. The strip was lined with brasserie, cafés, and dwellings, all of them twinkling with activity and rumbling with the voices of men. Of the knights posturing at the rim of counters or alone against walls, few of them lifted their concentrated eyes to him. They watched Elliot.

Others were long engaged in conversation, drink, and games, while women with slack hairstyles prodded those who stepped too close apart. Smoke cycloned behind the windows of one bar, then rushed into the streets as a laborer threw open its door and hollered a greeting.

There were too many alleys and too many people who stood on the lip of their darkness, like effigies of temptation, to feign some occupation while they waited for another to approach.

Nolanel returned Elliot’s grip with force, causing Elliot to laugh. "'Tis not myself I intended to shield, but you, ser. We wouldn't want anyone to think you could be had."

"Still—"

"I know this area, which is why I've brought you to visit de Charlus' little place. He boast the best madeleines. Nevertheless, if anyone offers you a cigar—"

"You're making this worse," Nolanel cringed.

"You'll love it."

[alarrytale]

i think a lot of things went wrong with bbg:

1) i think if louis + band had actually not communicated about it being not real and louis actually tried to play a dad for the first two years, then they could have easily ended it by latest 2017 with a paternity test. because they were communicating and all of these "theories" are wild and A LOT of people are aware of this "conspiracy" I believe this is why they cannot end it smoothly because they know we are gonna go "i told you so" and then it's gonna be another hot cup of worms.

2) at the same time I also think his personal losses affect him mentally to be putting his energy into this and that's why it didn't happen immediately?

3) do you think the contract has an end date? at this point I'm afraid it doesn't have an end date and they keep renewing it of some sort.

4) i am a quarantine larrie but i have heard many many times that there were seedings of it ending in 2016 and 2018 and even at the time around early 2020? but after I have joined the fandom i haven't seen any such signs of the bg ending. it has just amplified.

5) altho at the same time i do feel there have been contrasting changes to bg then vs bg now, louis is more involved and the clarks are not followers hungry as they used to be? B's instagram is also bare minimum (just a couple pics of F and i don't follow her so idk what goes onto her stories but i think she doesn't post a lot of F; ofc cause she has her life and she's not a mother)

6) in the past couple years i have actually sat back and thought if im sane about it or not or if louis was actually the father but then immediately i recognise that nope, above anything I know that woman was not pregnant aka no baby came out of her vagina and it's all bullshit. ofc they are other proofs of him not being a father but this tops them all. and it's also laughable how the sisters don't have any other pics of F apart from the christmas stunts.

7) louis can make sony money too, if they just fucking LET HIM. i don't understand why all cruelty is imposed upon him. maybe get harry engaged to some blonde for 2 years (and make him SELL IT? 2 years can do. they did with OW) as an exchange to bg getting ended. who the fuck cares??? as long as it's not bg 2.0 and HS is fully straight and in love with a WOMAN and engaged (maybe bring on the baby rumours too to feed the het fans BUT I WANT THE KID GONE)

8) at this point im just hoping they'll end it before he turns 10 but then ill be in excruciating pain to think that this sweet boy had to endure ten years of this torture just because he's 🌈 and in relationship with mr styles? this is tortuous.

9) maybe they can end it and louis can dip of the face of the earth for a year and then come back with lt3 and be the next big thing. i am manifesting for bbg to get over before july 2025.

10) truth to be told, i am losing hope but at the same time im optimistic that it'll end someday (hopefully soon) and they don't wait for hs downfall (just because he's on his peak rn) idfc. i hate it for louis and freddie, too. the child has no agency, he didn't sign up for this and he'll grow up with a lot of trauma if he's exposed to it anymore (2 years and he'll be 10? what another 2? and he'll most probably be on the internet? this is horrifying)

Hi, anon 💚

I think bg was something so horrible and traumatic to Louis (and the rest of the band) that the only thing he really considered was fighting back with everything he had. H and L had tried to position themselves to get more freedom within their closets, and this was undring everything they'd worked for. So it was important for him to show those who sees him for who he is, and sees and support his relationship with H, that it was not real. It's not who he is. He didn’t have a choice when it came to participating, but he could restist, resist and resist as much as possible. If he hadn't, and he played willingly along to really sell it, he'd be miserable, H would be miserable and larries would have left the fandom in droves. He'd have no fans to launch his solo career with. He'd have no support.

I don't know when it will end, it doesn’t seem like it's ending anytime soon, but then again bg could end at any time. It doesn’t need seeding. But if it ends, there's nothing stopping us larries from being very vocal about it and the larry rumours coming back again. L would be halfway out of the closet and dragging H along with him. So i think it will last until they're allowed to come out. I don't know when that will be.

[i-literally-cant-with-this]

My friend Blake said that Itto would be obsessed with how squishy my tummy is, my stretch marks, stomach rolls, etc.

Literally that’s all he said, man dropped a sentence and dipped. And did not elaborate.

So now I’m stuck here like:

(The idea of someone loving my bodily features is foreign to me bc I’ve always been shamed for them sooooo…)

I can dig it. Did you read all that schmuff I said on your other post? About how beautiful you are inside and out? I'll NEVER understand why, but not everyone is a psychopath for people that are skin and bones. And as soon as I get this damn audio to you, you'll hear why a little extra cushion for the pushin' will serve you both well. Plus, women like us are just extra cuddly. Our thighs serve as ear warmers and hand warmers. Our asses are just more fun. Our tummies are fun to kiss. I know this. (Have I fully accepted this of myself nearly 42 yrs on this planet? Fuck no. But I need to, cuz it is what it mf is.) So now it's time for you to know this. Women ... in general ... are the superior species because we can do literally almost everything. I'm not being sexist, just bragging that should we so choose, we could make dinner, fold laundry, clean, brush the cat, change a lightbulb, pour a glass of water AND make a baby at the same time.

I strayed from the point. But THAT, is just how good at multitasking women are. I can make several points at once. Bitches.

[future-dregs]

I feel like u already know the characters I'm going send for the ask game but: gren and or thorin

Gren-

Sexuality Headcanon: I'm not entirely sure. By the very nature of him and his character I (personally) don't want to box him into any one thing. He seems to me the kind of person where the physical is not so much to him as the emotional, perhaps he might even say the spiritual? core of the person. So what I think is that, its fluid.v

Gender Headcanon: Again, a bit of a fiddly answer from me, but I don't have any one thing locked down for him, as of yet. He's definitely somewhere on the trans spectrum, I know that much. But where his dial exactly falls, or if its intermittently in motion, I'm not sure. Genderfluid is what I thought in the beginning, but now I'm thinking its maybe not as simple as that. Or. Maybe it is. "Both and neither" is what he said, and he seems very comfortable with himself.

A ship I have with said character: I don't have one.

A BROTP I have with said character: Faye. Though their interaction was brief, it was obviously very special, and it touched her deeply. They had an understanding.

A NOTP I have with said character: Vicious. He's a very interesting character but I hate that rat bastard and though Gren held softness and admiration for him, I do not.

A random headcanon: I think there was a tragedy in childhood. I don't know why, and I don't know what, but something happened.

General Opinion over said character: That I love him deeply (HIGHLY influential on my understanding of my own gender business). And that, though he didn't get much time, he was ALIVE. He never let you fully get to know him, everything about him just hints at deeper layers, and he deserved so much more than to die alone.

Thorin-

Sexuality Headcanon: Aroace. I credit this to you. But it makes so much sense that I can't believe I hadn't seen it before.

Gender Headcanon: A man inasmuch as dwarves care about things like that. Which I would think would be...not much.

A ship I have with said character: Nobody.

A BROTP I have with said character: His relationship with Bilbo was so beautiful, who else could I pick? (His nephews are a given and don't count for this).

A NOTP I have with said character: I am not a big fan of Bagginshield. Idk what it is but as soon as it becomes explicitly romantic.....idk, I just gotta dip, man.

A random headcanon: I know the movies presented him as being very firm and stoic, and he was, but dwarves are not a gloomy people and I know that man loved to laugh.

General Opinion over said character: You darling, sweet, wonderful little FOOL. Oh! How I wish you could've listened before it was too late. (Also I loved how he led his people. He had his faults, but he protected his people during the journey as much as he was able, and he treated them with respect.)

[thewingedbaron]

There was another one waiting on his doorstep in the morning. Shivering, blue lipped, the poor dear. Chained to the massive stone that had once served as Thalbor’s front door when he had been in deep slumber. Three times he had melted that chain to a pile of slag, yet the humans of the village seemed insistent on replacing it. May so their sacrifices could not run away. Thalbor snorted, forgetting himself for a moment as the shivering human cried out in fear. 

“My sorrys.” He said slowly with his best human accent. “You… travel within?” 

The great dragon, known to the neighboring village as Thalbor the Benevolent (he supposed it was because he had not burned their plains or touched their cattle?) dipped his head to the human sacrifice on his doorstep. With a terrible claw (he had not polished them in weeks) sharper than any blade, he gently severed the chain from the stone. One of the others had skill with locks, he knew. He would leave the shackle, itself, to them. The last time he tried to remove one, he had nearly taken the poor human’s hand with it. 

“Come,” He said in the clumsy human tongue, nodding toward the massive entrance of the cave behind him. The human trailed behind him on uncertain legs. 

A slight gasp echoed from the poor thing upon entering his layer. They had all reacted that way, though Thalbor struggled to understand why. Certainly, his lair had some appeal. The massive library for one, stocked with scrolls and books of dragons and man. The hotsprings for another, big enough that even he could fully submerge his massive form. Finally his bed, a massive pile of reeds and fluff piled in one corner. It was a fine lair, one he was proud of. Even the newly added human elements of the lair had not stolen from its majesty. It might have even improved it, he thought. 

Nearly a dozen other humans were lounging around the hot springs, making use of some of the smaller pools. They offered a friendly wave to their host, calling greetings in their own tongue with wide smiles. Upon seeing their kin, however, their smiles died, and the humans leapt into action. The newcomer was welcomed with a fluffy robe, taken from the stack waiting beside the hot spring. Within moments, half the humans were working on warming their kin, and seeing to their every need. Thalbor smiled as one of the humans ran back to their residences in the corner of the cave. Soon enough, he knew, the lair would be filled with the most wonderful smells of baking bread. The baker had been the third sacrifice sent, and a welcome one. Thalbor would never admit to it, but before their arrival, he had no idea what it was exactly that humans ate. 

Thalbor settled down on his bed of reeds with a contemplative sigh. He would need to do something soon, he realized. He had a dozen guests with him now, and he would soon run out of room. He had tried to scare the humans off once, making it clear that their sacrifices were unneeded. His attempt, however, had only made the sacrifices come more often. They were outcasts, if he understood correctly. People that had found no home in the village. But, as he watched his guests take care of the newcomer, the great dragon could not help the smile that spread across his lips. 

He would make more room, he thought. If none could be found in the village, then they would find one here. The dragon smiled wider, pleased with himself as human chatter filled his ears. Slowly, he nodded off to sleep. He dreamt of home, and of human laughter. 

The Dragon had no interest in burning the fields or devouring the humans who lived there, all they wanted was to be left alone yet the village kept sending sacrifices. One or two was fine but now the introverted dragon had twelve humans filling up their home… things were getting out of hand.

[bellmo15-blog]

Just Hanging Out In Metru Nui

In the time before time, in the ancient decade of the 2000’s, six plastic canisters were stocked in plenty of toy stores. And new and powerful legends were… Wait, why am I giving you all a history lesson on this anyway? Most of you reading this who were alive though out the 2000’s know what Bionicle is anyway!

Inkling Michael: Umm, I mean there IS a chance someone reading this might NOT know what Bionicle is.

Even if that is true for some, Google exists. I’m not here to hold people’s hands though everything!

But yes, like a lot of “Still listens to music via CD’s and watching movies and shows via DVD’s (unless I can get a Blu Rey version that is), still having the Sam Rami Spider-Man movies as their fav” 2000’s kids, Bionicle was a massive part of my childhood growing up. And there are a lot of reasons for that. Outside of being born in 1996 meaning I was around at the perfect time for Bionicles hay day there’s also the set’s themselves looking really dam cool no mater what year of it’s 9 year long run we are talking about with maybe a few exceptions, it more or less saved LEGO from finical troubles as well as how it had some pretty deep lore behind it that wasn’t afraid to delve into some more darker aspects that kept so many people like myself invested in it. Granted, when I became a teenager in 2010 I did start to fall out of it a little but well, if you’ve seen my Twitter the last couple of months you can probably tell I’ve gotten back into it recently.

And, well… I knew eventually it would lead to me getting this! Remember how I said this in my recent Kronos Unveiled Comm I got? “Bionicle 3 Web of Shadows which I also saw later that same year had the scene of the Toa Metru all trapped in the Visorak cocoon’s which I also had a wired fascination with that I also didn’t fully understand until I became an adult.” Yeah, let’s just say this scene was more or less my awakening to my interest in webbing and cocooning. I mean they weren’t JUST in the 3rd movie though. I mostly bring Web of Shadows up spesificlly because the movies were some of my fav things relating to Bionicle growing up and still are…… Well three of the four movies at least. These cocoons were pretty much everywhere in 2005’s marketing. Which makes sense considering the Visorak are practically spiders and they were the catalyst for the Toa Metru becoming the Hordika in that years story line. Lucky for me and Shantae here, that transformation WON’T happen to us! As far as the lore is concerned, Hordika Venom can’t affect purely organic matter. So, we can be trapped there for a fair while and not be affected. Though I think one of us seems to have some objections. She’ll come around to enjoy it though soon, I’m sure. 😉

Artist is Mugenbine.... Although now that I mention the whole “not affecting pure organic” stuff, you reckon we could take a dip in some energized protodermis and it’d be safe? Look all I’m saying is that that pit in Makua’s lair in Mask of Light looks tempting!

[prince-kalim]

Meta post: Silver Spoon

Kalim has many siblings but none are his full blood siblings. His father had many loves which brought forth a bounty of children to the point Kalim could no longer keep count. It was normal for those with vast wealths to ensure a strong lineage that would be there to pass the wealth and land to once their time has come. Some marriages born of business deals and partnerships were sometimes planned decades before. He loves his many siblings. Going home he makes sure to spend as much time with them as possible. He has long since become accustomed to ignoring the reaction of their mothers when he is around. One day his beloved siblings may try and fight to take his position as heir. That if they are not already even if not fully aware of it. For some Kalim is the roadblock to power, wealth and influence. When he was small he remembered his father explaining what his fate would be going forward. The day the silver spoon was handed to him. The saying silver spoon is often used to mock the nature of the rich. But they do not understand the reason why. They do not know the twist of dread one gets in their stomach when one dips said silver spoon in tea or food and awaits to see if the silver turns black. That is the curse his father gave him the day he was named heir. How many spoons had twisted from gleaming metal to twisted black upon touching his food? Mountains of curled up twisted metal casted away to be tossed with wasted food as he kept the smile up to not worry the people around him. “Ah lucky I didn’t eat it!” He would chirp before sending his plate or tea away. Soon he stopped feeling that twist in his gut. Soon he could smell the poison before he dipped his spoon in…Each time he would smile pushing his plate away if his smaller siblings were around he just played at not being hungry. He sometimes doesn't know if he does this to soothe the worry of his small siblings or tell the poisoner that he is not falling for that so easily. He used to love Curry… often eating it with Jamil when they were smaller. He still doesn't know what happened had it been the bowls had been swapped or the poisoner had messed up but the day Jamil collapsed he will never forget. He hated curry after that day… He blamed himself for Jamil’s sickness praying to any being above while Jamil lay in his coma that he would pay any price for the other boy to wake. He should have smelt it, he should have made Jamil eat with silver. He was fine being the target of these assassination attempts that was his fate as heir of the Asims. Jamil was his friend, he should have not been a target. He thanked the sorcerer of the sands when Jamil opened his eyes. Grateful that he didn’t pay the price for Kalim’s fate. Trial and error he honed his skills at identifying poison. As his would-be-assassins got smarter, so did he. He learnt not every poison turns his silverware black but his nose was always good at picking out the sharp scent of death awaiting him. Each time he smiled and laughed. His confidence flared but also sending out the message to that would-be-assassin. I do not fear you (Note: I used the silver spoon as it was an old fashioned way of detecting Arsenic poison. I read the fact while reading some of those iseki royalty webcomics ((don’t judge me)) and looked it up to see if it was a thing… it was! So um earworm rambles about Kalim’s poison trauma and overcoming it in his own way)

[violet-shadows]

Speaking of forgiveness. (Part Three)

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Masterlist

Summary: A spike of fear down the mating bond has Azriel racing back to the Night Court, terrified by what he’ll find. Meanwhile, the Inner Circle grapples with the fallout of a severe case of mistaken identity.

Word Count: 3.0k

Pairing: Azriel x Reader (she/her pronouns)

Warnings: canon typical violence, choking/strangulation, blood, mention of pregnancy

A/N: Thank you again to everyone who has supported this series. If you have submitted requests, please know that I am working through them. So far, they’ve all been great and gone on the docket. You guys are all so lovely! Thank you!

⊱ —————— ❈  —————— ⊰ 

Cassian had shed plenty of blood in his lifetime, but he took care not to inflict harm on the innocent and certainly not on his family. He shuddered at the memory of his hand closed around a small neck, protective instincts blinding him to the clues that things weren’t as they seemed. When Nesta opened the door and the light hit his opponent, no, his victim’s face he felt like he was in a nightmare. Cassian would have preferred a fight. He had planned on letting Azriel have his go at him, fully understanding the rage that was stirred when a mate was endangered. He deserved no less for making such a grave misjudgment.

“Cas,” Nesta’s voice stirred him from his thoughts. He had been pacing the grounds of the River House since he and Rhysand returned. Nesta has been relieved to find him unharmed, but the haunted look in his eyes was concerning. Rhysand had returned to the House of Wind soon after and she left her mate to think for some time before finally approaching him. Their bond was taught with mutual distress, and Nesta could practically feel the guilt pouring off of Cassian from across the house. “What happened?”

Cassian dropped into a chair, lowering his head into his hands as he let out a long exhale. “He hates me.”

Nesta’s heart broke as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, dipping her head to try and catch his eyes. “Cassian, that’s not true.”

“You didn’t see his face, Nes. He didn’t even yell. He didn’t say anything.” Cassian drew a deep, shuttering breath before continuing. “He hates me and he has every right to. Y/N should hate me too. You all should.”

“She doesn’t hate you and neither does Azriel. It was a mistake. Y/N knows that and Azriel will understand once he’s given a chance to calm down. They know you would never do that on purpose,” Cassian’s shoulders shook when she pulled him in for a hug, his arms snaking around her middle to pull her close to him.

“I can’t believe that I did. The threat just felt so real in the moment. I know better than that.”

Nesta bit her lip, choosing her words carefully. “You’ve been on edge for a while now, Cas. You haven’t been sleeping. What’s going on?”

“I just… After everything, after what happened when Feyre was pregnant,” he paused to gather his thoughts. “I suppose I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Nesta opened her mouth to respond when the door to the house opened. Rhysand looked weary and his jaw was clenched tight.

“She’s awake. He hasn’t come out. I don’t think he plans to anytime soon,” Rhysand told them. “It’s probably best you two stay here for a bit.”

Cassian nodded, hurt flashing across his face. “He’ll come around, Cas.”

“I hope you’re right.”

⊱ —————— ❈  —————— ⊰

“Azriel, baby, we cannot stay in this room forever.” After Rhysand left the house, Azriel deemed it safe to move you upstairs to your shared bedroom, where the two of you had remained for the past two days. With an enchanted house attending to your every need and the company of your mate, it was surprisingly easy to remain in one room.

“Why not?” Azriel was next to you in bed, silhouetted by the midmorning sun pouring through your open window. “We spent three weeks locked away after our mating ceremony. I don’t recall you complaining then.”

“That’s because we were having amazing sex the whole time,” you teased, snuggling into his side. “It’s not as fun when you won’t fuck me.” Azriel groaned, throwing his head back in mock annoyance. You had attempted to initiate things the previous day, but your mate was set on making sure you did nothing but rest.

“If I do, can we stay here?” He asked after a moment of contemplation, a smirk on his handsome face. You stuck your tongue out.

“Tempting, but no. I need to get out of this room and you need to talk to your brothers.” At the mention of his family, Azriel’s face became serious. Rhysand had come each day, knocking on their door to check in, and each time Azriel had sent him away. He didn’t trust himself to face his brothers, not when the instinct to keep other males away from his vulnerable mate was so strong. When Azriel didn’t respond, you continued, “I need to talk to Cassian, too.”

With your head on his chest, you could hear his heart rate pick up slightly as he tightened his hold on you. “I don’t—Why do you need to talk to him?”

“Because I’m sure he feels awful, and I want him to know that I’m okay.” You replied sweetly, pretending not to notice your mate’s jaw clench. His grip on your waist remained tight.

“He should feel awful.” You sighed, readying yourself for yet another round of the same conversation. You had been trying to talk Azriel down on and off for days. Each time you began to get anywhere with the discussion, though, he shut it down, instead apologizing for beginning an argument and asking if you need anything. When he saw the look on your face he gave his predictable reply, “I’m sorry.”

“You need to talk to him, work this out. I know you know he didn’t mean to, so you have to figure out how to forgive him,” you said. “If you need more time, I get it, but you will have to talk to him eventually. And so will I.”

“I don’t like it, you being near him. The thought still drives me crazy.” The first day after the incident, Azriel had sworn up and down you would never be within a hundred meters of Cassian again, only to retract his statement when you reminded him that mate or no, you didn’t need his permission to talk to someone.

“So, you talk to him first. Then I will. But it needs to happen, and sooner rather than later,” you said. “We also need to let Cassian and Nesta back into their house soon.” The fact that your mate had all but banned the Cassian, and therefore Nesta, from their own home was another sticking point in the past few day’s discussions. Azriel was quiet, seeming to contemplate your words while staring up at the ceiling. Deciding some additional persuasion was needed, you moved even closer, resting your chin on his chest.

“Pleeeassseee, baby.” You widened your eyes and stuck your lower lip out in a slight pout. It was mostly a joke, but you knew it got Azriel every time regardless. “Please? For me?”

Azriel let out a heavy sigh before nodding, “For you. I’ll do it.”

⊱ —————— ❈  —————— ⊰

When Rhysand showed up later that day, he was surprised when, instead of shouting him to go away through a cracked door, Azriel swung it open and stepped into the hallway. A nervous energy radiated off of the Shadowsinger as he shut the door behind him, and the fact that his hands remained balled into fists was not missed by Rhysand. Azriel, as usual, got right to the point, “I’m going to talk to Cassian.”

“Please tell me this ‘talk’ isn’t the kind that ends in a funeral,” Rhysand, as usual, mixed levity and truth to soften the message.

“I promised Y/N I would talk to him, try to come to some sort of… resolution.”

“You mean try to forgive him?” Azriel nodded stiffly, some of the tension beginning to leave him. The anger he’d felt towards both his brothers had indeed eased over the past few days. “I am sorry, Az. I know it seemed like I was trying to… minimize things. I understand why you were angry, and I wouldn’t have blamed you if you lost it. What happened was horrible.”

“It was,” Azriel replied. Without the rage there to mask it, grief was plain on Azriel’s face. “When I felt it, I thought—,” he cleared his throat, “I thought she died.” He didn’t need to elaborate or go into detail. Rhysand knew the unimaginable pain of feeling one’s mate near death. His experiences with losing Feyre had been horrifying enough, even if she came back to him relatively quickly. To feel that from a distance and not know what was happening would have been mind-melting. Rhysand shuttered.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, “I know how horrible it is.”

“The whole way back, I was plotting how I would kill whoever hurt her, slowly and painfully. I was ready to go to war,” he sighed again. “But then I got back and it was…”

“And it was Cassian,” Rhysand finished. “He wouldn’t have blamed you either, you know. If you had tried to kill him anyway. When he came to me afterward, he was so distraught that I thought something had happened to Nesta and the baby. I know you have every right to be angry but, when I say Cassian feels awful, I mean it.” Azriel nodded and tried to quiet the surge of conflicting emotions that warred within him.

“I know. I know he didn’t mean to. I’ll talk to him.” The conversation was cut short by the bedroom door opening behind them. Out stepped Y/N, looking rather cheery in contrast to her mate. She was fully dressed, and her hair unbound, partially concealing the green, blue, and yellow markings on her neck.

“Hi Rhys,” she greeted him before casting Azriel an expectant look, “I’m ready to go.”

“Now?” he asked, the question coming out like a whine and Rhysand smirked at the stern look his sister-in-law gave before gesturing for the pair to lead the way.

They arrived at the River House around dinner time, Rhys having reached out to Feyre to clear Nesta from the place before they arrived. There was no need to throw a pregnant female in the middle of whatever happened. When they arrived, Cassian was standing on the veranda, leaning against a pillar. Despite the fact that he was anticipating a fight, he was dressed in casual clothing, his leathers nowhere to be seen.

When they landed, Azriel didn’t set you down, instead keeping you held tightly to his chest while he sized up the male. Rhysand stepped to the side and when Azriel put you down, he did so behind the High Lord. ‘It will make him feel better,’ Rhys spoke mind to mind, ‘if he knows you’re safe right now’. You nodded and watched Azriel approach his other brother, cocking his head away from the house, a silent invitation to follow him. Rhys shepherded you inside while the pair made their way away from the house.

Cassian looked like a male being led to his execution as they walked the path towards a nearby grove of trees. His heart was racing, and he once again thought that this controlled approach was worse than Azriel simply attacking him. When they reached the edge of the trees Azriel stopped and paused for a moment before turning to face his brother.

“What happened, Cassian?” his voice was unnervingly steady, the voice of the Spymaster. “I’ve heard Rhysand’s version, I’ve heard hers. I want to hear it from you.”

“Ever since Nesta got pregnant, I’ve just been so… on edge. It’s like when Rhys first went Under the Mountain: can’t sleep, always ready for something to go wrong. That morning, I thought it was just Nesta and me at the house, and when I heard footsteps…” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he steeled himself to recall the moments leading up to his mistake. “All I could think about was that Nesta was in danger, and I acted on pure instinct. The hallway was dark, and I was so focused on keeping Nesta safe that I didn’t realize who it was until…,” his voice caught, “until it was too late. When Nesta opened the door it let light into the hall and then I saw what I had done and—Oh gods, Azriel. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

“You really had no idea it was her?” Azriel asked quietly.

“I swear I didn’t. I should have, but I didn’t. I never would have reacted like that if I thought there was even a possibility it could be her in the hallway. I don’t know why I didn’t think about it, but I didn’t. I know it’s not enough, but I am truly sorry,” Cassian said. When Azriel didn’t respond he kept talking, verging on babbling apologies. “By the Mother, I can’t imagine how it felt for you, seeing your mate like that, feeling her fear. I’m horrified by what happened and I hate myself for it. And— and I understand if you hate me for it too.” Silence hung between them for a long moment before Azriel spoke.

“I don’t,” Azriel sighed. “I was angry. I am angry. But I don’t hate you.”

“I never meant to hurt her. I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for it. I never meant to hurt you, either, Az.”

“I know. And as much as I want to kill somebody over what happened, you’re still my brother.” Cassian heaved a sigh of relief, his eyes shining when they met Azriel’s. He stepped forward, enveloping his brother in a bear hug.

“Thank you,” was all Cassian said. When Azriel pulled away, the tension in the air was largely gone.

“I still have to beat the shit out of you, though.”

⊱ —————— ❈  —————— ⊰

To say you were relieved to see Azriel and Cassian walking back together was an understatement. The pair were talking casually, as though they had gone on a simple walk, and you could feel Azriel more relaxed through the bond. Your smile faltered, however, when you realized both Fae were quite bloody, with Cassian sporting a nasty gash across his cheekbone. “I thought you said you were going to talk to him, Azriel.”

Azriel gave his best impression of innocence as he approached you, “We did talk. We worked everything out.” You scanned him for injuries and found him relatively unharmed, then turned to Cassian, worry written on your face.

“It had to happen, Y/N,” despite the blood dripping from his face, Cassian was grinning. “And I deserved that and worse.” His expression melded into a more serious one as he stepped forward, glancing at Azriel in a silent bid for permission. The Shadowsinger nodded but stayed close to your side, one arm sliding around your waist. His shadows were even less enthusiastic about the approaching male and swirled around you frantically, hissing at Azriel to get you to safety.

Up close, Cassian could clearly see the still healing bruises on your neck and winced, resisting the urge to rub his own neck in sympathy. He wore an earnest expression when he addressed you. “Y/N. What I did… it might be the worst thing I’ve ever done, and I am so sorry. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make things right again and I hope that, in time, I can earn your trust back.” The waver in his voice broke your heart, and before Azriel could respond you were stepping forward to wrap the General in a hug. Cassian froze.

“It’s alright, Cas. Everyone makes mistakes. I forgive you.” After a moment, he returned your hug, squeezing you tight as he whispered his thanks once more. When you pulled away, both Azriel and his shadows were upon you again, pulling you close to his side. You gave him a slightly admonishing glance and he had the decency to look sheepish. “Well, now that we’ve all realized that this was a misunderstanding, I think it’s time you and Nesta get your house back.”

⊱ —————— ❈  —————— ⊰

Azriel had tried to talk you into staying at the River House for the night, but you had insisted that the sooner things went back to normal, the better, and that meant staying at the House of Wind with Nesta. Rhysand and Feyre accompanied the four of you back on the pretense of helping Nesta with the nursery, but you knew it was really so Rhysand could play referee if needed. You tried to act normal, ignoring the way your mate stayed glued to your side and pretending not to notice the guilty glances Cassian kept giving your neck. By late in the evening, it became apparent that Azriel really did have a handle on his anger and the High Lord and Lady departed.

When the two of you were alone, once again safe in your shared bedroom, Azriel pulled you close, one hand dancing softly along your neck. The purple had entirely faded from the bruise and within a few days, it would be gone entirely. Still, the shadowsinger gazed upon the marks with a haunted look in his eyes, as though it were a mortal wound. He wore a solemn expression, his eyes distant. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”, you asked.

“Thinking about what would have happened if Nesta hadn’t woken up,” he spoke quietly, the admission laden with unspoken pain.

“But she did,” you replied, raising a hand to stroke his cheek.

“I can’t lose you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I can’t.”

“Well,” you replied after a long moment, leaning forward to touch your forehead to his. “Luckily for you, I’m not that easy to get rid of.” He smiled softly, placing a quick kiss on the tip of your nose.

“I am lucky.”  

⊱ —————— ❈  —————— ⊰

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[clockwayswrites]

wc: 657

“Did he tire himself out?” It was a voice Jason knew, and more importantly knew was safe, so he just burrowed closer against Danny and tried to ignore whoever had come into the room. “I see, and what about resting yourself, little one?”

Jason grumbled as Danny shifted. Whatever they did made the voice laugh. “Well, that is very noble of you, though I am certain he would not mind if you rested also.”

The bed dipped as another weight settled on it, making Jason roll a little. A hand in his hair, gently carding through his curls, kept him from protesting.

“I think perhaps you are not resting for more reason than standing watch, no?”

Danny let out a huff of air and Jason was clutched tighter against them. He certainly wasn’t protesting. Even when Danny was mostly just shadow and light, curling up against them had been peaceful.

“What is wrong little Erebus?”

Those comforting arms pulled away from Jason’s and he whined. “No…”

“I am afraid that Danny needs their arms to communicate.”

Jason rolled over enough to blink blearily up at who was talking. “Oh, hi.”

“Hello, little Robin,” Diana said with one of her soft smiles.

“Is it time to go?” Jason asked with his most impressive pout. It sometimes worked on Diana and Jason held out hope.

“Close to it, I believe. I will be leaving the Watchtower myself soon and so was stopping by to see if Danny would wish to have lunch with me tomorrow,” she explained.

Danny looked up from where they were typing away on their tablet to give a quick nod and a little flash of a smile. They did this sometimes, typing out everything before they let the device speak. Luckily everyone who had been around was really patient with Danny. When they seemed happy with what they had written, they gave a little nod and looked between Diana and Jason.

“Please,” Diana said with a wave of her hand.

“Robin said the adults said that I could not live with him. It upset him and it upset me. It upset me, but I do not want to hurt him. I understand why the adults said no. I understand, but I am afraid. If I do not live with Robin, where will I live? Will I live here? Forever?”

“Like hell!” Jason protested.

“Certainly not,” Diana agreed, much more calmly. “The hope is that you continue to stabilize and start to generate your own life energy fully again, after which point we would see you settled into a more normal life. Even if that doesn’t happen, you will not be trapped here forever. None of us want to see that.”

Danny chewed on their lip. “But who would want me?”

“Oh little one,” Diana sighed. She telegraphed it enough to give Danny to pull back before she wrapped Danny up in a hug. “Myself, for one.”

That clearly shocked Danny.

Diana pulled back be able to look Danny in the eyes, though she kept her hands on their arms. “I have enjoyed the time we have spent together. You are kind and clever and so very brave. And I do not say this to put any sort of pressure on you. There is no need to decide anything now, but I do not what you to fear for even a moment that ne one wants you. You, Danny, are a very special person and we will all make sure that you find a home where you are loved, be it with me or someone else.”

Danny blinked, then sniffled, and then broke down into tears as they flung themselves at Diana. Jason was so startled by the face that Danny was bawling their eyes out that it took him a moment to notice that Danny was making sound. It tore Jason’s heart between breaking and souring with joy.

He settled for joining in the hug.

Not So Imaginary

Parts 1-3 Parts 4-6 Parts 7-8 WC: 1177

“I brought you some more books to read,” Jason said as he entered the room.

After Danny had shown that they were clearly a person (a kid at that) and answered a few questions, they had been moved to an actual room on the Watchtower. Jason was pretty sure part of it was how he refused to leave the cell until Danny was moved, but he didn’t really care as long as it got his friend safe.

Danny looked up with a grin. They were pretty solid today, sitting cross-leg on the bed with feet and everything.

“You’re back,” the artificial voice spoke out from the tablet like device in Danny’s hands. It was a version of something called a SGD, Bruce had said, and was used by people who had trouble with verbal sounds. They didn’t know if Danny would always need it or if they’re vocal cords would come back as they continued to solidify.

“I am. B said I could stay a whole three hours today too as long as I ate a snack while I was here,” Jason said, holding up one of the bags he had.

Three hours still wasn’t a lot, but it was better than the one it had been the rest of the week. It took a lot of begging, but B finally agreed that Jason was well enough for a test to see how it went. Danny was still draining life force from Jason, and only Jason, which made certain Leaguers nervous about letting the two of them close. Jason had done everything he could to let it happen: he’d begged and argued, he’d eating everything Alfie wanted him to, he rested whenever Bruce wanted him too which was all the time, and he even agreed to stay benched for as long as it took.

That last one had really helped convince Bruce and Dick that Jason wouldn’t back down from helping his friend.

“Good. I am happy. What do you have?”

“You liked the Hardy Boys, right? I have a few more of those and I found you some science mags you might like,” Jason said as he flopped onto the bed next to Danny. He could feel the odd tingle travel up his arm as he leaned into Danny.

“Thank you,” Danny said with a wide smile. The tone of the electronic voice didn’t match the brightness of that smile, but it was alright. Jason could also feel how happy Danny was.

“You’re doing okay?”

“Yes.” There was a long pause as Danny found the right words. They were pretty quick already with preset phrases, but odder things still took longer than regular talking would. “WW took me to observation deck. We watched stars. She told me stories of stars from her home.”

“Yeah?” Jason asked, trying to keep his voice from hitching around the word. He couldn’t bug Danny with that yet. “You like her? Wonder Woman?”

“Yes.” The reply was quick, but Danny was watching Jason with furrowed brows. They pushed a sense of question through their bond.

“I’m fine. Just thinking through some shit,” Jason said with a wave of his hand. “But Wonder Woman is really cool. She’s my favorite too.”

Danny set the tablet aside so that they could run their fingers through Jason’s hair. It felt odd, what with not all of the fingers always being all of the way solid, but a good sort of odd. It seems Jason couldn’t just Danny’s concern aside.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay?”

Danny let out what for anyone else would have been a sigh and gave a little nod. They shorted through the bag of books Jason had brought and found a Hardy Boy’s to hand over to Jason.

“What me to read to you?” Jason waited for the nod. Apparently it was really important to let Danny choose things right then, or so the adults said. “Okay, move over a bit, yeah? You’re hogging all the bed.”

Danny placed their hand to their chest, face screwing up in an affronted expression. It didn’t work though when Jason could feel the amusement through their bond.

“Yeah yeah, I’m a brute, now shove over,” Jason said with a laugh. He worked his way up until he was lounging against the head of the bed.

Danny didn’t move.

“You’re a brat,” Jason accused.

Danny gave a silent laugh, humor bumbling up in their bond, before they flopped over right onto Jason’s chest. Jason let a huff of a sigh, but ran his fingers through Danny’s hair like he knew they liked before he opened the book to start read about another adventure of the Hardy Boys.

It was easier to feel the drain like this, when they were so close to each other and touching. Jason had tried to avoid spelling that out too much to Bruce. He got that his dad was just worried, but he was afraid if B knew he’d tried to keep Danny away.

As it was Bruce was trying to send Danny away.

Jason brushed the thought aside, focusing on doing his best to give the characters good voices for Danny. At least it was a distraction from all the rest of Jason’s thoughts. Two chapters later the stopped to ask, “Want a break or do you want another chapter?”

Danny rolled over and off Jason’s chest to flop onto the pillow next to him and Jason froze. His shock must have been clear because Danny scrambled up off the bed until they were floating above Jason.

“No! It’s a good thing. Just… you’re getting some of your color back,” Jason explained. He should really stop staring. He should take Danny to a mirror to see or something, but it was just that… Danny was beautiful right then. He found himself reaching up to brush his finger tips of the bright freckles that were scattered across Danny’s cheeks and nose like a galaxy of stars.

Bright teal eyes blinked back at him.

Jason cleared his throat. “Right, sorry, let’s go let you look.”

Danny floated to the side, landing on their feet as Jason stood, and followed behind behind to the small attached bathroom. Jason guided Danny in front of the mirror. White was spreading into their hair now.

For a moment Jason was worried that Danny was frozen in shock, then the other leaned in close to the mirror, touching the surface before bringing their hand up to their own face. Suddenly Danny was moving, spinning weightlessly around Jason as they gave a soundless whoop.

“I know,” Jason said with a grin of his own. “Look at you! You’re really coming together now! I knew you could do it. I knew that you could come back.”

Slowly, Danny drifted back down so that the tips of their toes brushed against the floor. They rested their forehead against Jason’s.

He didn’t need words to understand what Danny was trying to say.

“Don’t have to thank me, stardust. I’ll always come for you just like you’ll always come for me.”

--- AN: Oh ho, is Jason starting to realize he has a crush? And what isn't he telling Danny? Hopefully this part is good, the weather is giving me such a migraine/making me super dizzy so my eyes are crossing some! (Yes, I'm resting, on the couch with a cat!)

I really should have made an update post for this... this supposed ficlet just keeps going! 7K now! Aaaah well. Anywho, stay delightful, darlings!