#still on the fence about that kiss picture on the moodboard… the guys skin is too light and it drives me insane that is a white guy yall

[aphroditestummyrolls]

The Jesper Honeypot Whump Oneshot (not yet finished, so not yet on ao3– snippets part 1, 2, and 3 here on tumblr)

Jesper ends up narrowly escaping a honeypot mission gone wrong. And, of course, as he’s sleeping off the drug in his and Wylan’s room, a stranger comes to call. The constabulary pointed him in the direction of the Crow Club— he’s looking for his son, Jesper? Cue a lot of very anxious crows.

Plus part 4– a snippet for @celestialcass

The actual mechanism of the job was quite simple— distraction, extraction, escape. Nothing was difficult, but some of it, according to The Bastard of the Barrel, takes time to be done properly. Stealing the laundry cart, and getting costumes as hotel security; making sure to be seen on a totally separate floor by at least three people before slipping into the service elevator and making their way up to the vaults; breaking into the right safe— it all took the better part of half past too damned long.

Long enough to have Wylan’s guts twisting in knots. Every time he dared to glance at Kaz, it was infuriatingly the same. He had his back to the door, utterly trusting Wylan to keep watch while he— at least, in theory— cracked the safe. But, he’d barely moved in what felt like hours.

He was about to whisper something harsh when, as if on cue, there was a click and the crunch of gears. The door swung open. Kaz even glanced back at him, a smirk on his face like he could hear Wylan’s thoughts.

He bit his tongue, and went back to keeping watch. It wouldn’t be long now. Just get the tiara, and let’s go.

In the lamplight of the corridor, he fidgeted, glancing this way and that, begging the universe to not have anybody walk their way. Please, please. They didn’t have the time for that.

Fiddling with the cuff of his itchy uniform, Wylan glanced down and paused. His heart clenched in his chest, and he sucked in a slow breath. Letting it out long, he watched as the two rings on his hand glittered side by side in the light.

Wylan thought this was a bad idea from the start.

Kaz had called him a jealous little boyfriend— and maybe, hopefully, he was partially right. Wylan had never wanted so badly to be wrong about a hunch. As long as Jesper was safe, it would be worth it to get another one of those I told you so smirks.

But, Wylan Van Eck was nobody’s boyfriend— jealous little fiancé, he had corrected. It made Jesper laugh. He had scooped Wylan’s hand into his, slipping his own ring onto Wylan’s middle finger, beside his own. He called it safekeeping, and kissed the spoon-made silver rings on his knuckles, one and then the other.

It’s only an hour or two, merchling, Jes had shrugged, and then I’ll be back by your side.

Now, if Wylan wasn’t mistaken, they were coming up on the end of that second hour, and Jesper Fahey was due to be back where he belonged. No worse for wear, a smile on his handsome face, and his own ring back on his hand. Wylan only saw the mark for a split second, but he didn’t like the look of him, and he—

There was a quiet whistle, and two taps of a cane against the floor.

The signal.

While I take the service elevator back down to the laundry room, you’ll take the servant’s stairs through the back of the building. Go down to the bar, he remembered Kaz delivering the plan. Your presence will warn Matthias, Nina, and Jesper that it’s time to get moving.

Then, we meet at the escape cart, and Annika drives us out the back loading dock.

Clear?

Crystal.

Every step he took brought him closer to this night being over. Inej got her ledger of slavers, Kaz got his crown, and Wylan got Jesper back. Done.

Except, when he reached the bar, Jesper was gone. He was nowhere in the whole place. Even Nina was gone. Matthias, too.

Wylan’s pulse skyrocketed in his ears. Something was very wrong.