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felixissterling · 7 months ago

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Writing Challenge: Day One

Assassin x Pirate

Author's Note: Well, I guess this is what happens when I write during midnight? Sorry if this short story sounds sort of stupid, I was sleepy. (read the second note if you've finished the story or dni'd this lol)

Word Count: 5113 words

(Includes smut in the end)

★⋆⋆⋆——————⋆⋆⋆★⋆⋆⋆——————⋆⋆⋆★

★⋆★⋆★

A Mission Failed Yet Again

“Good morning, ma’am, how can I help you on this fine day?” James asked with a welcoming smile. The woman who had walked in did not return the same smile. Viola nudged James and whispered, “It’s the duchess, you idiot.” Viola and James both stood up immediately and bowed. Viola asked the duchess, “In what manner may we assist the duchess on this exquisite day, young duchess of Greencoast?” James snickered quietly and refrained from laughing.

The duchess looked unimpressed, she said to Viola: “You’re the best assassin on this continent.”

Viola nodded and she answered with the same exaggerated posh in her tone as she did before, “That is I, young duchess of Greencoast. I am the best on this side of the world, and it is not in any way self proclaimed.”

Duchess Josephine Irdina eyed Viola Amelia Comb from the tip of her hair and the tips of her feet. “I would like to employ you to assassinate a certain man who had wronged me.”

“Of course, young duchess or Greencast. Please state his name, the pay, and when you’d like him dead by.”

“Atlas Cruise Castor. Captain Atlas Cruise Castor of the Golden Pirates. He’s stolen from not only my possessions, but my heart as well. He;s run off with it and I want it back.”

“If he has your heart, then how are you…?” James asked with an eyebrow raised.

“I’ve fallen in love with him, you fool,” the duchess huffed, “He made me fall in love with him so that I wouldn’t mind him roaming around my mansions and staying the night. It was all a ploy and I am now broken-hearted. I want him dead because of that.”

“Ah, of course, young duchess of Greencoast. He shall be assassinated before…?”

“I want him dead in two days. He’ll be coming over to Greencoast just to set his homebase here.”

“That is much too quick of a deadline—”

“The pay is one million.”

“Accepted.”

★⋆★⋆★

“Pass the Spectra,” Viola ordered, her slender right hand expectantly held out and her left hand was coiled into a fist as she punched the man who had attacked her.

Placing the purple and black pistol into the hands of the strong woman, James did as he was told, he asked with a perplexed tone: “You’re going to blast them to their deaths? Wouldn’t it be a tad bit too loud?”

“I’m not a spy sent out on a stealth mission, James. I’m a notorious assassin known for her brutal killings,” Viola chuckled. She checked if the pistol was empty before adjusting the jacket she stole from a previous lover. “There’ll be more of them anyway, I wouldn’t want to shoot them all one by one — it’s too tedious.”

“I suppose so,” James replied with a slight bow, “Whatever you wish, mistress.” Viola snickered. It was typical of James to kiss her feet, so much so that she’d always wondered if it was because of him possibly being afraid of her shooting him to his death if he disobeyed.

With a burst of cackling from a large fellow, an army of toothy and mostly muscly pirates jumped onto the dock from deck. Overhead from atop the magnanimous ship’s crow’s nest stood a figure of exquisite clothing and large hat. “The captain,” Viola guessed with a murmur, squinting her eyes at the figure in hopes of seeing it clearer.

She was interrupted from a sword thrown to her by a pirate, only missing by an inch or so from her head. Viola rolled to a clear area of the dock after she shot the pirate with her pistol with a huff. The shot killed three other pirates around the target at once from the small explosion that erupted from the pistol’s metal bullet. Viola laughed from the silence that escaped from the other pirates, “Who’s ready to GET BLOWN UP!”

Short after shot, explosion after explosion, small groups of pirates fell at a time. Their bodies fell with loud thuds that rocked the dock, sending small waves that sneaked atop the dock and wetting the shoes of Viola Comb. “Ugh, absolutely vile,” Viola groaned.

Blinded by her disgust from her wet shoes, her pistol was yanked from her with a brute force by a pirate twice as large as her. With a menacing glare that could’ve disintegrated Viola’s soul if she stared into his eyes for too long. Viola slowly stepped back as he slowly stomped towards her till only one step behind her was the water. “Hey, mate, look, I can’t swim, okay? So let’s figure something out. James— James! Do something.”

She groaned when she realised that James was pinned down and flirting with a female pirate who knocked him out cold. “Look, we can figure something out, okay? I’m sorry I killed all your good friends and comrades and colleagues or whatever. I truly apologise.”

The pirate snooped down till his face was inches from Viola’s face. “No one would accept an apology as bad as yours,” he chuckled. His smile curled into a sinister grin, his hands raised up to push her off, and—

“Enough.”

A sword’s blade separated Viola and the pirate, and a pistol pointed at the pirate’s head. Viola turned to face the sword-wielder and pistol-bearer, but all colour in Viola’s face drained when she saw who it was. The unmistakable face of Captain Atlas Castor stood before her. The man, although young in his mid-20s, was notorious for his killings and his thefts. It was he and his crew who slaughtered many others for power and treasure. It was he whose hand held magical artefacts known to be the cause of death of thousands of civilians. The larger his crew grew, the more his name spread as the most dangerous pirate alive.

“Retreat!” the captain ordered. The crew obliged with a synchronised bow that sent a shiver down Viola’s spine. The blade inched closer to Viola’s face, and he threatened “Don’t try a thing.” It was until the crew was aboard the ship when the captain opened his mouth once more:

“Comb. Viola Amelia Comb. The infamous assassin, I believe? Oh, I’ve heard of you,” he said quietly with a rasp in his soft voice. Viola had expected a much more strong-sounding voice to leave the mouth of a vicious pirate like him, but she supposed that genes wouldn’t always correspond with life. The man wasn’t haughty and vile-looking as she’d expected. He was a man with handsome features that Viola couldn’t help but feel a fiery feeling engulfing her heart when she saw him. “You dare lead half of my crew to their disappointing deaths?”

“What’s disappointing, hm?” Viola snickered, “The cause of death or how they fought back?”

“Both, but mostly how you killed them,” the captain stepped closer to Viola, he returned the sword to its place and handed the pistol to Viola — which was when Viola realised that the pistol had belonged to her. “It’s not everyday that my opponent is not defeated. Though I must say, you almost were defeated anyway. So I consider that another victory to my name. Say, as a reward, you will be a guest aboard the Golden Snake?” The captain nodded his head to his ship.

“Who’d want to be on the same boat as someone cocky as you?” Viola replied.

The captain only chuckled, “I’m not as cocky as you’d think.”

“You would definitely rub your ‘victory’ in my face.”

“Hm. I don’t think I would. Come on, just an hour or two? It’s rare for me to ever talk to anyone, anyway. And I’m quite interested in your little assassin thing going on.”

“Why?”

“Think of it as mere curiosity, my dear lady. Come, join me.”

I suppose it would be fine if I put up a friendly face to see how things could go, Viola thought.

★⋆★⋆★

“This is rather suspicious,” Viola commented. She was sitting on a comfortable armchair with a cup of tea in her hands. She eyed the captain curiously as she spoke. “What exactly is the point of this?”

“A little bonding session, obviously,” the captain answered, not taking his eyes off the newspaper. “Gerald, get a tray of biscuits, will you?”

“I can’t help but think that this puts me in a vulnerable position, hm? You could attack me at any second, maybe even poison my drink…” Viola felt the colour leave her face once again. She looked at her cup of tea with anguish when the realisation dawned over her.

“Have that thought just occurred to you? You have much more of a thick skull than I thought. How are you just thinking about the possible threats right this very second?!” the captain exclaimed, clearly surprised from Viola’s remark.

“I’m… sorry…?”

“You better be sorry, alright. Sorry for yourself. You’re glad I’m not the type to poison someone’s food or drink or play tricks. I prefer direct bloodshed to start a fight. You’re glad I don’t want to kill you.”

“You don’t?”

The man looked at her incredulously, “Seriously, woman. Relax. I want to know about your assassin thing.”

“I don’t get your obsession.”

The pirate named Gerald placed the tray of biscuits on the table, “Ever thought of a possibility that the captain li—”

“Gerald,” the captain warned, nostrils flaring and hand gripping his teacup. He cleared his throat before continuing, “Where-ever did your manners go? Don’t interrupt a conversation you are not a part of unless prompted to. ”

“Yessir,” then Gerald turned to Viola with a snicker before walking away, “You should see what he hangs on his bedroom walls and what and who he draws in his sketching books.”

“Gerald, expect no more but a week in the chambers after this,” the captain snapped.

“What did he mean?” Viola raised an eyebrow. The captain’s cheeks turned a tinge pink, “Nothing much, he just likes to embarrass me. Now, er, where were we? Ah yes, do tell me about yourself.”

“Er, okay. So you know that I’m a famous assassin and my name. Which is pretty much how you can sum me up. I grew up along the shores of Greencoast with my parents and one younger sister. At the age of 18, I was kicked out of home due to my partaking in robberies. My parents were disappointed. I then started taking up assassinations in order to survive, and because I enjoyed doing it, I continued to do it. Until now. That’s all, I suppose.”

“So you’ve been an assassin for seven years now.”

“Yes. Wait— you know my age?” Viola frowned.

The captain looked away awkwardly, he was not at all a subtle creature by any means, “Er… a lot— many know this, I believe. It’s a, er, common knowledge if you’re invested with the assassin trade.”

Viola felt a weird feeling rise up her chest, she drew a sharp breath before replying. “Oh. I see. So, captain, what about you?”

“Please — call me Atlas. So you know quite well that I’m the famous Atlas Castor known for his successful fights and thefts. I grew up near your town. It was the quiet town of Amenad. It was at the ripe young age of 15 when I ran from home in hopes to pursue my dreams of becoming the greatest pirate in the world. I guess the dream came true.”

Soon the awkwardness between the two washed off, and hours passed as they talked like old friends who hadn’t met for a long time. It was only until midnight when Viola noticed the time. “Oh god, has it really been five hours? I must go. I am so sorry for staying for so long.”

“No, no, I don’t mind at all. But surely you won’t leave at such a time. It’s dark outside.”

“I’m not scared of the dark, I’ll manage,” Viola shrugged.

“Maybe— maybe you could stay for longer?” Atlas asked sheepishly.

Viola stared at him, “I thank you for your hospitality but—”

“Please do.”

Viola bit her lip, but agreed in the end.

★⋆★⋆★

She was in the guest room. It was a cosy place — a comfortable bed slightly too big for her, an untouched wooden desk and chair, a corner dedicated to a small collection of books and a cushion to sit on, and a soft material carpeted the floor. She was still sceptical of this hospitality and kept her beloved Spectra tucked underneath her soft pillow.

What felt like an hour had passed, but Viola’s eyes didn’t ever shut for her to succumb into a sleep. With a groan she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She could feel the drowsiness trying to wrench her back into bed, but Viola knew that she wouldn’t be falling asleep anytime soon. It was typical of her to lay in bed for hours before finally sleeping no matter how sleepy she was.

Viola tied her hair into a bun as she looked for her boots by the doorframe in the dark. After a successful search, she reached for her jacket and made her way out onto the moonlight deck. The ship was spacious with only barrels, crates and nets to add any signs of inhabitant. She looked around — a large elaborately-detailed wheel was set at the wheelhouse, ropes hung about loosely that Viola nearly got tangled into them, in the crow's nest nestled a tall man that seemed to be staring into the distance.

Atlas, Viola realised. She grabbed a rope ladder that was rocking slowly but hesitated joining the captain. Perhaps he wants some alone time, Viola thought. She abandoned the thought of joining him and instead went over to the side of the deck and leaned against the wooden railing. She looked into the distance with a sigh. White and blue light made the small, cascading waves that barely rocked the ship glow an eerie light blue, contradicting the dock that seemed to rock up and down. Viola chuckled — the fight earlier that afternoon must’ve weakened the dock so much so that most of the pillars holding it up had broken. A thought occurred to Viola: would she fall off the rocking dock if she tried going back home? Viola shivered, she wouldn’t want to drown in the water.

“Are you cold?” a voice stinged the quiet air from behind her. Viola reached for the pistol attached to her belt as she turned with her heart nearly exploding from the sudden question. She immediately relaxed when she was met face to face with the charming captain. He giggled, “You should’ve seen your face — you looked as if you had seen a ghost.”

“Shut up,” Viola groaned whilst rolling her eyes and turning back to her original position. “You didn’t answer my question,” Atlas stood beside her as he stared at her expectantly.

“I am not cold,” she answered, “Well— maybe slightly.”

Atlas chuckled as he said quietly, “It is a rather cold night, is it not? I love it when it is so, it’s much easier for me to think clearly. I’m not wearing my usual jacket tonight, though, or I would’ve offered it to you to replace your flimsy one.”

“It is not flimsy! It’s made of a high quality material and it is not in any way a fragile piece of clothing.”

“Well then… I suppose it’s… thin?” Atlas grinned. “D’you want me to get my jacket for you? I’m used to the chill, but I don’t think you are.”

“Don’t bother, I don’t want to trouble you,” Viola huffed. Atlas smiled, “Mmhm, whatever you say. Are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Of course I am. I was a guest as a reward, no? I’m only staying for the night because you convinced me to. Why?”

“What?”

“Why did you let me stay the night? I’m a danger, I was just attacking you hours ago.”

“I dunno, just consider it as hospitality, I suppose.”

“Oh.”

The two stood in silence as they thought of how to continue the conversation. It took a few minutes for Viola to notice that Atlas had been staring at her. She felt something snap inside of her, was he expecting her to continue the conversation?

Viola finally said something to release the two from the prison known as awkward silence: “Y’know, I think I should leave now.”

“Leave where? The guest room, or…?”

“Home. I’m going home. There isn’t any use for me to stay here any longer, I’ve decided. This is rather silly. I’ll go get James.”

Atlas bit his lip, but respected her wishes, “If you say so… I’ll go get James for you.”

It didn’t take long for Atlas to come back with a sleepy James by his side. “Do you want me to accompany you?” Atlas asked.

Viola politely declined, “No, thank you for the offer, Atlas. I’ll see you soon, hopefully? I can’t wait to wipe out the rest of your crew.” She grinned widely.

Atlas returned the grin, “Don’t expect victory, Viola. I’ll be sure to maintain my streak of winning.”

Viola walked away with a laugh, and to her utmost relief she realised the dock hadn’t been rocking — it was all her imagination and the dock was as strong as ever. “Er, miss?” James started.

“Yes, James?”

“Weren’t we supposed to assassinate the captain and his crew?” James sheepishly asked.

Viola groaned, “Uuuuuuuuuuugh, you’re right. Does that mean we failed the mission?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“We’re not getting paid for this are we?”

“Even if we do, maybe a quarter of the pay for killing half the crew?”

“Well, I can work with that.”

“What about me?”

“You’ve been as useless as ever, James. But you will still receive some pay because you did do something anyway.”

“Oh.”

Viola walked with a burning feeling in her chest. For some reason, she couldn’t help but look back to the ship multiple times before getting her head to focus on possibly retrying the mission. She could try now, especially since Atlas could be in a vulnerable position, but she was just too tired.

★⋆★⋆★

“I WANT THE MAN DEAD!” Josephine roared. The slender woman huffed and pierced Viola with only her eyes. “I’m sorry, okay—” Viola attempted to apologise and calm the woman down, but it only made her more furious. “You had one job, ONE JOB!” Josephine stomped about and looked as if she could pull her hair out.

“Why’re you so pressed, anyway? We can just try again,” James said calmly.

“Atlas Cruise Castor stole treasure boxes upon treasure boxes full of gold and money from me. ME! The duchess of Greencoast! He’s got a lot of nerves coming back here. I want him to pay for his crimes—”

“Okay. relax, we’ll try again,” Viola shrugged, “Captain Atlas and his crew are unbeatable, they’ve only surrendered and retreated once, and that was years ago.”

“You’re the best assassin on this entire continent. You’ve defeated groups upon groups of bandits and crews upon crews of pirates by yourself and with the help of your friend here. You’re on the same level as Castor.”

“Give me another week, and I’ll bring you his head, trust me.”

Viola and James walked out with a quarter of what should have been their full pay if they had succeeded. “Do you think you can do it?” James asked.

“I dunno. I’m not as determined to kill him as I was then.”

“He’s stolen your heart as well?” James snickered. Viola snapped, “Shut up, James.”

★⋆★⋆★

“Are you sure about this, James?” Viola asked. She was sceptical about the location. “Of course I am,” James replied, “I got some information from the lands dealer that Mr Captain Atlas Castor is looking for a mansion to stay in to settle down in inbetween explorations. He’s making this town into his homebase, remember? That’s why we’re here. Don’t doubt me.”

“Uh-huh, like the time you made us go all the way to the Indian Subcontinent saying that our target was on a holiday there when in actuality—”

“That was probably the only mistake I’ve actually made.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Don’t be smug. You make more mistakes than I. The last time you tried killing the guy, you ended up having tea with him. You had the perfect chance to assassinate him but you were gushed by his talking about your near-victory and what-not. Don’t do it again this time.”

“And you were flirting with a pirate.”

“To try and get out of a situation! I was pinned down by pirates twice my size!”

“Okay, okay, whatever. Now shut up. Look,” Viola pointed to the ornate wooden double doors. Atlas Castor stepped in with an amazed face. He chuckled and said to who Viola suspected was his right-hand man, “Tarret, look at this! It looks bigger on the inside.”

“Well you did ask for a mansion the size of your ship, captain,” Tarret said. Tarret seemed to be the opposite of the charming and friendly Atlas. Atlas strided here and there, nodding and agreeing with the placements of the new furniture. “Exactly like I’d like it! Tarret, you’ve outdone yourself.”

“Thank you, captain,” Tarret nodded slightly, following close behind his delighted captain.

Viola and James decided it best to hide in a fragile-looking cupboard that was actually very sturdy. They planned that after Atlas and his pirates were out of sight, the two would climb outside onto the roof if an ambush seemed too risky.

“I think entering the mansion when we had the chance wasn’t the best idea. We could’ve just ambushed him and the rest from outside.”

“How do you plan to get in? The doors would be locked.”

“It’s an ambush, James, we don’t need to be stealthy.”

“Of course.”

Suddenly Atlas was walking in front of the cabinet. Viola and James didn’t dare to breathe. Soon after came pirate after pirate passing the cabinet a million times to explore the mansion. “It’s going to be a long wait,” Viola sighed, “Let’s hope they don’t open the cabinet.”

It didn’t take long for the blue sunny day to turn into a cascading ombre of dark oranges, and faster for these oranges to turn into a dark blue that shadowed the quiet town of Greencoast. Viola and James stepped out of the cabinet after being sure that the pirates were all in their rooms. They had now decided that Viola should just assassinate the captain, and then assassinate the rest.

The two partners in crime sneaked through the hallways until they reached a room that they had determined to be Atlas’s room when they themselves had explored the mansion. Viola put an ear to the door and ordered James to go explore or hide. “I’ll go in, I think he’s asleep — it’s silent.”

“What if he’s actually awake?”

“I’ll just shoot him, he’s not ready for this.”

Viola opened the door, and to her relief it did not creak at all. Even through the darkness that was lit by a little bit of moonlight, Viola could make out a long lump on Atlas’s bed. She tiptoed to the lump and pointed the pistol at what she thought was Atlas’s head. She breathed in and her finger tapped on the trigger. She couldn’t bring herself to shooting the man — not after she had bonded with him after a five hour chat.

She’d never had a bond like that with any of her targets but she had to resist her hesitation. She took a deep breath, and—

“Pathetic,” a soft voice whispered from behind her. In a swift movement Viola was restrained from shooting with her gun by a large hand that grabbed her hand that was holding the gun, the other large hand found its way to Viola’s back as she was bent backwards, where she found herself reaching for the man’s waist as some form of support from falling. Ah, that was just a lump of fabric, wasn’t it? Viola thought.

“What are we, dancing?” Viola snickered. Atlas's white teeth shone in the moonlight as he grinned, “We could be.”

“You think I’d dance with you? You’re my target.”

“You’re going to fail this time anyway, relax.”

“Ouch.”

“You know I’m right.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“Wait, what?” Atlas blinked in confusion.

Viola snickered and tried yanking the pistol back into her possession, only to be met with a bad result, “Agh, I thought I got you there.”

“You almost did,” Atlas laughed. He in turn yanked the pistol away from Violet and threw it away into a corner of the room. “So what’re you going to do now, Viola? Enlighten me with your wonderful assassin plans.”

“I don’t know, I’m in a powerless situation, aren’t I? I admit it,” Viola shrugged. Atlas chuckled, “One thing I’ve gathered from our chat three days ago: you don’t like to admit that you’ve lost.”

“I don’t, do I?” Viola giggled. Atlas grinned, “What are you planning, Viola Comb? Do enlighten me, I’d like to know.”

“I can call James for backup,” Viola shrugged again. What am I doing? Viola thought. She knew she couldn’t do anything now, and James would be mincemeat if he was to fight Atlas. Against anyone, really.

“Your friend James? I could crush him like mere paper,” James chuckled, sending a shiver down Viola’s spine. In silence James moved a hand down Viola’s waist and another through the back of her hair. His eyes shone a hint of desperation and longing and he wouldn’t look away. Viola froze, unsure of what to do. Should she act hostile or should she continue her friendly facade? Her instincts agreed with the latter. She inched her face closer to Atlas’s as her own hands made their way over his shoulders. “Whatever are you planning to do, Atlas Castor?”

“Things enemies shouldn’t be doing, Viola Comb.” Atlas pushed her softly onto his bed with a grunt. His lips pressed hard against hers. He’s desperate, Viola realised. One of his hands cupped Viola’s right cheek, and she felt as if flame was burning it. Strangely, Viola liked it. She liked the kiss. She parted her lips slightly, allowing Atlas to take an opportunity to reach for Viola’s tongue with his. Their tongues twisted and touched each other’s and Viola couldn’t help but press harder into Atlas’s lips, not letting him let go of the kiss.

“Desperate aren’t you, Viola?” Atlas finally broke the kiss by pinning Viola’s neck onto the mattress. “Say that for yourself,” Viola retorted as she tried getting up and reaching for Atlas’s lips again. “Say that for the both of us,” Atlas admitted. With his free hand he slowly unbuttoned Viola’s jacket and took it off her.

“Need help with the shirt?” Viola snickered. Atlas let go of her neck and in a split second she had him pinned down by sitting on him. She Took her shirt and undergarments off in a flash before once again going in for a kiss. “But this position is painful, darling,” Atlas whimpered.

“For you it is,” Viola chuckled, earning herself once again being pinned by the man and her pants and the rest of her undergarments forcefully taken off. Viola groaned, “Ugh, I had you then.”

“You think I’d let you sit on top of me like that?”

“Don’t mind that, how is it fair that I’m the only naked one?”

“It’s not my fault you’re easy.”

“Get those clothes off and pleasure me with all your might, I’ve had enough of this back and forth,” Viola ordered. I’m not supposed to be enjoying this, what am I doing? she thought.

“As you wish, darling.”

Viola couldn’t really see what the man was doing in the dark, but she soon realised he was undressed when she felt the tip of his dick grazing against her leg. “I don’t want this night to finish so quickly, y’know. You won’t mind if I delayed half your request, no?”

“Wha—” Viola started to ask, then stopped in surprise when she felt the cold tongue of Atlas Castor brush against her labia. She felt the fiery feeling return to her — it wasn’t the desperation she was feeling, so what was it? The feeling spiralled in her stomach and it even lingered around her vulva. It only started feeling like flames when Atlas started vigorously pressing and licking her clitoris. Viola let a soft moan escape her mouth — she grabbed Atlas’s head and she couldn’t help but tense her legs. Her head flicked up as she couldn’t help but increase the frequency of her moaning. Atlas quickened his pace until he was able to determine Viola’s sensitive spot based on how loud she would moan. She could feel herself excreting some sort of liquid while Atlas licked it all up.

“You know how to start exploring someone, don’t you?”

“I suppose I do,” Atlas stopped for a moment to answer, but he never resumed. Viola raised her head to look at him, and with a tinge of annoyance she said, “Why’d you stop? I was already starting to get wet.”

Her question was answered when Atlas moved up to insert the tip of his dick into an opening. With an overwhelmed feeling, Viola quickly said, “W-wait— Atlas—”

Atlas choked Viola from above her as he thrusted into her vagina roughly. The fiery feeling burst into fireworks and flames throughout her entire body and Viola couldn’t help but raise her legs in response and moan loudly.

“A-Atlas— that was way too sudden,” Viola muttered in-between moans. Atlas only grinned as he continued to thrust into her roughly over and over again, coaxing what seemed to be a million soft moans slipping out of Viola’s moans. “D’you think you could go faster or is that too hard for you?” Viola snickered.

“Is becoming a challenger your way of showing dominance? Make it your weakness, honestly,” Atlas groaned as he quickened his pace. His body moved against Viola’s, only making her fiery situation worse. She couldn’t even breathe from what she considered unnecessary choking, but she liked it. She was glad he did it, somehow. She groaned internally, she refused this was happening.

She was paid to assassinate the man who was pleasing her more than her past lovers, not whatever this is.

As if reading her mind, Atlas snickered as he tried teasing her in-between pants, “Still want to kill me, darling? Or do you want me to live so we could do this again tomorrow night?”

Viola scoffed as she moaned, “I want to kill you more than before.”

“Hm, sexy,” Atlas grinned as Viola felt a warm liquid being excreted into her.

★⋆⋆⋆——————⋆⋆⋆★⋆⋆⋆——————⋆⋆⋆★

Author's Note 2: Well I think that fucking sucked. I'll just consider this as a smut exercise lmao, I apologise to whoever actually read this thing. I think I should just stick to fluff with no smut, just some cheesy stuff idk

The lesson learnt and note to self: don't write while you're sleepy

Day One: Assassin x Pirate -- Completed!

Tomorrow, day two: Assassin x Civilian

Challenge list + writing progress

#writing #my writing #writing exercise #writing challenge #writerblr #writeblr #write #original story #short story #story #assassin #pirate #assassin x pirate #challenge #day one #smut #slight smut

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loveismyrevolution · 5 years ago

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Wow, thank you for thinking of me and tagging me for this @sherlockedcarmilla and @chriscalledmesweetie !! ❤❤

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world. tag as many writers/artists/etc as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

As I haven't written much in general yet, I don't have to make hard choices which is good because I suck at that 😆😅. Mostly because I love my stories in a different way and for different reasons!!

1.) Shatter Me

because it's the first one I ever started writing. It's my baby and it's the one I worked on the hardest and the longest.

(johnlock, WIP ch15/21, slow burn, friends to lovers, balletlock, song fic)

This is a story about two men trying to find their way back into the comfort of their companionship. No easy task in the aftermath of the events of Reichenbach, a wedding and a shot through the heart. They are facing a very rocky road ahead with a lot of introspection, misunderstandings, angst and pining. They each try to cope in their own particular way. Eventually, they'll find a way to communicate and learn about the true nature of their feelings.

2.) How He Came To Be

because this co-authored fic with wonderful littleweedwrites/@shylockgnomes is very dear to me. An amazing experience to develop a whole world for and around our main character together. I dare say that littleweed and I are complimentary and better together.

(Sherlock&Mycroft, G, WIP ch4/12, kid Sherlock, autistic Sherlock, trans Sherlock, adoption) part 1 of The Families of Sherlock Holmes series which will eventually cover the development of Sherlock Holmes from toddler to the man we kno wand love.

It’s Summer 1979, and Mycroft Holmes’s ordered and sensible world is about to simultaneously be pulled to pieces and completed by a tiny tornado tot with sea changing blue eyes.

This is a story of how Mycroft became a big brother and how his little sibling grew up.

3.) The Posh Purple Pirate (Enter My Life and Make Me Drown)

because it was written to indulge in my own kinks of pole-dancing Sherlock in eyeliner(!!), leather and lace, topped (pun intended 😏) by a lap dance to seduce John Watson. Also my best received fic until now.

(Johnlock, E, ch1/1, 7406w, alternative first meeting, Sherlock in drag, Sherlock with eyeliner, pole dancing, lap dance, hand job)

When Mike Stamford invited him to a fun night out, John Watson never expected it would become such a wild ride - captivated by an enigmatic pirate his life suddenly gains speed in an unexpected direction.

4.) Ginger or Red-Headed

because I wrote it for lovely @barbsiebabe based on a very inspiring conversation about pubic hair 😆

(Johnlock, E, ch1/1, 2387w, established relationship, humour, blowjob, johnlock in quarantine, Sherlock and experiments) part 3 of the Hairy Situations at 221B series

Sherlock is bothered by the colour of his newly grown beard as it doesn't quite match the colour of the rest of his hair (and then he means all different types of hair!!) He knows for a fact that someone else is ginger on one specific part of his body and feels the need to investigate this further. Somehow John doesn't mind this particular research in the slightest.

5.) Bad Hair Day

because it is the result of a ridiculous conversation with dear friends, because it was the start of my Hairy-series and because it made me participate in the Isolated Johnlock Collection (and I'm still a bit proud that I dared to do so 😬😅)

(Johnlock, T, ch1/1, 1621w, established relationship, humour, johnlock in quarantine, Sherlock and experiments with very interesting results) part 1 of the Hairy Situations at 221B series.

This is what happens when one bored Consulting Detective is left alone while John Watson has to go out to do the shopping during a pandemic quarantine. Experiment? Disguise? Whatever... John isn't very delighted about Sherlock's new look...

(uhm, sorry, this got rather long-ish 😬)

I'm tagging @totallysilvergirl @elwinglyre @a-different-equation @the-reading-lemon @loveinthemindpalace to share your amazing writing with us!! Same for @johnlocklover221 but also for your fantastic fanvids!!

@ennisgarlaend for your brilliant photographs!!

and @morgendaemmerung89 @chained-to-the-mirror @consultingpacha @bluebellofbakerstreet @johix to show us your gorgeous art!!

(only if you want to of course!)

#tag game #five favourite fics #my fics #shatter me #how he came to be #the posh purple pirate #ginger or red headed #bad hair day #loveismyrevolution #limr #fandom friends #fandom love #fanfic writers #fan artists

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michaels-blogs · 2 years ago

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Jus a slight art dump?

Click on image for clarity!!

An Au Version of Jasper, atm he is a very VERY fancy pirate~

N I had way too much fun with his colors

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postsforposting · 3 years ago

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fookin' color theory in ofmd

BLUE

I've seen a meta claiming that blue is Stede's comfort color, but that's not quite right. Stede is indeed uncomfortable when he's in blue, but blue isn't him trying to find comfort, it's him acceding to expectations under great discomfort. Blue is conformity to and idolization of social expectations, specifically the masculine, homophobic, abusive, violent, hierarchical beliefs of society. Stede wears this color--the signature teal outfit--when he's performing to these standards: you see it in the first episode, as he's idolizing pirate life and hosting the English; you see it when he's teaching Ed about the pageantry of dining; you see it when he announces he and Ed have "drifted apart"; he wears it when he returns to his family. Stede has a blue necktie when he's getting married--notably only a necktie, and in the French posh party he's wearing a coat edged in his conformity teal color. The English navy are almost solidly blue, a dark navy blue. The darker the blue, the better the conformity; the lighter and less blue, the less conformity.

The fact that Stede is mostly in a light blue, a teal, rather than a dark navy shows he's only ever selectively performing his proper role: he chooses what he wants, the fripperies and pagaentry that comes with the demands of civility, but rejects the violence and domination and hardness that's also expected. The book that Blackbeard's vampire clown illustration is in, Stede's favorite book, has a light blue cover.

PURPLE

If blue is conformity to society, then purple is apostasy, heresy to society; the sin of individuality, self expression that goes against the norms. Traditionally, purple represents dignity and wealth, treasure; combine the two, and we have one huge theme of the show: your dignity and worth isn't in forcing yourself to conform at expense of your life and happiness, but in expressing your better/healthier self despite the pressure not to. Sinning against society isn't the real transgression; it's sinning against yourself and others, in choosing to inflict violence and conformity at the expense of all else.

Lucius, the character most estranged from and living an alternate lifestyle outside of "proper" society, wears a tye-dye purple shirt nearly all season under his red jacket. We don't really get a good look at that until the second episode on the beach. But the times he doesn't have those are notable: during the ep1 Badminton tea party, where he mostly plays along with social decorum; the treasure hunt; and the days with Calico Jack, when he goes along with everything.

Purple first shows up behind the clothes in Stede's closet when he's handing out finery to his crew before hosting the English for tea in episode 1, and then on Olu during that tea party. It being in the closet, as it also is when Stede shows Ed his hidden closet (it's two different closets), says that Stede having and highly valuing these clothes is not normal, unacceptable to society, sinful--and that his self expression in embracing it anyway is a good thing.

Olu's purple vest during the tea party highlights his suggestion to Stede that he win the crew's regard by lying about Badminton's death, which violates masculine and social expectations. He also pours boiling tea on an officer's lap, which is very much not what servants do, or what they do in response to being insulted.

Light purple shows up several times, as opposed to a darker or royal purple; it signifies a shakier commitment to breaking norms, that it's being done "badly" or in a way that's hurting others. Stede has light purple pants during the beach episode, where he attempts to make the crew conform to his expectations of "vacation" rather than letting them do what they want to do: he says there's no way to mess it up, then nearly immediately chastises them for messing it up. He is again in the light purple pants during the ghost stories of the fuckery episode, showing that he's still hanging on to the elements of fear and idolization of terror embodied by social ideals, even though he's telling ghost stories to his crew which is a nonconformist activity. Stede also has a light purple sleeping mask when he's awoken by the canons when Jack shows up; he's yelling that he's only a stowaway, which while that's adverse to masculine ideals, also means he's putting his crew in danger by denying he's the captain, so it's not a good thing.

BLACK

Death, pain, emotionally closed off, the absolute masculine ideal: this is why Blackbeard's pirates are all leathermen. This is not as opposed to blue's conformity to expectations, but is an acknowledgement that conformity, and the civility it requires to live in society, necessarily means that you have to compromise SOMETHING of the demands placed on you: you can't both be a wild unrestrained violent pig AND a gentleman who's welcomed by high society. We see this contrast in the French party, where Blackbeard can't just open fire on the vessel if he wants to fit in; rather, you have to use different methods--passive aggression--if you want to "win", but of course the "masculine ideal" would indeed demand that you just punch them all in the face.

YELLOW/GOLD

Fear. Insecurity. This is the yellow "battle jacket", which shows up before the tea party, before the clothes swap, and running out to Ed's intro to fuckery. Yellow also shows up as the inside of Stede's bed curtains, Mary's clothes when she's giving the lighthouse painting to Stede and when she receives his model ship, and Stede's outfit when he's first run away from his family standing on the deck of his ship. Interestingly, higher ranks of navy officers have more gold on their blue coats, and the King himself is covered in gold--they're soaked in fear insecurity for their place and the emptiness in their lives despite their supposedly great social positions, conformity to masculinity, and riches. More power and higher rank doesn't confer more freedom or more satisfaction, only more to lose, and more demands.

The kiss is also shot in yellow lighting, rather than the clean lighting we see elsewhere. Stede isn't in tune with Ed in that moment, he's full of fear about what he's done to everyone around him, about his worth, his choices, even though outwardly he's agreeing to run to China, and Ed doesn't pick up on the obvious hesitancy at all.

Yellow is the paint Wee John smears on his face as the crew prep to invade the ship they're chasing in ep1: the scariest thing is not violence or death, but insecurity even after you've supposedly achieved success. It's feeling like a fraud, a yawning emptiness, still dissatisfied that you've been told that this is all there is to life, that there is no more. I suppose there's a metaphor there in that a "golden cage is still a cage": success within the bonds of toxicity is still drowning in toxicity.

RED

I'm not terribly sure about this one. Perhaps capacity for emotion/emotional freedom, as in the famous red robe of love and Lucius's red jacket. The darker the color is, the less free the character is; the brighter, the more free, the more in touch with their emotions/capacity for emotions and love they are. This fits the idea of the robe, and of Stede's dark red journal where he feels somewhat free to express himself but isn't totally honest; it fits Lucius, because he is the ship therapist and most free with expressing love and care for others, whatever he is feeling and being out about his dislike of social expectations, as well as when he loses the jacket--during the ep1 tea party, the treasure hunt, and Calico Jack episodes. Lucius also has a red necktie in the first episode during the Badminton tea party, where we see him upset but not speaking up about the abuse Stede endured as a kid. Notably, Frenchie and Roach are in red vests during the same tea party, and they are the ones who speak up to defend their flags and against the officers' insults, which is the catalyst that upsets the whole party.

But red also shows up on the Spanish Navy who never had red naval uniforms, and on Spanish Jackie. They all wear black pants; pairing red with black says that the capacity for emotion is there, but they're still too compromised to truly embrace it. That the English are at war with the Spanish, blue vs red, would mean stuffy society and order is at war with emotional expression. Even the little bit of expression the Spanish have isn't tolerable to the English, who want all of it gone who want total conformity. Similarly, we see red curtains in Stede's emptied quarters where Ed as the Kraken interviews Jim and Frenchie; the red muted by the dark room says the same thing: the capacity is still there, but it's being drowned out by the demand to bottle it up, the demand to be violent, to deny it. Our last shot of Ed confirms this, as we see him crying through the Kraken makeup in the dark. Ed also threw Lucius overboard while wearing the red robe; that's saying his action is an expression of emotion, not one of violence--and a big reason why Lucius isn't going to be dead.

Finally, red also shows up during the fuckery episode: the curtains where Ed and Stede watch are double sided, red and yellow. The color facing into the room where the crew carry on their theater (aka immersion into emotional expression) are red with gold embroidery; while the side where Ed stands to watch, the side he tries to murder Stede on, the side he meets Stede's kraken on, is YELLOW aka insecurity. Ed is literally held back from being able to express himself, from love, by his own fear, and by fear of how others will see him. He looks through the curtain and feels only fear, because that's the only emotion he has access to, so he can't see past that to everything else he could have if only he stepped past it.

#ofmd #our flag means death #color theory #pretty sure white also means something but i have not watched specifically for that #edited yellow's fear to insecurity #I feel like that makes more sense than simple fear

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bugsbutch · 3 years ago

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!!!!! ok so the ep title didn't lie, This really Is Happening

before i watch ep 8 i just want to say

why did they have to make Stede a bug nerd, i was already endeared enough to him! they already had me at a dumbass fop wants to be a cool pirate and fails spectacularly, this is just overkill

thank whoever's up there for Lucius 🙏 omg i just realised he gave him the shovel talk while on shovel carrying duty

this is the first time we see Ed wearing color that isn't Stede's clothes, right? and it's purple just like his posh party outfit 💜

they better follow Jim's storyline closely, i better not see them sidelined, Or Else 🔪

#'isn't it working hours rn for you?' shhhhh it's a slow day at work it's fiiine #also Oluwande and Jim 🥺🥺🥺#our flag means death #ofmd spoilers

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asuraaa · 3 years ago

Note

Question: What inspired you to make this comic/these characters?

TL;DR: MY LOVE OF OCS, HISTORY, AND BL DRAMA.

LONG VERSION: okay it really is kinda hard to pin any specific inspiration other than i just really like OCs and historical fiction and this character dynamic, but i feel like i get this question and similar ones a lot SO I'M JUST GONNA REALLY DIG INTO IT THIS TIME, give as thorough of an answer as i can.

so in 2009, i played ragnarok online. A LOT. i played with my friend jenny (who is the comic co-writer) and we would make dumb characters and then get super attached to them. she made an airship pirate sniper named cicada, and i made a posh politician wizard named gladimir. they looked like this:

my goal in designing glad was to make him the prettiest OC i had. most of my OCs are like... lanky old men and quirky ugly dudes, but glad was going to be GORGEOUS. and thus i made him to my taste, the prettiest boy i could manage. i'm just really into twinky pretty boys with bobs, so i guess you could call them my inspiration. here's some OG 2009 gladios:

they're a dime a dozen in mainstream media now, see lio fotia, yuri plisetsky, shion kiba, that fairy prince from FGO... but glad predates them all, i was just following my heart LOL. characters like xellos from slayers or garma from gundam may have played a subconscious inspo role, but i only realized this in hindsight years later. tho weirdly enough they're both purple:

anyway, jenny and i RPed a lot; having a friend to RP and be invested in OCs with you is always hugely invaluable inspiration for anything, i think! eventually our ragnarok online story kinda hit a dead end and got dropped for a while, until we picked it up again in 2015, and started exploring... ALTERNATE UNIVERSES. and the AU of "what if glad was a prince" just fucking TOOK OFF. insert old 2015 first doodle here:

inspiration for THAT came from an alanis morissette song that i've linked before, which was this one LOL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGYCyQfbFHM

it gave me the idea for the golden trial in the comic, which served as the base for a whole new world of RP and plot building. IN FACT i would say that music in general became a huge point of inspiration, specifically french music due to the nature of glad's made up country being some french/english hybrid. so on that note, let me link you some more inspiration songs:

- french drama vibes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN4VLmo1QG4

- french emotional vibes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfW5FQ5iv2E

- english plot vibes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAI5mYVWotI

the inspo for the overall aesthetic of the characters just comes purely from history and historical fiction vibes that i like. royal european clothing and the age of sail are hot. i think there's some subconscious inspiration from utena and gundam as well:

and inspo for the overall story i cant attribute to anything specific other than my friend’s interest, love for BL comics, and glad and cicada's character tropes. i love a classic brain & brawn duo, i love a short king with top energy, i love a heart of gold rowdy boy, and i love when you think two characters are completely opposite and then they turn out to be actually pretty similar. i don't know of any media that specifically fed me these vibes within the time frame we were making this story, but i will say that when promare came out it was PRETTY DAMN GREAT. here's glad dressed as lio because image breaks:

lastly, what inspired me to actually make the comic: memento mori. like many people, i just sit on my flat ass making stories with my friends that will never be shared outside of that friend group, and for the most part i am 100% perfectly okay with this! but deep down i just knew i wanted to actually make a comic... i wanted to be able to look back on my life and say HEY, YOU DID IT, YOU MADE A THING. i'm a story lover, i'm a story teller, and i just needed to finally indulge in this in a more tangible way. dead men tell no tales.

i was in my 30s when i started drawing the comic. it's never too late to start. >:9 start yours today.

o and i guess the narrative itself is just a general mishmash of ideas and tropes i think are fun, there’s no specific inspo there either. i like 90s anime, old video games, historical movies and documentaries, etc. i do pull from age of sail and pirate history for sure, that’s def a general inspiration for me! here’s some of my books on the subject, feel free to ask me for more titles/reccs if you’re into this stuff huhu:

ALSO, the comic had no name until after i started drawing it, but the name came from a song as well, pls enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R-BR9bzdMM

anyway i guess that's the deep dive into the inspo! if i think of anything else i'll just add it in later but MAN IF YOU READ THIS FAR, YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR. hope this answered everything and more, thanks for the question!!

#anonymous #tl;dr

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boxoftheskyking · 5 years ago

Audio

Hello chickens! Happy Sunday.

As you know my favorite thing is writing folk songs for fictional worlds, so here have “The Shepherd’s Rhyme,” an old Kerch folk song. A song that the Rietveld brothers knew well as little kids, and that is still sung (with a wink and a nod and the appropriate drunken cheering from each group mentioned) in the bars and gambling dens of the Barrel. Everyone likes a good old country song, don’t they

The “traditional” version is the first three verses (though the Barrel gangs tend to skip the stadwatch verse bc fuck those guys), but I couldn’t resist adding one for Inej.

If I was a mercher with ships on the sea I’d live in a house that’s as tall as can be I would give thanks to Ghezen for granting me gold But a life in the city would soon make me old.

Each day ‘til I sleep, I’ll watch over my sheep When the sun it shines bright and the snow it falls deep. Each day ‘til I die I’ll spend under the sky And there never could be one more lucky than I.

If I was a Barrel boss, cunning and sly A knife in my boot and a glint in my eye I would give thanks to Ghezen for all I’d acquired But a life in the city would soon make me tired.

If I was a stadwatch in purple array, I’d follow my orders and take home my pay. I would give thanks to Ghezen for keeping me quick, But a life in the city would soon make me sick.

If I was a pirate, courageous and bold, I’d cut down the slaver and empty his hold I would give thanks to no one but the wind and my blade, But I’d dream of the country and wish that I’d stayed.

Notes under the cut:

1. Yes, this will be in Continue to Continue (not the whole thing). Yes, Kaz wrote the last verse, shhh it makes sense at the time

2. Yes, it’s a Kerch version of this old Newfoundland song, but I hope it’s different enough to warrant existing. Also like every culture has a version of this song.

3. Yes, Netflix, you may hire me to write all the bar songs you need, I have many ideas

4. I can only play piano, which is why this version sounds like something from a posh pleasure house parlor. Oh well

5. There’s a possibility I’ll end up taking this down if it has a life elsewhere like I did with the Star Wars one, so fair warning

Thanks!

#me singing #run away #six of crows #shadow and bone #crooked kingdom #songs I wrote

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temult · 5 years ago

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Nott the Best Confidant (everyone loves jester, nott pov)

Nott has a series of Significant Conversations in a rather short amount of time, and she’s not really sure what to do about them.

First is the conversation with Beau. Sure, she was skeptical of the idea of exchanging secrets (she didn’t really see the point, honestly) but she had to admit that it felt rather nice to be trusted with Beau’s crush. That someone came to her for advice, even with her looking like she does and everything. And it was nice to get her feelings off her chest, too. It was probably easy for Beau to trust her, though, what with how good she is at keeping secrets.

A few days later, Nott is still debating how she’s going to get Jester to fall dramatically into Beau’s arms, and wondering if Jester is still caught up in her crush on Fjord and if she has even really thought about her sexuality, or if that was something Nott was going to have to introduce from scratch. There’s a lot of work to be done, basically, which is why she doesn’t mind taking first watch as the group settles down for the night. She’s already halfway into planning how to bring up women and the concept of seeing them romantically when she notices Fjord hasn’t gone to sleep with everyone else and is, instead, making his way towards her.

“Mind if I sit?” He asks, gesturing next to Nott.

She shrugs, still rather preoccupied with her previous train of thought. Maybe she could find a romance novel featuring two women, and see if Jester seems into it? That might be a good idea—

“Can I ask you something?” Fjord’s crisp, posh voice cuts through her reverie.

“Hm? Oh, sure. What’s up?”

He looks down, picking at some grass next to him for a moment before he speaks. “Do you think— Have you seen— I mean, you’re pretty close to—”

“Good gods, Fjord. Spit it out.”

He huffs a laugh. “Okay. Okay, this is a sort of strange question. But I don’t know, I think maybe you can offer some insight. If someone were to compliment you and flirt with you often — like, saying you’re quite pretty and stealthy and reassuring you about stuff you worry about — that’s not very platonic, is it? Or could someone be doing that just to be friendly?”

Oh.

Suddenly, Fjord has all of Nott’s attention. “Are you asking me about Jester?”

She could’ve sworn his cheeks got a little darker, even in the dim light of their camp. His eyes stayed fixed on the ground. “Well, yeah. I guess. She— You’ve noticed it too, of course. She flirts with me and tells me I’m handsome and strong and that my tusks are growing in well.” He rubs the back of his neck. “And, well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the attention. And how her cheeks go purple when I flirt back. But I just— I wouldn’t want to get my hopes up if that was just how she shows her friendship.”

Oh. Oh, okay. Nott needs to play this very, very carefully. On one hand, she’s pretty sure Jester’s crush on Fjord has been fading recently (something she had been planning to use to her advantage to get Beau and Jester together) but at the same time, it’s not like she could lie to Fjord and say Jester has only ever seen him as a friend. Right?

Nott decides to be mostly honest, without outing anyone’s confidence in her. She is an excellent secret keeper, after all.

“Well, Jester is a pretty affectionate person to everyone, especially to our little group. She calls Beau and Yasha strong as well, and blushes when anyone responds to her flirting. Did you see how flustered she got when Beau winked at her?”

Fjord is frowning a little, eyes still on the ground. “Right.”

Nott sighs. “But I have to admit she does seem to flirt with you the most, out of everyone. I think that, no matter Jester’s feelings on the subject, you would have to consider how you feel about her. You can’t choose to like someone just because they flatter you. And you can’t choose to immediately stop liking someone just because they don’t feel the same way. So: what do you think?”

Fjord glances at Nott, before going back to fidgeting with the grass. “I mean— Well— She’s really quite remarkable, right? And she’s so fun, and clever, and she makes me feel better about myself which is a feat I would’ve thought impossible until I met her, honestly. And— I kissed her cheek that one time, kind of on impulse, but, Wildmother save me, her surprise was so cute I could’ve screamed.”

Nott nods sympathetically. “Plus, there’s the time you gave her her first kiss, remember?”

Fjord’s eyes snap to hers. “That was her first kiss?”

Oh, fuck. So much for keeping secrets. “What? No! Who said that? You’re hearing things, Tusktooth.”

“Shit, I didn’t even know. Gods, and then I didn’t even talk about it with her after! I just thought I was doing what anyone would’ve done to save her. I hadn’t even thought of it as a kiss. Shit, I really fucked up, didn’t I?”

Well, there’s no denying it now. “No, Fjord, you didn’t fuck up. I know she isn’t upset with you about it. If anything, she was happy her first kiss was such a romantic gesture from her real life Oskar.”

He laughs lightly. “I really need to read that book, huh? Maybe my way into Jester’s heart is a white pirate shirt with a low vee after all.” Fjord stands up, brushing the pieces of torn grass off of his pants. “Thank you, Nott. This was really helpful. Have a good night.”

Shit, was it? “Um, no problem. Goodnight.”

Oh gods, did she just make this already complicated situation worse? And what, if anything, is she going to tell Beau?

—

Less than a week after her conversation with Fjord, Nott is snacking on some spitroasted rat with Yasha while the party has a short, midday rest. It is the first time Nott has eaten rat since her transformation back into her Halfling body, and she is delighted that she still enjoys it.

A few yards away, Jester is reading aloud from Tusk Love to Fjord and Beau, entertaining them while they go through their workout routine. It seems like Fjord is focusing more on the book than his exercise, however, and Beau scolds him for his lack of focus, even as her gaze drifts to the tiefling more than a few times.

Nott is staring at the three of them when Yasha speaks. “She really is quite cute, isn’t she?”

Her eyes snap to Yasha’s, whose gaze is fixed on Jester as she reads aloud, gesturing with her hands and changing her voice and facial expressions to match the characters. Gods, is she also in love with Jester? “You too?”

Yasha looks at Nott curiously. “Too?”

Shit. “Huh?”

“You said, you too?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did.”

“No, why would I say that, that’s crazy!”

Yasha has an amused glint in her eye. “Okay.”

“I’m serious!”

“I believe you, Veth.”

Right. Nott’s still not used to hearing her old name come from her friends’ mouths. She crosses her arms petulantly, knowing this is an argument she has lost. Anyway, she’s getting off topic, and she decides to steer the conversation in a different direction. “Do you—” Nott hates this, why does she keep ending up in this position, “Do you like her?”

“Of course I do. She’s very likeable.”

“Right.”

Yasha must notice something in Nott’s expression, because she asks: “Don’t you? Like her?”

“No!” Nott is married, and even if she wasn’t, she wouldn't want to throw her hat into this mess.

“Why not?”

“What do you mean why not? I have a husband!”

“Huh.” Yasha pauses, “I fear we may have had a miscommunication. Do you not like her as a friend?”

“What? Of course I do!”

Yasha nods.

“Wait— Does that mean— When you said—”

Yasha huffs a laugh. “I am not in love with Jester, Veth. Of course, I find her adorable, and I will admit to have been charmed by her on more than one occasion. In that regard, I do understand why certain people would fall for our dear friend.”

Oh.

“Certain people?” Nott cuts her eyes to Beau and Fjord. “Do you mean—“ when she looks back at Yasha, the larger woman’s eyes are fixed over Nott’s shoulder. She follows her gaze to Caleb, who is leaning against the base of a tree, nose deep in a book.

Wait, what?

Yasha seems to notice Nott’s shocked expression. Her own eyes widen. “Wait, did you not mean—”

“What?” Nott’s voice is shrill now, even more than usual.

“Um, I meant—” It is Yasha’s turn to be flustered. “I was just looking at— For no reason— Uh, um—”

Nott stops listening to Yasha’s panicked deflection, turning to stare at Caleb. He seems to be reading, but every now and then his eyes glance up towards the blue tiefling across the clearing.

“—And, so, yeah— It’s me, I was totally lying, I am in love with Jester and no one else is—”

Good gods, this is a lot to unpack. Nott is going to have to process this bombshell later, but first she needs to calm Yasha before the Aasimar has a stroke.

“Yasha, it’s okay. I won’t say anything.”

Yasha stops mid sentence, looking at Nott with wide eyes. “You won’t?”

“Yeah, totally. Your secret is safe with me.”

“Um, yeah. My secret.”

“Yes.” At this point, Nott is just fucking with her. “I won’t tell anyone that you are in love with her.”

Yasha clearly has no idea what to do from here. “Right. Yes, thank you. I, um, really appreciate it.”

“Of course.” Nott stands up, and makes her way to the rest of the group. She does her best to keep a calm facade as they pack up, and resolves to investigate this new piece of information as soon as possible.

—

Over the next few days, Nott pays even more attention to Caleb than normal.

She almost can’t believe she didn’t see it before: the way his eyes track her, how he turns red whenever she jokes with him, and how he seems to worry about her even more than anyone else in their little family.

Sure, she’s not perceptive like Caduceus, but she usually notices when something is right in front of her face.

Speaking of Caduceus — she needs to remember to check in with the Firbolg. She doesn’t think he is in love with Jester, but at the rate everything is going, it seems increasingly possible.

She would love to include Jester in her little investigation into Caleb’s feelings, since acting like a detective isn't the same without her, but she doesn’t think that would go over well. ‘Hey, Jester, I’m breaking practically everyone’s trust in me by telling you this, but our whole party is in love with you and I'm trying to figure out if Caleb is too! Wanna join?’

Yeah, right.

It’s less than a week after her conversation with Yasha when Nott finally decides to talk to Caleb. Her heart can’t take the tragic expression he seems to have perpetually fixed on his face lately.

Before she can get to him, however, Caduceus slides up beside her, catching her off guard.

“We are family, right, Veth?”

“What? Oh, uh, yes. Of course.”

“And family can share anything with each other, right?”

Goodness gracious, what now? “...Yes?”

“Good,” Caduceus smiles gently. “I just wanted to check in if there is anything you might want to share with me.”

“Huh?” She doesn’t think there is, unless he is referring to the comedy of errors unfolding around Jester’s romantic interests. “I’m good, I think.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep! Super sure, now if you don’t mind—”

“Because I’ve noticed you’ve been staring a lot at Mister Caleb.”

Oh, no.

“And I just want you to know that if you need someone to share your feelings with, I am here for you.”

“That’s really sweet of you, Caduceus, but it's not like that—”

“I’m sure,” he says, that stupid soothing smile still set on his face. “You don’t have to share if you don’t want to, but the offer is there.”

“No— Cad— It's really not like that!”

He is already walking away from her, casually strolling towards the front of their traveling group. Next to Caleb.

Fuck.

Now, not only can she no longer use this time to talk to Caleb alone, but she has to deal with Caduceus thinking she is in love with the wizard!

Look, she’s not going to lie. She did confess her crush on him to Beau, after all. But that was old news! She finds him handsome and wonderful, sure, and she loves him dearly, but she is married. Happily married! At this point, he is her best friend, and all she wants is for Caleb to be happy.

And for that to happen, she has to gods-damned talk to him!

—

Nott’s next opportunity to finally speak with Caleb alone arises that same day, when he offers to take first watch. She quickly jumps at the chance, and announces that she will be joining him to the group. No one seems to bat an eye, and everyone lays down to sleep in Caleb’s dome — this time a dark green color designed to blend in with the forest floor.

The two of them take watch a few yards away from the dome so they can speak without anyone hearing. Or, at least, that is Nott’s plan — she is pretty sure Caleb must think she is insane for choosing to sit out in the cold rather than in the warm, magical shelter. Still, he sits with her anyway, without asking any questions. Because he is just — the best. Everything he does reminds her how lucky she is to have him in her life, and now she is going to repay the favor by being his confidant, whether he wants her to or not.

They sit side by side in a comfortable silence as Nott tries to figure out how to broach the topic of his feelings without revealing Yasha’s slip up. She picks at her cuticles, twisting the words in her mind to try and fit them together in just the right way.

She finally thinks she knows how to begin when Caleb asks, “Are you alright?”

Nott glances up, meeting his eyes, and finds them watching her carefully. “Oh, um. I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he says, leaving it at that, never one to push her to speak when she doesn’t want to. Gods, Caleb is just the best person she knows. He and Jester deserve each other, she thinks, building up courage to speak.

“It’s just— I’ve been a little stressed lately, is all.”

Caleb nods. “That’s understandable. It is a stressful time, and you just underwent a huge change.”

She shakes her head. “No, no, it’s not that. Well, honestly, that probably didn’t help, but. I feel like a lot of the group has been turning to me for advice since I’ve gotten my body back. And a little before that, too. I just— I want to help but I don’t know how. And,” she hesitates, unsure if this is the right way to bring this up, “I want to help you especially, you know?”

Caleb’s look of gentle understanding fades into confusion. “Help me?”

“Yes, Caleb. I love you, and I want you to be happy.”

He hesitates for a moment, schooling his face into a blank expression. “I am happy, Veth.”

“I think we both know that’s not true, Caleb.”

They sit in silence for a long time after she says that, and Nott stresses that she pushed him too far. His eyes are firmly set on the moss green dome containing their friends, his expression heartbreakingly tragic.

She has almost given up, certain that they won’t be speaking more on this topic tonight, when Caleb sighs, and speaks: “I am happy. Honestly. I— I have a hard time putting it into words, and I worry a lot, but I am much happier with our little family than I had ever been before. I can only hope to be worthy of you guys, some day.”

Oh, Caleb. “You are, though. I just— I wish you could see yourself the way I see you, Caleb. You are the best, kindest person I know, and you deserve the world. You are worthy of your friends, and,” she takes a deep breath, “you are worthy of love. Of— Of Jester’s love.”

Caleb goes very, very still.

Nott plows on. “Listen, I know— I know you don’t believe me, but if you just told her— If any of you guys just let her make her own decision instead of having it be made for her, I know she could love you. I mean,” Nott laughs lightly, with a tinge of desperation, “Who wouldn’t? You are so— You’re just— You’re the best, Caleb.”

“I’m not, though.” Caleb speaks very quietly, his face hard set in the very expression she was trying to avoid. “You may have forgiven me, Veth, by some grace of the gods and the goodness in your heart but— Jester doesn’t even know about my past.” His breathing picks up, and his words seem to pour out of him for the first time since Nott has met him. “She would hate me, I just know it — she cares so much about family and rightness and balance in the universe and I— I have only ever brought misery to the universe. Anyone else would be better for her,” it’s his turn to let out a small, pained laugh, “and it’s not like I’m the only one who has noticed her loveliness. Either of them would be better options, and I could never try to stand in the way of her happiness with them.”

For a minute, Nott isn’t sure what to say. She loves Caleb but — so much of what he just said is absurd to her. “You might think Fjord and Beau are better choices, Caleb, but that is Jester’s choice to make. How could she choose you if she doesn’t even know you are an option? And, about the other thing you said — Jester could never hate you, Caleb. She already loves you too much for that.”

Caleb doesn’t say anything, after that. He just sits there silently, the same tortured look on his face, until their watch is over and Caduceus comes to relieve them. He hurries into the dome as soon as he is given the opportunity, leaving her standing by Caduceus, watching him leave.

“Looks like you guys had a pretty serious conversation,” says Caduceus, a knowing look on his face.

“Nope,” Nott says, following after Caleb, far too exhausted to deal with this at the moment, “not serious at all. Goodnight, Cad.”

“If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here!” He calls after her, and she picks up her pace.

“No need! Goodnight, Caduceus!”

“Goodnight,” Caduceus says. Just as she ducks her head into the dome, she hears him chuckle lightly to himself and add, “I sure do hope you crazy kids figure things out.”

Good gods. She does not want to deal with that.

Anyway, she feels pretty good about the advice she gave Caleb today, and she goes to bed wondering how this mess will resolve itself in the future.

—

Not long after, Caleb tells the rest of the party what happened with his parents. Jester is the first to respond, jumping out of her seat and holding him tightly to her. Everyone else follows soon after, and Caleb is quickly in the middle of a group hug. No matter what happens, Nott thinks, squished between Yasha and Fjord, she knows her family will make it through just fine.

#this is the first time ive written fic in so long but i was. Inspired #top table loves jester #everyone loves jester lbr #widojest #fjorester #beaujester #critical role #critical role fic #featuring high wis low int caduceus #nott the brave #veth brenatto #jester lavorre #my fic

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is0gild · 4 years ago

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Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 19

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 9,165

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

Neverland, as I was currently discovering, was a huge indoor playground at the Dusk Town Center mall. A place where children never had to grow up, or so its big overhead sign boasted. Its vast range of diversions for the little ones included such attractions as a jungle gym in the shape of a large comical skull, a huge green plastic alligator that had a slide built into its long back, and monkey bars supported at either end by large, spooky prop trees. Off in one corner, there were even synthetic, cute yet culturally problematic teepees for the tiny tots to crawl around and hide in. But its crowning jewel seemed to be the kiddie train that ran along the tracks circling the entire play area. Each of its carts were actually little pirate ships that could fit one child in it, maybe two if they were really little.

Since the playground was in the middle of a wide open mall walkway, many stores surrounded it, such as an antique shop by the name of Cave of Wonders. Beyond the rusty brass lamps in its window and past an old, tacky purple carpet draping off a shelf, a friendly young woman with long black hair tied back into a two-sectioned ponytail and wearing a turquoise crop top could be seen running the counter.

Next door to that was Game-A-Saurus Rex, a video game store sporting a green t-rex mascot as part of its logo. An absolute giant of an employee with messy brown hair was currently setting up a display pyramid but his meaty, clumsy hands accidentally knocked it over, wrecking it. I got the feeling this wasn't the first time from the look of being one hundred percent done he was receiving from his silver haired coworker with mismatched eyes.

Neighboring them, I was a bit surprised to discover there was even an Esmerelda's Secrets here as well, a… ahem, lingerie store, to use a more PG term. I found its location so near to the play area to be a bit of a questionable mall layout choice.

I sighed, paper bag lunch crinkling in my grip as I glanced around.

Where was he?

"Are you sure this is where he told you he wanted to meet up?" Kristoff asked beside me, his eyes scanning about as well. Thankfully, he'd forgiven me by now for the minor phone-hurling fiasco and we were back on speaking terms again.

"Positive," I fished my mobile out of my pocket with my free hand, rereading Lea's text asking me to head to Neverland once my lunch break had started.

Since I'd never heard of it before, I'd asked Kristoff (him being the closest person at hand since he'd been working the Ice Palace registers with me) if he'd known what it was. I figured he could at least point me in the right direction, which would be faster than looking at a mall directory. Instead, since he was getting off shift the same time I was going on lunch, he'd offered to walk me there, saying it was on his way anyway.

But now here we were and a certain redhead was nowhere to be seen.

"Bah, I'm sure he'll turn up any second now," Kristoff shrugged off with a laugh. I said nothing, just continued to frown down at my phone before raising my eyes to take another look around. Shoving one of his hands into his pocket while he used the other to ruffle the hair at the back of his head, Kristoff said, "So… your sister…"

"Anna? What about her?" I muttered distractedly, gaze still jumping from face to unfamiliar face. Come on, Lea was a friggin' mountain with hair like a beacon that could light a path home for even the most wayward of lost ships. The guy should have been sticking out like a sore thumb.

He pursed his lips to one side, slightly widened eyes darting about now. "She's… well, she's really… neat." I blinked, slowly looking over at him now. He stiffened, then gave a weak chuckle, "Did I say neat? Not neat, I meant, ah… pretty!" His face blanched. "Pretty… pretty, pretty swell, that is! Yeah, a real bangarang," insert his wince here, "gal that, uh... that's really, er…"

Annnnnd now he was blushing. What was with him, anyway? It was so unlike him to be getting all tongue-tied and-

Oh.

Oh dear. I knew what this was.

Someone had a crush.

Ugh, why did I have to be the one to break his heart by telling him my sister was already in a relationship?

"...anyway," his voice cracked and he coughed, beating a fist to his chest before trying again. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say, or… rather ask is... would you know if, ah… is... is she seeing any-" his idly wandering gaze landed on something past me and he froze, words dying on his tongue. Then his eyelids drooped. "...I think I found your boyfriend."

My brow furrowed at the face he was making before I turned on my heel, following his gaze.

I heard them before I saw them. Cheerful whoops and hollers echoing from the plastic tunnel over the railroad tracks, heralding the emerging train of pirate ships. Then there they were: Lea and Roxas, taking up a full boat each as the locomotive chugged along, their hands thrown up high over their heads as they cackled in almost maniac glee. The two kids in the cart behind them - a carrot top boy in a green cap embroidered with a red feather logo and a little blonde girl wearing toy fairy wings - were giving them funny looks.

I spluttered, my fingers shooting up to smother and hide the grin I was fighting. This was behavior I did not want to encourage.

There he was, ladies and gentlemen. My bad-boy boyfriend in all his glory.

I hope the Duke's spy wasn't here to witness this.

Scratch that, I'd rather no one were here to witness this.

"Those goddamn morons have been at this for over ten minutes now," I heard a grumble from a familiar voice close by. I looked to my right to discover Xion standing there, watching them with a scowl and one eye twitching. As the train drew near, she called out flatly, "Oh yeah, looking real classy there, guys!"

"We're posh as fuck!" Lea replied smugly with a pinky raised, heedless of what nearby young and impressionable ears might overhear. Then his eyes drifted past her to notice me for the first time. His already beaming face did the impossible and brightened even further. As his little pirate ship choo-chooed its way past us, he cried out, "There you are, El! 'Bout time! We're celebrating!"

"El? Who's El? No, you must have me mistaken for someone else. I don't know you," I shook my head, taking a step back. "Quick, let's get out of here," I hissed to Kristoff, snatching his arm with one hand and using the other to hide my face as I tried to make a hasty retreat.

"Oh-ho, no ya don't! You're not getting away that easily!" I heard Lea laugh behind me. I hazarded a quick glance over my shoulder to see him struggling to get out of the cart - he was wedged in there pretty good, seeing as how those boats were never meant to withstand a man of his considerable stature. However, he finally managed to wiggle himself free and jump off the moving kiddie train, stumbling over the railing surrounding it and leaving poor Roxas behind looking quite distraught at having been abandoned.

Then he was charging towards me and I spun around to face him, defensively throwing my hands up in front of me. "Got ya!" he declared triumphantly, snagging me by the waist, my arms instinctively going to hug his neck as he lifted me up and spun me around a couple times.

What was even happening?

"Right," Kristoff said. Don't ask me how, but I could distinctly hear the eyeroll in his voice. "I think I'm gonna go now."

He walked off and I frowned after him as Lea put me back down, though his arms still kept me trapped against him. Then I shrugged. Kristoff's wee crush would have to be a problem for another day. Looking up at Lea, I shook my head with a barely suppressed smile, "What has you so giddy?"

"I got my test grade back today," he chirped, nuzzling his nose to mine for all the crowded mall to see.

"Your test?" I cocked my head at him. Then it clicked. "Oh, the one I helped you study for? You passed?"

"Passed nothing, I aced that sucker! Made it my bitch and it was all thanks to you!" And with that, he was hoisting me up for another twirl.

"Dude, what the hell?!" a shout suddenly rang out across the mall before Roxas came bursting out of the press of shoppers, sneakers screeching to a halt in front of us as he glared at Lea. "Can't believe you just ditched me like that! I looked like a total dumbass riding that thing all by myself!"

"Oh sure," Xion deadpanned at his side, "cuz you looked like a regular Einstein before as a grown-ass man riding around in the widdle choo-choo train with another grown-ass man."

Roxas crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air with a harrumph. "You're just jelly cuz we didn't invite you."

She scoffed, "You didn't invite me cuz I turned you guys down the last ten times you tried to drag me onto that dumb thing because I didn't want to look stupid."

"Your face looks stupid!"

Xion lunged at him, but Lea had already put me down and was snagging them both by the scruff of their shirt collars, dragging them apart from each other. He sighed, "Kiddos, please, would you start acting like the grown-ups that you are?"

Said the adult man who'd just been joyriding in the kiddie train.

Seriously, how were these three even college students? They all acted like a bunch of preschoolers.

"Ha, fat chance with this dope," Xion snerked, reaching across to flick Roxas in the forehead.

"Why you-" he broke free of Lea's grasp. Xion gasped and managed to squirm loose herself, bolting and squealing with laughter as she disappeared into the crowd, Roxas hot on her heels.

"Oi, kids these days. I give up," Lea grumbled, shaking his head and tossing his hands up in defeat. "Now where were we?" Looking back at me, his eyes lit up. "Ah yes," he bent forward, bringing us nose to nose with a tiny smirk, "my reward."

Both eyebrows shot up my forehead and I staggered back a bit. "Your… reward?"

"Mm-hm!" he nodded, grin twitching wider. "For kicking that test's ass, I get a reward! It's standard girlfriend protocol."

I blinked, "...it is?"

"Didn't ya read your dating handbook?"

...there's a handbook?!

Wait. No. That was just a joke.

And wishful thinking on my part.

Because I mean, seriously, how much easier would my life be right now if I could consult a handbook?

That aside, I had to get back to the matter at hand: some kind of reward for Lea. Which was my duty as the girlfriend. Apparently. What did that even entail? What was it supposed to be? What was I supposed to do? My face paled and my hands clenched. This was too much responsibility to be thrust onto me all of a sudden! What, was I supposed to buy him something? Or… maybe this was this another PDA situation? I mean, I hadn't made a move in that department since the roller rink a couple days ago. If tripping and crashing into him even counted. Which, personally, I was still chalking up as one for the win column. Had to take my small victories wherever I could! That said… perhaps it was high time I gave it another go?

Yes. Okay. I was going to do this. This… I was going to do.

My gaze hardened and my nostrils flared slightly as I started taking deep, sharp breaths, psyching myself up.

I got this. No more putting it off. Be strong! Be brave! Carpe diem! Seize the day! Grab the bull by the horns! Strike while the iron's hot!

Lea snerked, straightening up, "Woah, El, your face! Relax! I'm kidding! Just teasing ya like I always-"

YOLO!

I dropped my lunch bag, grabbed his head in both hands, yanked him down and kissed him.

...on the nose.

Way to bury the lead there, I know.

But hey, it still counted! Let me have this!

I held it for the space of a few thundering heartbeats before I pulled back, releasing his face and doing my best to ignore the slight jitters I felt from the adrenaline surge.

Lea was stock-still and just giving me a blank, wide-eyed stare.

Huh… not the reaction I was expecting.

A few long seconds ticked by where nothing happened. My eyes darted about nervously. Then I slowly, awkwardly picked my lunch sack back up off the floor. And still nothing from him. Nada. Not one peep.

Should… should I say something?

That's when he jolted upright (startling me half to death, I might add) and brought both his hands up to cup his nose, spinning around so his back was to me now.

Okay, really, really not the reaction I was expecting. At all. Just what-

Then it hit me.

I hadn't asked his permission first! And after he'd been so careful with me all this time too! Apparently I couldn't even return the favor! Fudge, this was like the Kissident all over again. Except worse! At least then, it'd been an accident. This time I'd done it on purpose! This was premeditated! Not to mention this now made me a repeat offender! A… a serial kisser! Would my reign of smooching terror never cease?

Anxiety eating up at me now like a swarm of angry ants in the pit of my stomach, I bit down on my bottom lip and took a hesitant step forward. "Lea?" I asked, my voice small. "Did I do something wrong or-"

"Nope! No, it was good. Really, really good," he said quickly, voice tight and muffled still by his hands. Then I heard him puff out a slow breath, watched his arms fall to his sides and he whipped around towards me once more, huge smile splitting his face in two. "So good, in fact, it's high-five worthy. Whaddya say, wanna high-five? Let's high-five." He held his palm up in front of me. I wordlessly stared back at him, arching an eyebrow. He was being weird, even for him. And why was he talking so fast? He hastily dropped his hand, "Not high-five. Forget that. That's stupid. We should, uh… we should go. Wanna go? Let's go."

As he snagged my free hand in his and tugged me into a walk beside him, I tipped my head to the left and uncertainly gave him some side-eye. "...where are we going?"

Seemingly already recovered, his grip shifted to instead hook our pinkies together as he shot me a wink. "Where all couples sneak off to whenever they have a lil free time. Somewhere dark, secret and secluded so," here he raised his voice for all to hear over the mall hub-bub, "we can make out!"

My feet faltered and I stumbled, barely catching myself as my face spontaneously broke out into its best impersonation of a tomato. "M-make out?!"

He snorted, bending close to my ear and whispering, "Calm down, only said it for show. We'll just find some place to lay low until your lunch is over and let the gossip mill churn." Straightening back up to his full height, he beamed, "Sound good, my knuddelbärchen?" A crease formed between my eyebrows and he chuckled. "Go on, ask. Ya know ya want to."

I sighed, "And knuddelbärchen is…?"

"German for cuddle bear," he pinched my cheek.

"No."

"You can sleep on it, then get back to me."

I rolled my eyes but held my tongue as I continued to let him lead the way to wherever it was we were going. It wasn't long before we entered a part of the mall I was more familiar with and he turned us down the deserted wing that was under construction. Ah, back to the clocktower then, was it? So be it.

Once the locked door was picked and we were inside, I started to head for the stairs but he stopped me with a hand on my elbow. At my questioning look, he said, "Dunno where the kiddos disappeared off to. They may have beat us to the punch and could be up there already, which'll totally bust our whole fake make-out sesh. Better to just hide out down here instead."

"Alright," I nodded as he released my arm.

And there it was again. That strangeness that seemed to hang in the air whenever we were alone together now. Whenever we didn't have to put on the act of being in a relationship. I was now so used to him lacing our fingers together every chance he got that when he didn't this time, instead opting to stuff his hands into his pockets with a grin and a soft "heh," my own hand almost felt… slighted? Bereft? Sad? Could hands even feel sad? Well, whatever the hand equivalent of sadness was, it felt that.

There were a couple large, dusty crates stored in here with us at the bottom of the clocktower. I stepped over to one, gingerly dusting off the surface before setting my paper bag down on top of it. Then I cleared my throat and looked to him with a small, timid smile. "This whole rent-a-boyfriend thing is really becoming a full time job now, isn't it? Sorry… to be wasting your time like this. I'm sure there are better ways you'd be preferring to spend it rather than stuck here with me."

Lea blinked at me, then huffed out a breath of a laugh. "Hey, you already forgetting whose idea it was for us to steal away on our own like this? Ya got nothing to be sorry for. I like this, it's fun! 'Sides," he moved to stand in front of me, leaning one shoulder against the wooden support beam there that was holding up the decrepit old staircase above us, "it's not a waste. I'm a big fan of my El time. Love having any excuse to hang out with ya and have you all to myself."

Cue heart spasm.

Dropping my gaze and tugging my Ice Palace cap down to hide my warming cheeks, I zeroed in on opening my lunch bag with far more acute focus than was absolutely necessary. Let's see what Mama Rayne had packed for me today, inquiring minds were simply dying to know. To him, I just mumbled, "To each their own, I guess."

"So…" he reached a hand out, index finger flicking the bill of my hat back up so he could meet my eyes when he smirked, "...you kissed me."

All color drained from my face.

Crud. Was hoping this wouldn't come up.

"I'm sorry!" came bursting out of me.

His head rocked back before he snorted and sighed, "You apologize too much, ya know that? Fine, I'll bite. What're you sorry for now?"

"I should've asked if that was okay before I did it!" I took off my cap, wringing it between my hands. "I overstepped, I shouldn't have just assumed! I hope I didn't freak you out or make things awkward or uncomfortable or, or weird or-"

"Woah, woah, slow down," he chuckled, holding up his hands. "Ya got nothing to worry about. I was totally, one hundred and ten percent cool with it!"

My eyebrows knit together. "Really?" I frowned, absently setting the hat down on the box. "But you seemed so… I thought I might've upset you or-"

"Upset? Nah, not even a lil bit! Surprised, maybe, cuz I never in a million years expected you to, ah… heh…" he paused, pursing his lips to the right as he dragged his hand along the nape of his neck. Then he closed his eyes in a grin, "How 'bout this? This, right here, right now, is me giving you the okay to do whatever you want to me from now on in order to maintain your girlfriend cover. Anything goes, got it?"

Eyes growing round, I stammered, "A-anything?"

He couldn't be serious! Anything was a lot. Anything was… well, anything.

"Yup, anything! Don't hold back. Just feel free to go to town on me."

This was too much power. Do not want. Take it back.

"I, uh…" What does one even say to that? "O-okay… thanks?" Was this something I should be thanking him for? Seemed like a weird thing to thank him for. This whole discussion just seemed weird, period. Concentrating on my packed lunch once more, I pulled out a ziplock of baby carrots. "...I don't think I'll be, er… going to town on you any time soon though, but the offer is, ah…" Is what? "...appreciated?" Sure, let's go with that.

"Shame," Lea tsked under his breath, then snerked as his hand shot up to block the carrot I threw at him. "Kidding, kidding! Still, just know that door's always open, in case ya ever wanna put on a bit of a show for any audience we might have. I won't be bothered. Promise."

"I'll keep that in mind," I muttered, taking out a second carrot to nibble on as I averted my gaze. Was ready to talk about something else now.

"Still, fact of the matter remains," one corner of his lips curled up, "you kissed me."

Gah! Would he stop saying that already!

A soft harrumph. "Only on the nose."

"One lucky nose!" He hunched forward slightly, pointing at it, "I'll have you know I'm never gonna wash this puppy ever again."

I snorted, setting the ziplock down on the box and reaching back into the paper sack to see what other goodies it contained. "Be serious."

"I am! Wouldn't wanna lose the divine blessing you've bestowed upon it on this fine day!"

Biting back a smile now as I continued to root around in the bag, I shook my head. "Does this mean that you also haven't washed your lips since the-" I abruptly froze, eyes widening and mouth clamping shut.

There was a pause, then I could see out of my peripheral the slow cheshire grin spreading across Lea's face. "Go on, since the…?"

Since the Kissident, was what I'd been about to say.

I knew it.

He knew it.

But did I have the guts to actually power through and finish that sentence?

Frantic fingers grabbing the first thing they could out of the lunch sack, I shoved it into his face with a weak laugh, "Chocolate pudding cup?"

Nope. I sure as heck most certainly did not.

Elsa, Queen of the Skillful and Seamless Subject Change.

"Oo!" he chirped in delight, taking it. Well, he was easily distracted. That, or he was just being nice and letting me off the hook. Probably the latter. "A nose kiss and pudding? Big day!"

With a soft, relieved sigh through my nostrils, I fished out a plastic spoon to hand him as well. "Don't forget about the train ride too. Big day indeed… do you and Roxas do that often?"

Having already torn into it and taken a spoonful into his mouth, he swallowed. "Not really. Only for special occasions. Wouldn't wanna cheapen the experience."

My eyes crinkled. "Because it's already so sophisticated and highbrow to begin with," I said, forgoing the PB and J sandwich at the bottom of the bag for now and instead opting to pull out some string cheese. Removing the wrapper, I asked, "Passing an exam counts as a special occasion?"

"Only the hard as balls ones that can make or break my overall grade for the course," he shrugged, scooping out some more pudding and offering it to me, to which I just shook my head.

"Ah," I rested one hip against the crate, peeling off a thin strip of mozzarella and slipping it into my mouth. "How many years do you have left on your degree anyway?"

"Couple more. Though I hear if I'm a model student, they'll let me graduate early for good behavior."

"Don't think that's how it works," I hummed a low laugh. "Then after that… what was it again? ...a nice little ice cream shanty by the seashore, I believe?"

Lea grinned around his spoon, "Something like that."

Pulling off another strand, I hesitated with a slight frown. "...but why ice cream?" At his cocked head and raised eyebrows, I worried my lower lip between my teeth. How to phrase this? "...it's just been something I've been wondering about actually. What with your mother dropping you off at an ice cream shop before she, ah... split when you were so little, I would have thought it would just be a… a source of bad memories, is all."

He snorted, looking down at his spoon as he swirled it around in the chocolate goop. "S'not the ice cream's fault my deadbeat mom abandoned Saïx and me when we were kids. She's taken a lot from me, I won't let her take that too. 'Sides, also got a lotta good memories tied to ice cream. Fun times with friends and whatnot. It's nice that something so simple can bring a smile to people's faces and I just like the idea of being a part of that. Sounds silly, I know, but what can I say?" He thrust the now heavily pudding-laden utensil up high in the air, "I have a calling! And answer it I must!"

I brought a curled finger to my lips, hiding the tiny smile. "Some calling. You still haven't even guessed which one's my favorite yet."

"Told ya, it's a process," he stuck the spoon into his mouth, holding it there as he squinted thoughtfully. "Speaking of… lessee, what other flavors haven't come up yet… ah! Three Wishes?" he asked, pointing the plastic implement at me. Then he scoffed, "Yeah right. Way too gimmicky with all that blue cotton candy. It's trying too hard. Classy and effortless is more your speed."

My smile ticked wider as my fingers plucked further at the string cheese. "Are we still even talking about ice cream anymore?"

"Course! Trust me, I've got this down to a science. I know my shit."

"If you say so," I gave a soft snort. "You really have me at the edge of my seat here. I can't wait to see which one you finally land on."

"Me neither. I'm just as much on this journey as you are," he chuckled, tossing the now empty cup onto the crate alongside the paper bag. Propping one shoulder against the post again, he looked down and scratched his cheek. "...hey, so, ya free in a couple nights? Saïx's been wanting to meet my new lady friend and suggested we have you over for dinner."

Finishing the last of my own snack, I quirked an eyebrow at him. "He knows you have a lady friend?"

"Wasn't hard for him to guess since I've been out all night a lot recently, what with your couch being my new home away from home."

"Oh." My fingers reached for a tendril of my ponytail to twist as I mulled for a second. "Yeah, I suppose… I don't have any closing shifts coming up for a while, so I'm free for the next few nights. Just let me know when."

"Sweet! We can see this as a test run of sorts. Practice for the big weekend with your folks and-" he suddenly fell silent, head jerking to his right. I blinked, confused. Then I heard it too. This soft rattling coming from the doorknob - the telltale sounds of a lock being picked. "Crap! The kiddos! Hide," Lea hissed, grabbing my shoulders and shoving us both beneath the staircase, my back hitting the wall behind me.

The door burst open. I didn't so much see it since the stairs were now between me and it, blocking my line of sight, but I heard it along with the echoing laughter of two very familiar voices. As it slammed shut again and the staircase began to quake from feet running up it hard, I heard Xion ask, "Think we'll find them up there?"

"Probably." That was Roxas. I turned my head to the left, watching through the slats between the steps as his sneakers blurred past. "Giving each other tonsillectomies, no doubt."

My face heated as I realized they were talking about Lea and me.

But good news! Lea's plan was working. People thought we were off somewhere, er... shall we say, necking.

Or at the very least, those two thought so anyway.

I heard a snigger from Xion as her boots rushed past the gap not too far behind him. "Perfect. Let's scare them shitless."

They both cackled and tried to shush each other at the same time as I heard their thudding footsteps fade further and further away above us. Once I was certain they were gone, I puffed out the breath I'd been holding.

That's when I became aware of several things. Very, very aware.

Aware of the familiar feeling of Lea's eyes on me. Aware of how close we were. Of his grip still on my shoulders. Of my hands on his chest. Of the gentle thud of his heartbeat beneath my fingertips. Of his warm, spicy boy scent. Of his body pressed to mine, pinning me to the wall still from his rush just seconds ago to get us both out of sight. Of the fact that I could still sense his gaze on me.

Oh gosh, was there something on my face?

I slowly turned my head to look up at him and meet his eyes. He had that look in them again that I'd seen once or twice before. The one that made my insides twist and flip-flop.

Emergency! This is not a drill, people! Fetch the conceal-don't-feel armor and suit up, stat! I repeat, this is not a drill!

The slightest hint of a grin tugged at the corner of his lips and when he spoke, his voice was low. Barely above a whisper. "You know what would… really sell this make-out sesh? ...if right along here..." he ran the tip of his index finger along the side of my neck down to where it met my shoulder, so lightly I hardly felt it, his eyes following its trail the whole time, "...there was a hickey. Maybe two or three. Ya know… just for appearances, of course..."

I just stared at him for a second. Then two. Then I smiled, "That's a great idea!"

He looked taken aback, his gaze widening. "Wait, really?!"

"Of course! Did you bring any makeup with you?" I asked. He just gave me a blank look. "You know, like your guyliner. Do you have anything else? Something that could make the fake marks look convincing?"

He blinked a couple times. "Makeup… right… that's what I meant… heh..." his eyes darted to the left. "But shoot, you know what? Didn't bring any with me." A slow smirk stretching across his face now, he bent down to press his forehead to mine as his eyes hooded, "But hey... we could also always make 'em the old fashioned way."

Once more I stared, expression neutral.

Processing… processing…

Then my eyelids drooped. "...you're messing with me again, aren't you?"

Lea stiffened. Then he relaxed, straightening back up and bracing an elbow against the wall above my head, resting his brow to his forearm as his whole body shook with a soft chuckle. "Yup! Yup, you uh… you caught me alright! Totes was."

Conceal-don't-feel armor saves the day once again! If it hadn't been for that, my heart might have exploded in that situation.

Man, was I getting good at deflecting these little jokes of his now or what?

He shifted over and away from me, giving us both some breathing room now. "Do you think maybe we should go somewhere else?" I asked, my gaze drifting up the clocktower as I returned to the crate, repacking my lunch back into its bag and picking up my hat. Thank goodness the "kiddos" hadn't noticed this stuff before dashing upstairs. "Just so Xion and Roxas don't catch us down here?"

"Sure, good call. I gotta few other secret spots 'round this place we can hole up in until your lunch is over." He went to the door, pushing it open a crack so he could peek out.

"Okay," I nodded while waiting for him to make sure the coast was clear. Then I grinned. "You know, you almost had me going back there with the hickies."

"If only," he muttered so softly, I wasn't sure I'd heard correctly.

"Hm?"

His shoulders tensed, then he breathed a feeble laugh as he glanced back at me, "If only… I'd, er... remembered to bring some makeup! Ah well, maybe next time, huh? C'mon, let's go." His hand reached for mine.

I took it and suddenly my hand didn't feel so sad anymore as I let him lead me back out into the mall.

I couldn't sleep.

I rolled over onto my left side, pulling the sheets up to my chin and curling in on myself a bit. Then over to my right. A few seconds ticked by. Then I rested my back to the mattress and frowned up at my bedroom ceiling, at the long thin patch of frail moonlight slashing across it from between the curtains of my window. Sighing, I tossed over onto my side again and tried putting my head beneath the pillow this time, hoping the added darkness and some light hypoxia would do the trick to knock me out.

No such luck.

With another heavy sigh, I sat up, letting the pillow fall back down behind me. I brought a hand up towards one of my earplugs, stopping just short of reaching it as I frowned over at the wall I shared with my roommates. Then I tentatively pulled it out, already preemptively grimacing as the noises I might hear.

Instead my ears were greeted with a very different sound and from a different direction no less. Coming through my closed door from the living room was a faint, hollow murmur of voices. I squinted towards it, tipping my head to one side. Was that… the TV? Tugging the other earplug out, I set both down onto my nightstand as I listened for another minute, my fingers fiddling with my braid. Then folding my sheets away from me, I got out of bed, smoothed my nightgown and crept over to the door to open it.

Lea was sitting on his couch out here, the glow of the television screen the only thing illuminating him in the otherwise dark living room. Since him couch-surfing here was becoming a bit of a habit now, he'd started bringing an overnight bag with him for things like toiletries and the pyjamas he was currently wearing - a black tank top and PJ pants patterned with tiny fireballs sporting evil smiley faces. In fact I think it may have been the same design on the frisbees I'd seen back at his apartment. Some kind of brand logo, perhaps?

His elbows were braced up on the backrest behind him, temple propped against one fist as he watched the screen. He glanced over at me as I stepped out, quirking an eyebrow and lifting his head off his knuckles. "El?"

I gave my braid a tiny tug before dropping my hands and clasping them together, forcing them to be still as I gave him a small smile. "You're up late."

He grinned back. "Yeah. Never really could pass out to total silence," he nodded towards where his own earplugs laid discarded on the coffee table. Then he wrinkled his nose, shooting a sideways glance towards Rayne's and Riku's room. "But shit, you weren't kidding 'bout those two going at it like jackrabbits in there. Had to do something to tune 'em out, so turned on the ol' tube and guess what I found?"

I moved to stand beside him for a better view of the TV. The scene was currently zoomed in on a couple riding in the back row seat of a trolley. The girl was distracted, lost in whatever she was talking about while the guy was reaching his hand over to tuck her hair back, only to awkwardly snatch it away when she suddenly turned to look at him, completely oblivious to the gesture as she continued to enthusiastically ramble on. My smile grew as I took a seat next to Lea. "It's Before Dawn. Imagine that."

"I know. What timing, right?" he hummed a small laugh. We were both quiet for a few seconds, simply watching the movie. Then he nudged my knee with his, "And what brings ya out here in the middle of the night? Other than the pleasure of my charming company, of course."

That earned him a soft snort as I slouched more comfortably into the sofa and picked up one of the small throw pillows, hugging it in my arms. "Trouble sleeping."

"Oh?" he looked over at me, relaxing his hand along the top of the cushions behind my head. "Something on your mind?"

I gnawed on my bottom lip, not taking my eyes off the television even though I wasn't really paying attention to it anymore. "...it's just coming up so fast."

Brow furrowing, he squinted up at the ceiling in thought for a second. "You mean our visit to the parental units?"

My insides churned as I gave a small nod. "It's only a week away now. It doesn't feel like enough time. I don't know if I'll be able to go through with this… if we… if I will be prepared in time… if I'll be able to face them."

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it," he flashed a warm grin. "You and me? We got this. I like to think we've become quite the awesome dynamic duo. Gotten pretty good at this whole girlfriend-boyfriend thing. Got the entire mall buying into our story and if we can fool them, we can fool anyone."

"But it's not anyone," I muttered, squeezing the pillow more tightly to me. "It's Father. And Mother. And..." my face scrunched up, "...the Duke too? ...for some reason? Anyway, tricking Father for a grand total of five minutes was one thing, but now? Now it's my whole family. For a whole weekend. What if they find out?" Oh dear, I could already feel a panic attack coming on just thinking about it. I turned my head, frowning at him. "...what if I can't do this?"

The hand behind me lifted, hesitantly hovering and shifting about for a second before settling on a quick, reassuring pat to my head. "Just say the word and you can pull the plug on this whole op anytime ya want. Don't force yourself to do anything you don't wanna do. But just know you're a lot stronger than you think. And chances are? It won't be as bad as you fear." He poked himself in the side of the head, just above his left ear, "Our brains like to mess with us, tell us things will be a lot worse than they actually turn out to be. And 'sides, you won't be doing this alone. I'll be right there with you the whole weekend. Your sister too. We got your back. You got a support system. Consider us your safety net. We'll be there to pick up the slack and catch you if you fall."

I bowed my head, nose perched on top of the edge of the pillow now. "...thank you. That helps," I muffled into it, my tiny smile hidden. And I meant it. I could already feel some of my unease starting to slip away. Straightening back up and tossing my head back onto the couch, I inhaled deeply before loudly exhaling. "I should just stop thinking about it. Stressing out over it now does me no good. I need to be talking about something else."

"Something else, huh?" he mumbled, eyes returning to the movie as he scratched the tip of his nose. "...so I had a thought. Remember the other day when you said you'd be looking for a new place in a few months when lil Baby Hewley arrived?" His knee started jiggling up and down while out of the corner of my eye, I could see his fingers fidgeting with the seam of the backrest cushions. "Well, what if… and ya know, this would only be if you weren't able to find somewhere on your own and if, like… you had no place else to go and were up shit's creek and whatnot, but… what if you moved in with…" he glanced back my way, "...me?"

I blinked at him. "...you?"

His face brightened. "Yeah, whaddya think? We got plenty of space for ya! It'll be a total blast! And hey, we could even get ya a puppy."

Fighting a grin, I quirked an eyebrow. "A puppy? But what about Saïx?"

"Psh," he brushed off, one hand batting the air. "Saïx can fight me. You want a dog? You're getting a dog, end of story."

I snerked and looked down. Lips pursing to one side, I did a mental replay of what I could remember of when Lea had given me the grand tour of his apartment. "...am I forgetting a third bedroom you guys have?"

"Nah," he shook his head, "just the two. But you can have mine and I'll just… I dunno, sleep on the couch."

"You can't sleep on the couch in your own home," I scoffed.

"Sure I can! I'm actually growing quite accustomed to catching some Z's on 'em. These bad boys are surprisingly comfy," he pat the armrest next to him and beamed. "In fact, dunno if I can ever go back to a lame ol' bed again!"

Rolling my eyes, I said, "I meant because Saïx will see you. Won't he have questions about you sleeping on the sofa every night?"

"Oh. Right," he laughed, fingers ruffling his hair. "Well then I can just… sleep in the room with you. On the floor," he hastily amended. "Yeah, it'll be fun! Like a slumber party every night!"

One side of my lips twitched up as I toyed with the corner of the throw pillow I was still holding snug. "You're sweet, but… no, that'd just be crazy."

"...yeah. Crazy," he averted his gaze with a tiny chuckle. Then he frowned, plucking the short hairs at the nape of his neck. "...is it though? I mean, think about it. It'd be like the next stage of our dating evolution. That's what all couples do sooner or later, right? Move in together?"

"But the baby will be here in, what…" both my eyebrows rose as I stared off into space, "...four more months? Five? I figure we'll have probably staged a breakup by then."

"Breakup?!" he jerked forward in his seat, eyes widening slightly.

I knit my eyebrows together. "Well yeah. You… didn't think we were going to be fake dating forever, right?"

"Well, I…" he hunched forward, propping his elbows on his knees and folding his hands together beneath his nose as he narrowed his gaze on the floor. "...no, I guess not."

I tilted my head at him. Then opened my mouth. Then closed it. I focused on the TV instead. "...I figured… it'd be some time after we visited my parents. Depending on how it goes, of course. Once I was…" I shrugged, gripping the pillow more tightly, "...sure they weren't going to try to interfere with my life anymore. After that… maybe a few more weeks? A month, perhaps? Just so it wouldn't look too quick, too… suspicious or raise questions…"

Why was this so hard? Why did it make my heart squeeze, just a bit? Come on, it's not like it was a real breakup! Besides, this could maybe, possibly, eventually open up the door to actually start something more real with him in the future. If I ever got the guts up to even pursue something like that… whenever he started dating again… which would be when he no longer had to focus on his schoolwork… aka when he graduated...

...in two years…

Why did that suddenly seem like an eternity?

"...yeah," he sighed and slumped back again, his arm returning to its position behind me as he stretched them both out along the backrest once more, "that all makes sense, I guess." His lips were a flat line for a few seconds, but then he grinned over at me. "Tell ya one thing, though. Fake getting over you ain't gonna be easy. Might have to try and fake win you back."

"Oh no," I stifled a soft laugh into my fingers. "Hang on, let me guess… You. In a trenchcoat. Standing in the middle of the bustling food court. Boombox held high over your head and blasting out some old, cheesy love song. That about sum it up?"

He smirked, "Ah, fan of the classics like me, I see. Good guess, but I was actually thinking less John Cusack in Say Anything and more Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You. Me. With a mic hacked into the food court's overhead speakers. Singing and dancing around on table tops while mall security chases me all over the place."

This big dork really was a sap. That is, if his taste in movies had anything to say about it.

Shaking my head in amusement, I said, "Who's to say you'd even fake want me back? Maybe it's you who ends up fake dumping me."

He huffed out a derisive snort, "Not a chance. I'd never be dumb enough to let someone like you go." I looked away, grateful the light from the TV wasn't bright enough to reveal the gentle warmth spreading into my cheeks. Lea shrugged as he went on, "Now, dumb enough to do something stupid and royally fuck it up so you'd kick my ass to the curb however? Yeah, now that sounds like it'd be pretty on brand for me."

"No, I don't think so," I smiled, resting my chin atop the seam of the throw pillow. "...thanks, Lea. I feel a lot better now. You're a… a really good friend."

Lea was quick to return the smile, "It's what I'm here for!" His gaze went back to the screen and there was a brief pause where the only sound was the low drone from the movie. "So… was that your roundabout way of wishing me a good night?"

"Hmm..." A beat before I shook my head, "Not yet. I think I'd like to stay and watch for a little while longer, if that's alright."

"It's more than alright," the corners of his eyes crinkled as he settled into his seat more comfortably. "It's alright times two."

I'm not sure exactly when it was I nodded off. Last scene I clearly remembered was our leading couple sitting at a restaurant together, their hands miming phones to their ears as they made imaginary calls to one another, so it must have been not too long after that. Next thing I knew I was blinking blearily at the television as it showed the girl now sitting on a bed in a small apartment, serenading the guy with her guitar. They both looked maybe a few years older. Must have been one of the sequels to the first movie. I was less familiar with those. It seemed Lea had stumbled upon some sort of late night marathon.

As consciousness returned to me piece by tiny piece, it slowly came to my attention that there was something... off about the pillow my cheek was resting against. Like the fact that it was oddly firm. And warm. And…

...breathing?

Eyes fully snapping open now, they darted about to realize I'd fallen asleep on Lea. Against his chest, to be exact. Embarrassed and panicking maybe just a smidge, I immediately tried to straighten up and away from him, only to be held firmly in place by the arm - his arm - that was draped heavily around my shoulders. I furrowed my brow over at it. Wha-?

Then he made a noise and I tensed.

Took me several heart-pounding seconds to register that noise for what it was.

A snore.

Puffing out a hushed breath and forcing my muscles to relax, I tentatively, cautiously turned my head to try and look up at him. Didn't work, and it only took me another second to realize why. There was a weight pressing down on the top of my hair that I hadn't really noticed until just now.

He was using my head as a pillow.

Welp. This was quite the predicament I found myself in.

Oh gosh, I just hope we'd fallen asleep roughly around the same time and had just, I don't know... naturally gravitated toward one another in our slumber? If I'd been snuggling up to him like this while he was awake the whole time, I'd never live it down.

Next thing my brain decided to alert me to was the fact that I'd misplaced my throw pillow. I must have dropped it when I'd dozed off for I was pretty sure I could feel it on the floor brushing against my bare feet. But that wasn't the important part. No, the important part was what my hands had decided to do in the wake of its disappearance. Left hand? It was good. Just laying there in my lap, all well behaved and polite-like. The right one, however? Had found its way over to rest atop Lea's knee. The little trollop. Especially considering that one of his hands was currently covering it. Had it no decency? No shame?

I considered my situation for another minute. Then taking a deep breath, I decided to commence with the extraction. Should be easier now that I was fully awake and aware of my circumstances so I could approach it all with a cooler, more level head.

First I used my free hand to gently lift his arm from my shoulder and gingerly set it back down on the couch backrest. Another snore from him and I froze. After a few seconds where nothing else happened however and I was sure I hadn't disturbed him, I then proceeded to bring my hand back up, this time to delicately press my fingertips to his chin.

Careful now, careful… wouldn't want to wake him…

I slowly pushed his head off mine and kept going until it lolled back onto the cushions behind him instead. With nothing left weighing me down now, I crept up onto my feet and peeked back at him to make sure he still snoozed. I was rewarded with yet another soft snore. That was all the confirmation I needed. I turned to make a break for my room.

Victory! Success! Elsa, Queen of The Daring Escape and-

Ack!

...okay, so something had just happened. More precisely, two somethings, both occurring at the exact same time. The first? Was my arm being pulled taut and bouncing me back like a rubber band stretched too tight. I stumbled but caught myself, the carpet muffling any sound I might have made. The second? Now that was just a word. One single, solitary word:

"Stay."

That one word sent my heart catapulting up into my throat as I whipped around to discover Lea had pulled his head up and was now looking straight at me.

Fudge, fudge, fudge, fudge!

...but actually… wait… his eyelids were sagging heavily. Half closed and groggy. His expression slack. And now that I thought about, when he'd spoken, it had come out sounding a little… sluggish? One might even say… drowsy?

...was he still half asleep?

I haltingly raised a hand to wave in front of his face. No reaction. As my shallow breaths began to slow and my heart rate calmed, I next looked down at my other hand to see what the snag had been there. This was the one that had been on his knee with his hand on top of it. Was still on top of it and, in fact, had tightened his grip around my fingers. This was what had snared me and brought my getaway to a screeching halt.

Yeesh, what a clingy sleeper he must be.

I brought my gaze back up to his face. He was still giving me that droopy, zombie-eyed stare. I tucked in my lower lip, studying him for a moment. Then I took a tiny step closer and bent over him slightly. My free hand came up, reaching for him. I froze midway, fingers curling towards my palm, hesitating. But only for a heartbeat before I was pushing forward again.

"Shh… go back to sleep," I whispered, gently stroking his hair just above his ear.

His really, really soft, silky smooth hair.

Which I'd not been expecting. Not at all.

Crud, I shouldn't be blushing this much.

However, it seemed to have the desired effect. His eyelids drifted all the way closed now as his head sank back down into the couch cushion. His hold on my hand relaxed enough for me to slip it free. I straightened back up, rubbing my rescued hand with the other as I watched him sleep for a few more seconds, my head tipping to one side. Then I retrieved the throw pillow from the floor and put it back on the sofa next to him before picking up the comforter to drape over him. It was only now I realized that it was too small for him for if I brought it up to cover his shoulders, it left his feet exposed.

The friggin' behemoth. Why hadn't he said anything? I'd have to see about finding a bigger one for him tomorrow.

I briefly considered turning off the TV but decided against it on the off chance the sudden lack of noise would wake him. Turning, I tiptoed back towards my bedroom, stopping in the doorway for one last backwards glance at him. Still out like a light. A grin pulled at one side of my mouth as I murmured, "Sweet dreams, sleeping beauty."

The only answer I got was a snore.

Author's Note: Our awkward penguin did it! She intentionally "made a move" for the first time, I'm so proud T_T Looks like our fire boi tried to make a bit of a move himself under the clocktower staircase there… with far less successful results xD One step forward, two steps back, huh? *Siiiiigh* ah well, these two will get there eventually :P And this is yet another chapter I lament not writing anything from Lea's POV… so many scenes in my head going on for him off camera that will never see the light of day xD Fun fact: The ice cream this chapter, Three Wishes, is named after (you guessed it) Agrabah's keyblade and I imagine its description on the menu would look something like: "This blueberry flavored soft serve will have you wishing for more! Comes in a blue cone wrapped in a ring of matching blue cotton candy, with lamp-shaped sugar cubes and a sprinkling of extra sugar to top it all off."

Next chapter, with that "make a move" hurdle finally overcome, what's next in our couple's fake dating adventures? Looks like there's a certain dinner with a certain Moon Boy on the horizon, how will this lil "test run" go? Will it be a resounding success or could it spell utter defeat for our pair? Not to mention the weekend with the folks is fast approaching, will our couple be ready in time? And just how DOES Lea fit his behemoth self into those itty-bitty pirate ship train carts? Some things will forever remain a mystery, but for the rest, stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

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loveismyrevolution · 4 years ago

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Now Complete!

Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: Sherlock (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock Holmes), Jim Moriarty Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Humor, John and Sherlock in love, John Is Horny, Sherlock is a Tease, smut ensured, Club Fic, Pole Dancing, Sherlock is a drag queen, Eyeliner, Shaving/Manscaping, Sherlock is a pirate, John is his Captain, Jealous John, BAMF John, Angry Sherlock, a bit of a case, Sherlock in lace and purple velvet, and heels, Sherlock is still a detective, a bit of angst, a lot of love, Happy Ending, (in more ways than one), do not copy to any other site Series: Part 2 of PirateDragQueenVerse, Part 4 of Hairy Situations at 221B

Summary:

This story is about a case that has Sherlock returning to his persona as The Posh Purple Pirate. It's about the pleasure and challenge of helping Sherlock transform from brilliant Detective to mesmerising Miss Pirate. It's about the temptation Miss Pirate poses on stage, but not just for John. It's about fighting physical enemies and facing inner demons. It's about being stripped bare, body and soul. It's about love, fun, desire and passion. It's about doubt, worries, hurt and anger. It's about understanding. It's about forgiveness.

This story... It's not about the legend, the stories, the adventures. It's all about: who you really are, it does matter!

@jobooksncoffee @shylockgnomes @morgendaemmerung89 @consultingpacha @chained-to-the-mirror @bakingsherlycakes @loveinthemindpalace @totallysilvergirl @alexaprilgarden @barbsiebabe @writingfanficsfan @whodwantmeasaflatmate @jodinia @purplegori @mylastvow @bearly-mama @itzmi @underestimatemethatwillbefun @ithinkthereforeiamaswell @astudyinconsultingdetective @bekah1218 @agula86 @missdeliadili @johnlock2708 @bluebellstar

@iwlyanmw @inevitably-johnlocked @anyway-kindness @fellshish @peanitbear @itsallgood @lijahlover @booskerdu @wsherlockscottholmesblog @sussexbeeinchelsea @johnlockvechnayalubov

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marlenemckinn · 5 years ago

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The Cure For Anything (Chapters 1/?)

Remus Lupin wants to be a writer, but is completely uninspired. Even when Captain Sirius Black offers an out, he turns it down. Marlene's antics end up pulling him into something that not only gets him on The Marauder, but also into a mission of revenge.

The story seemed to be itching under his skin, waiting to get out but nothing was making connections in his head. Characters, setting, plot, and scenes seemed to flit through his mind in flashes, but would disappear when he sat to jot down his thoughts. It was as if the blank paper sent the ideas scattering, scared to be let out and freed onto the page. It was exhausting to keep attempting, but Remus was determined to one day write about the most fantastic situation that he could dream up. He wanted to reach the souls of--

“MARLENE! YES, DARLING, YES, WHISKIES ALL AROUND FOR THE CREW!” A man’s voice broke over the din of the pub.

Remus’ eyes danced over the crowd to see a group of very rough looking men. Pirates— privateers, whatever they were. Living in the seaside town of Godrics brought all sorts like them. Their skin tanned from being at sea and working long hours in the sun. Their hair, if they had any, kept under tricorne hats or salt curled hair tied back with rope or ribbon or hidden under a scarf. The group stood out from the pub’s usual, but the McKinnons didn’t mind as they spent endless amounts in food and spirits.

The loudest of the group gathered around some tables close to the bar, the man who seemed to be their ringleader was making the most noise. He looked like something that walked out of a painting. Remus had seen him around before, and each time he caught his eye. He was tall with sharp eyes and a smirk of a smile. Dressed in deep purples and greens, and a peacock feather in his cap, he stood out from the rest. The bit of roughness was there, but there was also some sort of posh look, as if he didn’t belong with this rag tag group, with the exception of a man with darker skin and glasses and terribly messy hair.

“They’re rather loud, aren’t they?” Peter nudged Remus in the side. “Pirates, amazing they let them into the establishment. I did hear a rumor about Marlene, she’s got her eye on one of them.”

#wolfstar #Wolfstar fanfiction #wolfstar fanfic #remus lupin #sirius black #pirate au #remus lupin/sirius black #sirius black/remus lupin #sirius/remus #remus/sirius

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lunanight2012 · 5 years ago

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A Whole New World Prelude Pt 2

Well looks like I'm being snuck into their high school. What was it called again? Serpent Prep. Something like that. This was weird. A school full of witches, pirates, and such. Well I guess if I'm gonna be a pirate I have to go to their school.

Harry held my wrist as he struts towards the doors, dodging other students and keeping me behind him, Uma at my other side, glaring at those who yelled at Harry for bumping into them.

“Harry” Uma called, he hummed to show he was listening, “What's your first class?” Uma was looking down at her timesheet, seeing accelerated piracy first, Harry stopped and pulled out his timesheet, seeing chartering and navigations.

“Alright, who is {y/n} going ta go with?” Harry asked, glancing back at Uma, I glanced between them, shuffling my feet awkwardly.

I felt an unfamiliar hand sneaking around my waist, forcefully pulling me away from Uma and Harry.

"Hey good lookin, haven't seen you around here. Where have you been hiding?" A dark skinned boy questioned.

Before I could say anything, Harry had his grip on my wrist, pulling me behind him and pointing his hook at the boy's throat.

"Back off Max. She's apart of my crew!" Uma spat at the boy. They looked very similar, both having teal hair in box braids. Though Max wore purple and black instead of the teal and purple Uma wore.

Hmm. Wait I think Max might be Morgana's son. So then Uma and Max are cousins. Interesting.

Max tsked and walked away. I gripped the back of Harry's jacket, not really certain I could fit in at this High School. Harry and Uma exchanged a look before Harry picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, causing me to squeak in surprise.

"Come on, {y/n} we gotta get ye to the head office. Ye gotta sign up for some classes." Harry stated in a matter of fact tone.

I buried my face in Harry's back as he carried me like a sack of potatoes. Of course I forgot I had a hat on, so good thing Uma was following behind, she grabbed it as it fell off my head and started whistling a pirate tune.

This was indeed going to be the longest day of my life. Reaching what I assume is the principal's office, Harry dropped me on my ass. And no I'm not fine.

"Ow!" I groaned, standing back up and doing my best glare at Harry.

"Oh? Whoooo do we have here?" A snake like voice questioned from behind me.

I turned around and came face to face with a man with green scales across the entirety of the right side of his face. And that eye was a snake eye. He made a hissing type noise and I gulped when I noticed his snake tongue.

"This is {y/n} {l/n}. She's new. She fell out of the sky" Uma bluntly explained, as I tried to look anywhere but his eyes.

"Oh? Sssssshe fell from the sssssky? Interssssting. Well I'm Kaa. I'm the principal of thissssss sssssschool." Kaa introduced, taking off his hat to give a slight bow.

"N-Nice to meet you. But wait the Kaa I remember is a snake…" I stated outloud.

Kaa smirked and a puff of smoke had me coughing like crazy. The feeling of a snake wrapping around me had me screaming and running behind Harry. Harry and Uma were laughing at me. I took a peek out from behind Harry to see Kaa in his snake form chuckling. Another puff of smoke and he was back where he was standing.

"Now my only concern issssss that ssssshe can't take any of our advanced classssssssessssss. Maybe I'll put her in sssssssome of the beginning classssssesssssss." Kaa explained walking over to his desk.

"Principal Kaa, she needs to stay in a class that either Uma, Gil, or I are in." Harry explained, holding out his hook.

I stayed behind Harry, my shaking hand still gripped on his jacket. Yes I was still scared. So sue me!

So in the end I had three classes with Harry, two with Uma, and one with Gil. Do I remember all of them? No. But that's why I had a schedule in my hand and six books in my arms.

Ok so first class is with Harry. Chartering and Navigations. Ok, a good pirate type of class. Is that THE Boot Strap Bill teaching this class??? Oh my gosh! Ok stop fangirling and focus.

I took a seat next to Harry and pulled out my book. Harry snorted a bit, causing me to look at him questioningly.

"What?"

"Ye aren't meant to actually take notes lass. This is a villain school." Harry stated pushing my books off my desk. I frowned and picked them up.

"Well I enjoy learning." I stated matter a factly

Harry chuckled. "Nerd." He spat, folding up some paper and making a paper football and flicking it at another student's head.

I rolled my eyes as class began.

"Alright, class. Who can tell me how to navigate through the sea at night?" Bootstrap Bill asked.

I looked around, seeing nobody was bothering to answer the question, turning to Harry I whispered “are we supposed to raise our hand” Harry snorted, shaking his head.

“Nah, that’s for the Boradon classes” nodding I turned back forward.

“Sextants” I called out, making Harry turn to me with wide eyes. Bootstrap nodded, looking at me curiously.

“Aye, that’s one of the ways, but there is one more?” he gestured to me, seemingly asking me to continue.

“The stars” I answered, grinning as Bootstrap nodded. Harry appeared in my vision, a curious grin on his face.

“How’d yeh know that lassie?” Harry asked, surprised.

I smirked. "I was really big into pirates as a kid."

"Though because of that a lot of the kids around me thought I was too weird to hang around with, so, no one to play sword with," I explained.

"Well we are gonna have ta change that." Harry smirked.

The rest of class flew by, and the next thing I knew, Harry was gripping my wrist and pulling me off in another direction.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I was basically dragged by Harry.

Harry didn't respond, just used his hook, which was in his right hand, to threaten anyone who tried to get in his way. After a while he stopped in front of two big doors.

"Here we are!" He smirked, opening the doors to reveal a gym.

But instead of what you would expect in a normal gym, aka people running around, climbing a rope, sit ups, push ups etc, there were people sword-fighting, practicing their thievery, aka villain stuff. Oh and apparently parkour.

"Time fer yer first sword fightin' lesson!"

I went wide-eyed as Harry dragged me towards where multiple people were sword fighting, Harry guided me to a mat, then left to grab equipment. I stood awkwardly as I watched the battles around me, some of them glanced at me, scanning my body before turning back to their battles.

I hugged myself, wishing I could hide. Suddenly a sword was pointed at my throat. Glancing to where it was coming from, I saw a girl with blood-red hair and heart-themed makeup, and a heart crystal-encrusted crown on her head, daughter of the red queen I'm guessing.

“You” she spoke in a posh voice “you came in with Harry, what are you to him?” I shook my head slightly, backing away into a brick wall.

Or what I thought was a brick wall “hey Quinn! This is (y/n), she’s our newest recruit in the crew!” Gil, it was Gil, placing his hands on my shoulders and creating a protective bubble around me. Quinn huffed, flipping her sword, and walking off.

I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding in. Looking up at Gil, I gave a smile.

"Thanks Gil! I thought she might kill me for a moment there." I explained.

"Oh don't worry! I doubt that!" Gil exclaimed before walking away.

I took a sigh of relief before examining my surroundings some more.

I stiffened as a blade was pointed at my back. Every bone in my body was fighting between fighting back and fleeing. And for some reason my brain went into adrenaline mode. I quickly turned around, grabbed the sword blade in my hands and yanked the blade away from whoever had it. A scream echoed in my head, my brain took way too long to realize I was screaming, and I had huge cuts on both palms, and they were bleeding.

Harry was in front of me, he was saying something but I'm not sure what he's saying. Oh look Gil's here too.

"Quiet down! You're drawin too much attention!" Harry exclaimed once I was finally able to hear him.

I stopped screaming but started whimpering, my palms really hurt and were still bleeding. Harry groaned and took a bandana off his belt and tied it around my right hand, then he grabbed a bandana from Gil's belt and tied it around my other hand.

"There. Now come on, time to head to the ship." Harry stated, standing up only to have Quinn point a sword at him.

"What is she to you? Why did you help her?" Quinn stated with a nasty tone, as if she was entitled to the answer.

Harry sighed, clearly annoyed by her. "Quinn, she's the newest member of Uma's crew. And she got hurt. Uma would've had my head if I didn't help her. Now excuse us but we've gotta go." Harry stated, using his hook to push the sword away.

He started to walk away only to stop and grab his sword. Quickly turning around he blocked Quinn's attack.

I squeaked and hid behind Gil as Harry and Quinn fought. The students gathered around and began rooting on either Harry or Quinn. The cheering got me to slowly come out from behind Gil, who was obviously cheering on Harry.

I smiled. "GO HARRY!!! KICK HER ASS!!!" I cheered on with a smile.

I saw Harry smirk as he began to do even better, throwing Quinn off. Gil leaned down towards me.

"Harry and Quinn fight a lot. But usually they're equal in strength. I've never seen Harry out match her." Gil explained to me.

I felt my face start to heat up. A loud thunk and the room went quiet. I looked back at the fight and Quinn was on the floor, sword kicked away, with Harry pointing a sword at her. I held my breath.

"Obviously I won't kill ye. But have this for meh first victory." Harry explained, and gave her a decent cut on her cheek.

Yep that will definitely leave a scar.

Harry re-sheathed his sword and walked back towards me and Gil. Grabbing my wrist, not as tightly as he had before, he pulled me out of the gym.

"Let's go (y/n), come on Gil!" Harry exclaimed as we left the gym.

As soon as we stepped out of the gym, the sound of heavy sword fighting began in the gym.

Harry paid it no mind, students making a path for us with no questions asked. That is until we reached Bonnie, I believe that's his name. Harr told Bonnie what was going on, he nodded, and ran off. I raised my eyebrow as Harry pulled me out of the school.

“Harry…. Where are we going?” I asked, a bit confused.

“To mah place. We gotta fix yer hands so ye can learn to fight.” Harry stated, dragging me up a flight of stairs, Gil following close behind.

Entering into a slightly shabby apartment I was pulled inside and shoved towards the ripped up couch.

“Sit.”

I did as I was told, looking around the room. Scratch marks, Hook marks, red splotches, dirt, water stains, and just an overall mess was all I could see of the living room. And what was that smell?

“Gimme yer hands {y/n}!” Harry exclaimed roughly grabbing my hands and unwrapping the cloths from my palms.

I winced as the fabric was ripped off my cuts. Harry said something to Gil and all of a sudden I had a towel shovel between my teeth and what I assume was alcohol was poured on my left hand. I screamed into the towel from the stinging pain.

Gil looked concerned. “Harry maybe we should get the only doctor and have him fix her hands.” Gil explained, and I could just go wide-eyed.

Doctor? NONONONONO. Last time I saw a doctor my mother was trying to get them to- nope not going through that horrible memory again.

“WE ain’t got time! Hand me the needle and thread!” Harry exclaimed.

Oh…. he’s gunna stitch me up, why is the world going black?

“{y/n}!”

Harry's voice faded to the back of my mind, sound dimming around me as I blacked out.

#a whole new world #harry hook x reader #harry hook fanfic #descendants fanfiction

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grimgrinningghoul · 5 years ago

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Phandom Pairing Master List

Here it is, folks! An updated/updating list of ships from Danny Phantom!

(Updated Mar. 25, 2020)

The purpose of this list is documentation and, more importantly, reference. Have a ship that you want to share, but don’t know what to tag it as? Well, this list is for you, so you can tag your pairings appropriately! Is there a ship out there that you despise, or are just uncomfortable about? Check this list to see if it has a name, and you can blacklist its tag!

Here’s how it’s set up: the list is divided into 3 categories. These categories are the Humans, the Ghosts, and the Ghosts/Humans; each category goes through in alphabetical order. Every pairing is either marked with [P] or [R] to indicate platonic or romantic.

You may notice that there are a decent handful of unnamed pairings; this is simply due to me being unable to find a pre-established name and/or coming up with one at this time. I hope to update this list over time until everything has at least one name.

Suggestions are more than welcome! Think of a pairing you didn’t see? Got a ship name? Throw them at me, and I’ll add them to the list.

Now, without further adieu, enjoy!

HUMANS (70)

Dani x Danny [P]: Double Trouble

Dani x Danny [R]: Sue Killer

Dani x Dash [R]: Carbon Copy Quarterback

Dani x Lancer [P]: Copy Grades

Dani x Tucker [R]: Cloned Romantic

Dani x Valerie [R]: Sweet Substitution, Vengeful Babes

Dani x Vlad [P]: Generic Brand, Oatmeal

Dani x Vlad [R]: Cream Cheese

Dani x Wes [R]: Clone Conspiracy

Danny x Dash [R]: Locker Bruise, Swagger Bishie, Teddy Ghost

Danny x Eliot [R]: Nu Goth

Danny x Jack [P]: Family Business

Danny x Jack [R]: The Wrong Sick

Danny x Jazz [P]: -

Danny x Jazz [R]: Sibling Secrets

Danny x Kwan [R]: Phantom Fumble

Danny x Lancer [P]: Assigned Care

Danny x Lancer [R]: Literature Lovers

Danny x Maddie [P]: Family Bonding, Maternal Instincts

Danny x Maddie [R]: Mama’s Boy, Motherly Love

Danny x Pamela [R]: Restrained Romance

Danny x Paulina [R]: Pink Astronaut, Shallow Sapphire

Danny x Sam [R]: Amethyst Ocean, Fake-out Make-out, Going Goth, Lovebirds, Violet Haze

Danny x Star [R]: Astro Physics, Phantom Satellite

Danny x Tucker [P]: Cyberspace

Danny x Tucker [R]: Savant Par

Danny x Valerie [R]: Gray Ghost

Danny x Vlad [P]: Badger Cereal

Danny x Vlad [R]: Endangered Species, Pompous Pep

Danny x Wes [R]: Unidentified Flying Ship (UFS)

Dash x Jazz [R]: Brain Over Brawn

Dash x Kwan [R]: Tight End

Dash x Paulina [R]: Makeup Honor

Dash x Sam [R]: Dumb Founded

Dash x Star [R]: All-Stars

Dash x Vlad [P]: College Fund

Dash x Vlad [R]: Go Packers

Eliot x Sam [R]: Gothic Ruse

Eliot x Tucker [R]: Nu Geek

Freakshow x Danny [R]: Pitched Tent, Publicity Stunt

Freakshow x Jazz [R]: Ghost Envy

Jack x Maddie [R]: Moronic Genius, Brain Cookies

Jack x Jazz [P]: -

Jack x Vlad [P]: -

Jack x Vlad [R]: Pac-Man

Jazz x Lancer [R]: Teacher’s Pet

Jazz x Paulina [P]: Miss Perfect

Jazz x Paulina [R]: Pretty Little Psycho

Jazz x Sam [R]: Kith Kin

Jazz x Tucker [R]: Techno Smarts

Jazz x Vlad [R]: Obsessive Meddler, Psycho Cereal

Kwan x Sam [P]: -

Kwan x Sam [R]: Jock Goth

Kwan x Star [R]: Sports Satellite

Kwan x Tucker [R]: Quacker

Kwan x Vlad [R]: Not So Useful Distraction

Lance Thunder x Lancer [R]: Lance Lancer

Maddie x Pamela [R]: Maternal Rivalry, Posh Scientist

Maddie x Vlad [R]: Spurned Affection

Paulina x Sam [P]: -

Paulina x Sam [R]: Evil Alliance, Fake-Up Make-Out, Goth Princess

Paulina x Star [P]: -

Paulina x Star [R]: Famous Satellite, Shallow Orbit

Paulina x Valerie [R]: Hunter’s Façade

Sam x Tucker [P]: Techno Goth

Sam x Tucker [R]: Ghost’s Absence, Veggie Burger

Sam x Valerie [R]: Hide N’ Seek

Sam x Vlad [R]: Gothic Vampire

Star x Tucker [R]: Twinkle Techno

Tucker x Valerie [R]: Hunter Silly, Tracking Device

Valerie x Vlad [R]: Misplaced Faith, Secret Disaster

__________________________________________________

GHOSTS (52)

Amorpho x Ghost Writer [R]: Tricky Pseudonym

Amorpho x Walker [P]: Undercover Cop

Amorpho x Walker [R]: Tricky Prison

Aragon x Dora [P]: -

Aragon x Dora [R]: Girl In The Tower, Royal Bloodline, Timeless Love

Aragon x Pariah Dark [R]: -

Bertrand x Spectra [R]: Melancholy Assistance

Box Ghost x Lunch Lady [R]: Packaged Food

Box Lunch x Youngblood [P]: -

Box Lunch x Youngblood [R]: Pirate Food

Clockwork x Dan [P]: - House Arrest

Clockwork x Dan [R]: Meddling Minutes

Clockwork x Ghostwriter [R]: History Books

Clockwork x Nocturne [R]: Bed Time, Dream Time

Clockwork x Pariah Dark [R]: Dark Ages

Clockwork x Walker [R]: Doing Time

Dairy King x Lunch Lady [R]: -

Dan x Ghost Writer [R]: Blood Red Ink

Dan x Nocturne [R]: Worst Nightmare

Dan x Pariah Dark [R]: Dark Dark

Desiree x Dora [R]: Royal Wishes

Desiree x Ember [R]: Hot December

Desiree x Pandora [R]: Mythical Wishes

Desiree x Skulker [R]: Traps Desired

Desiree x Spectra [R]: Painful Desires

Desiree x Technus [R]: Talkative Treacherous, Talkative Treachery

Desiree x Walker [R]: Guard Granter

Dora x Lydia [R]: Dragon Tattoo

Dora x Pandora [R]: Dora^2, Panned Doras

Dora x Poindexter [P]: -

Dora x Poindexter [R]: Retro Movie Do, Retro Movie Faire

Ember x Ghost Writer [R]: Burning Pages, Punk Poet, Written Memory

Ember x Johnny [P]: Rebel Youth

Ember x Johnny [R]: Flame’s Shadow

Ember x Kitty [P]: Girl’s Night

Ember x Kitty [R]: Pussycat Dolls

Ember x Skulker [P]: Punk Metal

Ember x Skulker [R]: Hunter’s Flame

Ember x Youngblood [P]: Pirate Sitting

Ember x Youngblood [R]: Punk Rock

Fright Knight x Pariah Dark [R]: All The King’s Men

Ghost Writer x Johnny [R]: Unlucky Author

Ghost Writer x Nocturne [R]: Goodnight Moon

Ghost Writer x Skulker [R]: Gun Magazine

Ghost Writer x Technus [R]: Science Fiction

Ghost Writer x Walker [R]: Penslammeter, Prison Journal

Johnny x Kitty [R]: Black Cat

Nocturne x Pariah Dark [R]: Delusions Of Grandeur

Skulker x Technus [P]: -

Skulker x Technus [R]: Electric Hunter, Generator, Sparks

Spectra x Walker [R]: Insane Asylum, Psyche Ward

Walker x Wulf [R]: Esperanto Code Of Conduct

__________________________________________________

GHOSTS/HUMANS (77)

Amorpho x Danny [R]: Anonymity Park

Aragon x Danny [R]: Royal Pain

Box Ghost x Danny [R]: Boxed Phantom

Clockwork x Danny [P]: Lost Time

Clockwork x Danny [R]: Temporal Trust

Clockwork x Jazz [R]: Timely Intelligence

Dairy King x Vlad [P]: Cheese Head

Dairy King x Vlad [R]: Lactose Intolerance

Dan x Dani [P]: -

Dan x Dani [R]: Young Bloodthirst

Dan x Danny [P]: New Beginnings

Dan x Danny [R]: Enslaved Exemplar, Haunted Past

Dan x Freakshow [R]: Control, Dark Side

Dan x Maddie [P]: -

Dan x Maddie [R]: Oedipus Complex

Dan x Paulina [R]: Pitiful Delusion

Dan x Sam [R]: Evil Goth

Dan x Valerie [R]: Dark Gray

Dan x Vlad [P]: The Imperfect Son

Dan x Vlad [R]: Bitterly Broken, Doubly Evil

Dani x Ember [P]: Kid’s Bop

Dani x Ember [R]: Platinum Punk

Dani x Youngblood [P]: Play Date

Dani x Youngblood [R]: Young Love

DannyF x DannyP [P]: Oreo Cookie, Phriendship, Pitch Pals

DannyF x DannyP [R]: Pitch Pearl, Photogenic Narcissus

Danny x Desiree [R]: Haunting Desire

Danny x Dora [R]: Phantom Dragon

Danny x Ember [P]: Baby Pop

Danny x Ember [R]: Phantom Rocker

Danny x Fright Knight [R]: Halloween Phantom

Danny x Frostbite [P]: -

Danny x Ghost Writer [R]: Iambic Prose

Danny x Johnny 13 [R]: Lucky Accident

Danny x Kitty [R]: Phantom Feline

Danny x Lunch Lady [R]: Ghostly Menu

Danny x Nocturne [P]: Restless Spirit

Danny x Nocturne [R]: Teenage Dream

Danny x Poindexter [P]: Locker Buddies

Danny x Poindexter [R]: Noodle Nerds

Danny x Shadow [R]: Phantom Shadows

Danny x Skulker [P]: Cat and Mouse

Danny x Skulker [R]: Callous Query

Danny x Spectra [R]: Phantom Psychology

Danny x Technus [P]: Voltaic Potential

Danny x Technus [R]: Cosmic Cyborg

Danny x Walker [P]: Space Cadet

Danny x Walker [R]: Ghostly Prisoner, Jailbait, Jailbird

Danny x Wulf [P]: Howling Moon

Danny x Wulf [R]: White Fang

Ember x Freakshow [R]: Dark Fire, The Freak Behind Blue Eyes

Ember x Paulina [R]: Perfect Pitch, Pitch Perfect

Ember x Sam [R]: Indie Rock, Somber Sear

Freakshow x Johnny 13 [R]: Hypnotic Shadows, Spaghetti And Meatballs

Freakshow x Lydia [R]: Circus Freaks

Fright Knight x Vlad [R]: New Master

Ghost Writer x Jazz [P]: Mindful Fiction

Ghost Writer x Jazz [R]: Classic Cliché

Ghost Writer x Sam [P]: Poetic Tale

Ghost Writer x Sam [R]: Purple Prose

Ghost Writer x Vlad [R]: Tireless Dedication

Jazz x Ember [R]: Hypno-Therapy

Jazz x Kitty [R]: Feline Grace

Jazz x Spectra [R]: Psycho Analysis

Jazz x Technus [R]: Techno Babble

Lancer x Spectra [R]: School Spirit

Lunch Lady x Tetslaff [R]: Butch-ers, Steak Sit-Ups

Sam x Undergrowth [P]: Gothic Garden, Green Thumb, Over Goth

Skulker x Vlad [P]: Bounty’s Reward

Skulker x Vlad [R]: Hunter’s Gains

Spectra x Vlad [R]: Misery Motivated

Technus x Tucker [P]: Tech Buddies

Technus x Tucker [R]: PDA, Techno Geeks, Technological Advancement

Technus x Vlad [R]: Mad Scientist

Vlad Masters x Vlad Plasmius [R]: Striking Fear

Vlad x Walker [P]: Tax Evasion

Vlad x Walker [R]: Bail Money

#Phandom Pairing Master List

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hermannsthumb · 5 years ago

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ok trying this again lol hopefully tumblr doesn't eat my message but i saw where you reblogged that halloween prompts last night and wanted to request "strangers who hooked up at a party while in costume but tbh i might be in love with you so i’m gonna walk this earth looking for the right woodland nymph" for newmann. the thought of hermann dressed as a woodland nymph is CUTE!! thank you, maria

from list of halloween prompts here

HEHE this one took me a while bc i’ve been slammed with a cold the past few days thats made me want to do nothing but like. lie in bed. HERE YOU GO ENJOY

———————————————

“Sexy fairy, huh?” Newt says.

The dude leaning against the wall lowers his drink and frowns. “Pardon?”

“Shit,” Newt says. “Hang on. Sorry.” He pulls out his plastic fangs and works his jaw a few times, then settles right back into his most charming smile. “I said sexy fairy, huh?”

“Oh,” the dude says. He looks down at himself–the illfitting white tunic, the tacky fake vines glued to it, his sandals (socks with sandals, actually, wow)–and gives a self-conscious tug at the equally tacky flower crown atop his head. He’s a real hottie. Big brown eyes, dark eyelashes, cheekbones–definitely Newt’s type. He’s surprised that no one else dove in to chat him up first. “I think it’s meant to be a nymph, actually. I bought it at the costume shop on the way here.”

He’s all posh and English. Newt wasn’t expecting that, but he thinks he can dig it. He leers. “So the sexy is all you, then?”

The nymph’s frown only deepens. “What do you mean?”

“I mean–” Newt sighs. “I was calling you sexy.”

“Oh,” the nymph says again. “Er. Thank you.”

They slip into uncomfortable silence. (Way to go, Newt. Struck out already.) “Are you here alone?” Newt tries again.

It’s the wrong thing to ask: the nymph makes a face and takes a long sip of his drink. (Purple, with weird foam on top, probably whatever’s sitting in the punchbowl marked Witch’s Brew.) “Yes,” he says. “I came with my date, but he–ah–”

His eyes drift to a guy in a semi-matching costume on the dance floor, who’s currently bumping up against some hunk dressed as a sexy pirate.“Ditched you?” Newt says.

The nymph makes a non-committed sound. His hand tightens around the head of his cane (which he’s also wound fake vines around–Newt appreciates the creativity). “I didn’t want to dance,” he says, and then it’s his turn to sigh. “We only met a week ago, on some moronic–dating app my sister insisted I try. I should’ve known he’d…”

That won’t do; Newt was trying to get the guy’s number, not send him spiraling into moodiness. “Hey, I’m here alone, too,” Newt says. “All alone.” He doesn’t even know the host–it’s one of Tendo’s exes, he thinks, who he may or may not have gotten sushi with one time years ago but never bothered unfriending on Facebook.

“Mm,” the nymph says. He gives Newt a long once-over. Newt wishes that he’d planned better, and worn something a little sexier than just standard vampire. (Like sexy pirate; the guy the nymph’s date latched onto instead had the right idea.) As is, he’s probably only passably sexy: his pants are tight enough, and his shirt is open enough, and he has enough glitter in his hair (because it’s fun) to light up like a fucking disco ball in the light. “I suppose you’re going to ask me for my mobile number now. Or offer to get me a drink, despite the fact that I clearly already have one.”

Newt grins goofily. “That was the plan.”

He get another long, considering stare. Then the nymph sets his drink down and clasps his free hand around Newt’s wrist. “Follow me,” he says.

“Cool,” Newt says. “Uh, are we going to the kitchen? I think it’s–”

They’re not going to the kitchen: they’re going to an empty broom closet. Newt can appreciate a forward-thinking man who knows what he wants.

“You ought to know,” the nymph gasps, tangling his fingers in Newt’s hair, “I don’t really do these sorts of things.”

“Really?” Newt says. He grins up at him, face inches from the guy’s stupid tighty-whiteys. “’Cause I do. You want me to put my fangs back in?”

“No. Ah–!”

***************************

Newt wakes up with a hangover (predictable), his phone buzzing off the side table with his alarm (annoying), and the strangest sensation that he met the love of his life last night (unexpected). The sensation is only amplified when he picks up his phone and sees that he’s, apparently, sent no less than five texts to his dad about it (his fucking dad, of all people, Newt needs some friends), but it quickly turns to dread when he sees the mess that is his poor forearm.

(“I’ve got a spot right here,” Newt slurred. After mutually-reciprocated hijinks in the closet, he and the nymph–who had told him his name at one point, Newt was sure, he just totally forgot–proceeded to get totally smashed off whatever the fuck Witch’s Brew was and then make out in the corner until Newt finally reminded him that he still wanted his phone number. The nymph was game. He was less game when Newt showed him where to write it in bold black Magic Marker one he rucked up his sleeve: his right forearm, between his jellyfish tattoo and his Godzilla tattoo, on a small patch of empty, freckled skin.

“Cute,” the nymph said, wryly.

He said it in a way that made it clear he didn’t think Newt’s tats were actually very cute. “I like them,” Newt said.

“Can’t I just–” the nymph was struggling with the marker, “–put it right in your, ah, phone?”

“This is more fun,” Newt said.”)

The number is nothing more than a smeary mess now–probably casualty to the massive rainstorm raging outside that, if Newt’s soaked pile of clothing on the floor means anything, has been raging since he stumbled home last night.

He can’t even remember the guy’s name.

SOS, he ends up texting Tendo after a healthy amount of coffee and Tylenol. hooked up with super hot guy at a party last night and have no fucking clue how to see him again and i think i might be in love. help

you’re almost forty, Tendo replies, which is no help and isn’t at all the sick burn Tendo probably thought it was.

Newt resorts to stalking Tendo’s ex’s Facebook page instead. For anything, really. There are only a few photos up from the party last night (so far, anyway), and most of them are focused on the dance floor and the guy’s friends. Newt clicks through obsessively anyway. The ornate Jack-O-Lanterns that’d been on the front porch, Tendo’s ex and some chick in zombie makeup, the punchbowl of foaming purple Witch’s Brew, and–finally, in the very back corner of a shot–Newt standing with his mystery man. Tacky crown and all. He exists, at least, not some extremely specific hallucination on Newt’s part, even though a reverse image search turns up with absolutely nothing but links to buy his costume.

He has better luck with a blurry photo of his mystery guy’s (deadbeat) date laughing in the kitchen under the bright orange string lights: Tendo’s ex actually tagged him. Probably because he wasn’t totally crashing the party after seeing a post about it like Newt was. Newt’s luck pretty much stops there; not only does the guy make no mention of the nymph Newt spent the night with when Newt stalks his page, but he hasn’t updated his status in literally six months, and none of his friends (because Newt combs through his friends list, too) look remotely like Newt’s mystery man.

So. Newt sends him a friend request.

He accepts it in the amount of time it takes Newt to take to feed his fish, heat up a tiny bowl of spaghetti-o’s, and regret sending it in the first place; he almost spills the bowl over his laptop in his hurry to send a message. Hey, weird question, but who’d you bring to that party last night?

lol why?

“I’m in love with him” is definitely a little forward, so Newt makes up a fast, and hopefully at least mildly believable, lie. He has my umbrella.

Typing for a while. tbh idrk him, we met online. his name was hermann

Then: i think hes a teacher or something

who are you anyway? comes a second later.

Hermann. Newt likes it. It also rings a very, very vague bell. cool thanks! Newt sends back, and then quickly unfriends the guy. Anyone who could possibly ditch a guy as hot and funny and, overall, perfect as Hermann (as Newt remembers him, anyway) is not worth Newt’s time.

exciting update, he texts Tendo. his name is Hermann!

Newt has a lecture to teach at six, three hours from now, so in lieu of actually preparing for it, he decides to be a creepy stalker instead. Hermann’s date said he was a teacher: none of the local public schools have a Hermann (or a Herman, for that matter) on any of their staff pages, K all the way up to Twelve, nor do the private schools. He has better luck when he pokes through staff directories for nearby universities instead: this gives him two Hermans and one Hermann, but neither of their provided pictures look remotely like Newt’s Hermann. Not even when Newt squints.

He spares another miserable glance at the smeary ink on his arm before shutting his laptop. Maybe it’s just not meant to be.

He’s walking to campus from his bus stop the following week–the day before Halloween–when the most fucking unbelievable thing in the world happens.

He sees Hermann.

Just sitting outside the campus coffee shop at a little table, sipping a paper travel mug dotted with little orange pumpkins. Reading over some notes. Newt’s sure it’s Hermann: it’s Hermann’s big brown eyes, Hermann’s long eyelashes, Hermann’s sharp cheekbones, Hermann’s cane propped against the brick wall next to him. Newt’d recognize him even with the stupid nymph costume swapped for more sensible sweatervest and tweed. “Hermann!” he shouts excitedly, waving both arms. “Dude!”

Hermann looks up. He drops his coffee.

He’s completely speechless when Newt finally manages to book it across the street (dodging traffic, including the bus he came in on) and collapse, panting, into the empty seat across from him. “I can’t believe it’s you!” Newt says. “Holy shit, dude! I’ve been trying like crazy to track you down. I lost your number, so I had to message your shitty boyfriend–”

“Not my boyfriend,” Hermann says, faintly.

“Right, your shitty date,” Newt corrects. “You look so good. I almost didn’t recognize you without all the leaves. I’m so glad I found you. What are you doing here, anyway?”

Hermann blinks a few times. Registering it all. “I work–” He says, and gestures to the stairs that lead up to the main part of campus. “Er, here. Physics. I teach physics.”

That explains why Newt couldn’t find him on any faculty pages–he just assumed that Hermann couldn’t possibly be working at the same university as him and didn’t bother checking. He though he would’ve remembered seeing a face like that around. Physics, though, makes sense–it’s not like they’d be in the same building. “I do too!” Newt says. He leans in, beaming away. “Well, not physics, biology. I can’t remember if I told you my name or not. It’s Newt. Dr. Geiszler, if you wanna be serious, but I’m pretty sure we’re way beyond that at this point.”

“Ah,” Hermann says. “No, you didn’t say your name.” He blinks a few more times before finally seeming to get over his shock, and it’s replaced with mild amusement instead. A small smile. “You’re a doctor?”

“Are you that shocked?”

“You’re not very–” Hermann does a very bad job of disguising his laugh as a cough. “Professional. You know–at the, ah, party, you really should’ve just let me–”

“I know,” Newt says, and Hermann’s smile grows.

“Writing it on your arm was a terrible idea,” Hermann says. “I was horribly offended, you know, when you didn’t call the next day.”

Newt fishes his phone out of his pocket, unlocks it, and offers it out to Hermann with a grin. “Looks like I won’t be making the same mistake twice, then.”

#newmann #maria's fanfiction tag #meet cute!#newts-geiszler

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