#the good old holding each other during a storm troupe!

[giggly-squiggily]

hi im scared of thunderstorms so maybe chigiri and reader (in relationship preferably!) comforting each other through a storm? if thats ok ty

I am beyond late for this, anon, but YES! Absolutely you're okay to ask for something like this! I love Chigiri so much kjajkrejkrjke Major prompts to the loveliest @myreygn for being the one to gift us this headcanon! Chigiri being scared of thunderstorms is- as odd as this is to say- one of my favorite headcanons and I'm forever grateful to you Rey for sharing that thought with us! Anon, I hope you like it :D

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@cupcake-spice13 @chibisstuff @imjusthere07 @riisada @ticklish-n-stuff

A crack of thunder shook the apartment, scaring Chigiri right out of his sleep. He held his breath as the sky cracked beyond the window, shaking all over as another thunderous roar played out.

He knew it was coming- the weather report mentioned storms today, alongside the sky being an eerie shade of gray. There was no controlling when a thunderstorm decided to arrive- much like the others, he simply had to deal with it.

Another clap, another boom. Chigiri let out a muted yelp as he dived beneath the blankets, feeling his pulse beat within his ears. It was moments like this he was grateful to be here on holiday and not Blue Lock; the facility did nothing to mute the sound.

Right- headphones. Reo gifted him some before they left for vacation. He was about to grab them when he felt the bed shake. At first, he thought it was him- but then he heard you whimpering. “(Y/N)?” He turned to look at you, finding you even deeper in the blankets than usual. You were curled up tightly, hands on your ears and eyes squeezed shut. “(Y/N)...?”

Another clap, another boom. You yelped and shrunk even smaller- Chigiri mimicking your actions. Once the sound faded out, Chigiri lowered his hands and scooted closer to you, tugging at the hem of your shirt. “Hey, (Y/N)?”

It wasn’t working; you were frozen with fear- shaking like a leaf as you stayed coiled up. Chigiri looked at you for a moment longer.

“Hang on.” A sense of clarity came over him as he rolled over, reaching into his drawer and pulling out the headphones. Scooting closer to you, he gently pulled your hands away, replacing them with the device. You froze immediately, eyes shooting open at the feeling. When your eyes met his, you mouthed “no” with a headshake.

“It’s fine. I can go without them for one night.” Chigiri smiled the best he could, squeezing himself in your tight cocoon of limbs until your face was pressed into his sweater. Wrapping his arms around you, he buried his face against your crown, breathing in your scent. “Don’t worry, (Y/N). I’ll keep you safe.”

Another boom of thunder came so close and so loud he jumped out of his skin, biting his lip so hard he was sure it was bleeding. Your fingers dug into his back as you clung to him, bringing him back from his initial shock. Then those hands rubbed against him- both in apology and in comfort as he tried to calm his trembling.

“Geez, this storm is a bad one, huh?” He asked, knowing you couldn’t hear him. Taking this chance, he squeezed you close as he murmured in your hair. “I remember the first time I was with you when it stormed. You screamed so loud I thought you got shocked. It was like something out of a horror movie. You’d make a great protagonist.”

You watched his lips, unsure of what he was saying but keeping his eyes. It was comforting in its own way, knowing he had your attention. He ran a hand against your arm, playing with the threads of your shirt as he carried on.

“I can’t say I’m too proud of being so scared of thunderstorms. As your boyfriend, I should be the brave one, yeah? But you’re always so strong for me. Whenever I get scared about my knee, or about what’s going to happen when I go back to Blue Lock- you always know just what to say to keep me from backing down. I love that about you so much, (Y/N). Really.” Another clap came, making him flinch. Your hands found his, grabbing tightly. “Heh. Even now- scared as you are, you’re making sure I’m okay.”

Your eyes scrunched some, sending little skips through his heart. He loved your eyes; the color, the shape- the way they were so expressive to him.

“You know- I think it was your eyes that first got me when we met. It was like you were looking into my soul with them, seeing me for me- not the person I tried to be after I hurt myself.” He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your brow before resting his own against yours. “I can look into them forever and always feel so safe.”

Your eyes filled with tears. He was sure you could at least hear the last part. Kissing your brow again, he rested his chin against your crown as he watched the trees sway outside. It was still really dark- he was sure another clap of thunder was about to come. He willed himself to be ready.

Time passed, a few more claps. A few more booms of storm that left him shivering all over, but eventually- it all came to an end. He let out a sigh of relief when the storm finally ended, feeling you shift in his arms. “Hey, we made it.

Reaching up, you pulled the headphones off your ears with a small sigh, listening briefly to the sounds around you. When you confirmed the storm was infact over…

“AH! Hehehahhaa! Nohohoho, dohohoohn’t!” Chigiri yelped when you tackled him to the bed, tickling his sides. “Whahhahat the hehehehck, bahahahahbe?”

“For sacrificing yourself for me! How dare you save me over yourself? How dare you be so damn sweet and wonderful?” You tried to sound angry, but the happy tears in your voice made his heart squeeze.

“Oohohkay, ohohkay- fine. Ihihihim shahahharry!” He reached out, grabbing your hands and pulling you into his chest. Once settled, he leaned down to kiss you, stealing away the soft sobs you made. “I really didn’t mean to make you cry. Sorry about that.”

“Shut up! You totally did- you and all that sweet sentiments about my eyes and all that!” You blinked away the rest of your tears, kissing him back properly before climbing the bed, getting cozy beside him. “What was the rest of it? I couldn’t hear a word except the last bit.”

“I’ll tell you later.” He felt himself blush, grateful the room was so dark. Stroking your cheek, he looked into your eyes once more, lost in their beautiful color. “Do you feel better? You were pretty scared there.”

You nodded, putting your hand over his as you leaned into your pillow. “I was. But you were with me the entire time. You made me feel really safe. Thank you, Hyoma.”

“Hm.” Chigiri nodded, unable to find his voice. He must have been really tired- his eyes felt so wet suddenly. Closing them, he pulled the blanket up and over you two, snuggling deep and feeling you do the same. “I love you, (Y/N).”

“I love you too, Hyoma.” Your voice trailed off in a sleepy sigh as you closed your eyes, finally returning to sleep. Your hand still clung to his, and he watched your chest slowly rise and fall before drifting off himself, giving it one last squeeze.

He dreamed of rain clouds that night. Only instead of thunder, it was the sound of your beautiful laughter that graced his ears.

Thanks for reading!

[absolutepokemontrash]

MC is Half Demon and Blah Blah Blah-

Time for the Group Retreat!

Part 1 Part 2 Lessons 1-5 Lessons 5-6 Lessons 10-12 Lessons 13-15 Part 3 Part 4

I’m quite hyped for this one, ladies, gents, and esteemed readers! For simplicity’s sake, since this is before M!MC and A!MC arrive, L!MC will go back to being referred to as just MC. Enjoy the Headcanons!

Since the previous Underground Tomb incident ended much less violently, Lucifer is now more worried than angry about MC’s rampant shennaniganery.

Like... his kid was poking holes in his totally foolproof “Your cow-uncle went to live on a farm in the human world” story. What if MC somehow got into the attic and got hurt?!

It didn’t help that they were still in this weird phase of their father/child relationship. On one hand, Lucifer obviously cares for his kid, and his kid likes him... but it’s also only been less than three months and we all know how emotionally constipated Lucifer is.

MC’s also getting REAL sus of all the secrets their dear old dad is keeping... doesn’t help that they STILL haven’t went up into the attic.

Anyhoo~ the announcement for the retreat was a barrel of laughs.

“I’m proposing, a group retreat!”

Everyone met Diavolo’s announcement with the exact same confused reaction. It’s like the entire assembly hall was doing the ‘Guy Blinking’ meme.

“A... group retreat?” Lucifer repeated slowly. “For what reason exactly, Lord Diavolo?”

The Crown Prince was giddy with excitement as he explained. “MC told me about their middle school overnight trip and it sounded like it would be quite fun!”

Simeon, Luke, MC, and Solomon were all seated next to each other in the ‘exchange student seats of less importance’. Luke leaned over and whispered a question to MC.

“Why are you so friendly with the crown prince?”

MC smirked and shrugged. “Lucifer had the Demon-Flu and couldn’t go meet with Lord Diavolo last week so I went for him. Lord Diavolo’s surprisingly bad at Connect Four but has really good luck in Snakes and Ladders.”

Luke’s jaw dropped in complete and utter shock and horror.

“We’re playing CandyLand and the Game of Life next time, want to come?” MC added.

“Play CandyLand... with him..?” Luke looked at Diavolo, who was still explaining his plan for the retreat, then looked back at MC. “I’ll only go to shield you from his corrupting influence.”

“Yeah... Corrupting...” MC had to hold back a laugh at the thought of Diavolo, who during MC’s visit lit up like a Christmas tree upon being called ‘Dia’ and believed that Mood Rings were the greatest human invention ever, being a corrupting influence.

“MC! Torture dungeon or no!?” MC was snapped out of their conversation by Mammon shouting at them from his seat.

“What?”

“Do ya think there’s a torture dungeon under the castle, or not?”

“I’m not sure,” MC turned to Diavolo. “Lord Diavolo, is there a torture dungeon under the Demon Lord’s Castle?”

There is in fact, no torture dungeon. Presumably...

Everyone packed up and headed out to the Demon Lord’s Castle!

The fabulous seven all broke several speed limits and traffic laws in order to be there early. Listen, they had to get there before Purgatory Hall, it was a matter of pride.

Besides, what’s the Royal guard going to do? Arrest six of the seven rulers of hell and a kid? Ha. No. Not when Diavolo controls their paychecks.

The rooming situation remained the same, Asmo, Simeon, and MC were roomed together, and MC got to watch Asmo get psychologically profiled by Simeon. It was truly a sight to behold.

MC was nice enough to assure Asmo that they really liked him and thought he was very sweet.

Asmo, not used to being complimented on his personality, almost started openly weeping.

So, the tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle began! Asmo got yelled at by his ex in the painting and the usual batch of idiots got sucked into the catacombs under the castle.

Lucifer wasn’t terribly sure how or if he should express his concern for MC being stuck in the labyrinth.

All these new fatherly feelings of worry are very very odd. He didn’t worry this much for Satan, mainly because Satan was usually the threat.

Even as a baby...

Lucifer found himself checking his DDD every few minutes to see if MC had texted or called from wherever the painting dragged them to, never mind that if they did text he’d hear the phone ding.

“Lucifer, don’t worry too much,” Diavolo patted Lucifer on the shoulder, a bright smile on his face. “Your brothers and MC will be perfectly fine! There’s nothing too dangerous in the catacombs that they wouldn’t be able to take care of.”

Resigning himself to the fact that MC was under the care of his last choices for babysitting, Lucifer put away his DDD. “I know they’ll be fine, but I’m not overly pleased with the situation.” He shot a glare at Helene in the portrait, who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“Lucifer worrying about someone, I’m truly, genuinely shocked.” Hearing Satan’s attempt at goading him, Lucifer, flawless demon that he is, resisted the urge to throw his DDD at his brother.

“Quiet, Satan.”

————

“WHY THE FUCK IS A SNAKE DOWN HERE?!”

“ITS HENRY 1.0!”

“YEAH THAT REALLY CLEARS STUFF UP, LEVI!”

MC and Levi continued their screaming match as the group ran for dear life from a giant snake.

Yeah... nothing the brothers couldn’t handle... sure, Lord Diavolo...

They made it out of the scary catacombs... don’t worry.

Lucifer did that parent-thing where he cleaned the catacomb dust off MC’s face with a napkin.

Yay! Parenting!

Failed pillow fight attempt #1 happened that evening. Because Mammon was obsessed with being the fun-uncle and saw his brothers encroaching on his place as favourite uncle.

MC doesn’t know how to break it to him that he’ll probably always be the favourite uncle and he doesn’t have to be such a dumbass to keep his spot.

Scavenger hunt went on as canon dictates.

Asmo had his diva tantrum and stormed off, but MC also wanted to win so they didn’t go after him.

Clearly expecting someone to go beg him to come back, Asmo was very annoyed when no one went after him.

“Um, helloooo? Anyone going to comfort me~?”

“Nope.”

“Well I don’t want your comfort anyway, SOLOMON.”

It was very close, L!MC insisted their loss came from sabotage. No evidence was found but just LOOK at Satan’s face.

Time for the Formal Dance~

If you’re wondering why Luke didn’t say anything when MC was suddenly poofed into their demon form, you’re assuming that Mammon wasn’t in on the “let’s prank the chihuahua” plan.

“Mammon..? Is MC behind you?”

“Nope! Why?”

MC was able to get to the other side of the ballroom with Luke none the wiser! Hell yeah, nothing like screwing with your friend!

So it’s canon that Lucifer is like, a solid 20/10, therefore MC is ADORABLE. What I’m saying is, some of the younger demons asked them to dance.

Asmo was also being MC’s hype man, which was very nice of him. Mammon also tried to give advice on how to be cool and suave. Beel was there for moral support.

“Alright kiddo, you need to be aloof and mysterious! People love aloof and mysterious, that’s why I’m so popular.”

“Don’t listen to him, MC. He flew into a wall as a kid and it killed all his brain cells. Just be proper but not snooty, sweet but not saccharine, friendly but not annoying,”

“Ask them if they want to share some of the hors d’oeuvres.” 

“Okay, first, aloof and mysterious are the last words I would ever use to describe you, Mammon. Second, Asmo I have no clue what you’re asking me to do. Third... Beel that’s the best advice I’ve received in recent memory.”

None of that mattered anyway because MC got swarmed with dance offers.

“Well,” MC smirked and held out their hand at the demon that was bold enough to ask them to dance first. “I admire the confidence.”

The demon’s smile brightened, then dropped completely when their gaze drifted behind MC. “I uh... on second thought... I’m gonna...”

MC’s potential dance partners all quickly scattered to the snack table. The half demon growled and turned around to see their father acting like he didn’t just scare away MC’s groupies.

“Father! What was that for?!” MC huffed, Lucifer rolled his eyes and grabbed MC’s wrist and began to pull them away from the dance floor.

“You’re too young to dance.”

“That’s crazy! They looked like they were my age.” MC protested, their wings fluttering in annoyance.

“Even if they looked to be your age, MC, they’re hundreds of years older.” Lucifer said calmly.

“What about that equivalent age stuff you told me about? Like how Luke is hundreds of years old but by angel/human standards he’s technically younger than me?”

“That doesn’t matter right now.” Lucifer lightly pushed MC towards the hallway that led back to their room.

“But I want to dance with someone!” MC felt their wings involuntarily fluff up.

Lucifer turned and smiled at his dear little brat, crouching slightly to get to their level. “Not on my watch.”

MC’s face was literally this: >:0

Lucifer is out here being the dad in every comedy that involves someone bringing home their partner to meet their parents.

MC was banished to their room, they spent their time angrily reading the manga they had packed.

When Levi escaped the party slightly later MC grilled him for details of what went on after they left.

“Nothing too interesting... except... um...”

“Spit it out, Levi!”

“...lrddiavlondlucferdnced”

“I can’t understand you, stop mumbling.”

“Lord Diavolo and Lucifer danced together...”

“...”

“...”

“I MISSED THAT?!”

So yes, MC’s desire to get a picture of Lucifer sleeping stems from VENGEANCE!

How DARE their father send MC up to their room and make them miss their OTP dancing together!?

So they call up their troupe of idiots and get ready to go be menaces to society.

MC also invites along Asmo because he seemed like he could use the adventure.

And because MC couldn’t plan the prank without Asmo noticing so it was better to just implicate him as well...

“Grrr...”

MC brightened and clapped their hands. “I know that growl!”

“It’s not my stomach, I packed snacks.” MC couldn’t see this, considering the room was pitch black (it must’ve been some kind of magic because demons have excellent night vision), but Beel waved a bag of chips in the air and got to eating.

“No, I’m not talking about your stomach, Beel.” MC skipped towards the source of the growling despite Mammon and Levi’s pleas for them to stop.

Ah! There he was!

“Cerberus!” MC cooed, the three headed dog stopped growling and barked happily. “Whose a good boy? Is it you?”

Cerberus let lose a bark that would probably make anyone crap their pants, but MC giggled and kept petting him. “Yeah! You’re the good boy! You like cuddles! Yes you do! Yes you do!”

A flash of light from a camera caused MC to drop their baby talk voice and stare angrily in the direction where the light came from.

“Whoever took that picture better delete it or I’m going to feed you to the dog.”

Cerberus growled in agreement. What a good boy.

“Well, as nice as this is...” Asmo huffed. “We’ve clearly been duped because this is not Lucifer and Diavolo’s room.”

“Oh well!” MC chirped and continued to pet the three headed dog. “Look at the doggy!”

“MC, you’re crazy. Dontcha ever forget that.” Mammon whimpered as Cerberus growled at him.

So yeah, they couldn’t get out of the room, so they ended up opening up the other door and falling into the catacombs like a bunch of lemmings.

Asmo charmed Henry, and they got out of the labyrinth no problem.

Yay! No consequences! Oh no- hi Lucifer.

Lucifer gave them all the mother of all lectures. Satan showed up with the rest of the gang and brought popcorn.

Belphie wasn’t there, okay? Satan needed to be a little shit for him.

Ah yes, the pillow fight... Mammon’s crusade to be the best uncle culminated in a massive pillow fight that ended with MC, Lucifer, and Diavolo standing over everyone’s unconscious bodies.

So they uh... won the pillow fight.

MC couldn’t sleep. They legitimately couldn’t. As exhausting as the pillow fight victory had been, everyone was snoring, and MC was bleary eyed and awake at one in the morning.

They eventually sat up and looked around, Asmo was passed out in a very unflattering position, Solomon was chanting god knows what in his sleep, Levi was half hanging off Simeon’s bed, Simeon and Luke were sleeping like angels (hehehehe-), Beel was in the middle of eating his pillow in his sleep, Mammon appeared to be dreaming about winning the lottery, and Satan was... suspiciously absent.

He was there a minute ago... weird.

Deciding that this wasn’t worth it and they should just go sleep somewhere else, MC got out of bed and avoided stepping on anyone as they vacated the room.

The Demon Lord’s Castle at night could rival the House of Lamentation in terms of overall creepiness. MC had gotten used to the spirits and curses that littered their home, but they had only been to the Demon Lord’s Castle once before, so they were extra careful not to accidentally touch anything. Their stomach rumbled and they frowned.

Damn, they had the midnight munchies... they needed a snack.

MC made their way to the kitchen and on there way, noticed a peculiar room through a half open door. Taking a few steps back to peek into it, they noticed... doors. A lot of doors. And ivy covered steps. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to any of the placements, and the room was... weirdly chilly.

“You can come in if you’d like, MC.”

Barbatos’ voice nearly caused MC to hit a high note that they hadn’t been able to hit since their voice began to change. They straightened out their wrinkled pyjamas and stepped inside.

The butler himself was walking down one of the flights of stairs.

“Um...” Quickly remembering their manners, MC straightened their posture and cleared their throat. “Good evening Barbatos.”

Barbatos smiled and inclined his head in turn. “Good evening to you as well, MC.”

“How did you know it was me outside? You were up there a second ago.” MC asked.

“It’s a part of my powers. I can see possible futures, and I foresaw you passing by my room and getting curious.” Barbatos explained.

“Oh,” MC said, half nodding and continuing to look around. A the sound of a door closing out of MC’s vision made them squeak and look around for the source of the noise. “What was that?!”

“It’s nothing to be worried about.” Barbatos raised his hands in a placating gesture. “These doors in my room are gateways to different timelines and some are gateways into the past of this particular timeline. That was another version of me passing by.”

“Does this... happen often?” MC knitted their eyebrows.

Barbatos hesitated before answering. “Not really. It’s quite rare. Lord Diavolo has expressly forbidden me from using my full powers freely.”

“Ah... makes sense...”

“Now, I believe you came down for snacks?”

MC blinked in surprise. “How did you- oh... the time magic...”

“Yes, the time magic. Now, would you prefer yogurt and fruit, or apples and peanut butter?”

“Yogurt and fruit please!”

I’m sure MC’s knowledge of how Barbie’s room works will totally not come into play later. I’m sure.

Solomon and MC graced the brunch table with their cooking. I think you can guess how it would have turned out if Barbatos hadn’t intervened.

Rest In Peace to Beel’s tastebuds.

Anyway, the rest of the retreat was all fun and good.

MC may or may not have slipped up and called Diavolo ‘Dia’ in front of Lucifer. It would’ve sparked a lecture if Dia’s puppy-like excitement wasn’t so damn adorable.

Lucifer’s got a heart... somewhere... it’s probably all shrivelled up and tiny, but I’m sure it’s there.

Everyone went back home, brought closer together through... pillow fights and surviving Solomon’s cooking I guess..?

Anyway, MC got home, unpacked their stuff, watched Kakegurui with Levi and Mammon, let Asmo paint their nails, made and ate dinner with Beel, continued their piano lessons with Lucifer, and received a 100% fake smile from Satan.

It was a nice day with their new family, MC curled up in their bed and prepared to go to sleep.

“Help me!”

MC lurched upwards in their bed, whipping their head from side to side, trying to find the source of the voice. Their room was completely empty, the perks of being half demon extended to being able to see in the dark. No new smells either, they were alone in the room.

Auditory hallucinations were common before falling asleep after being sleep deprived, creepy, but not too unusual.

“MC!”

Okay- that one couldn’t be ignored. It was common knowledge that the House of Lamentation was definitely haunted in some capacity, but the ghosts never really bothered the demons living inside, MC was partly convinced that some of the ghosts didn’t even notice that the demons were there. So it couldn’t have been a ghost calling their name.

“MC! I need help!”

The voice reverberated through their head, like it was trying to hit every part of their skull to make sure it was at least felt if MC couldn’t hear it. MC massaged their scalp and got out of bed.

The House of Lamentation at night truly lived up to its haunted reputation. Cold, clammy, dark, even by demon standards. No spooky old house was going to scare MC though, they walked down the hall with their head held high.

They walked closer to walls and furniture, knowing that the floor was less likely to creak in those areas. How did they know that? Mammon had told them it worked like a charm. Well, it’d work better for him if he stopped tripping over the furniture and alerting Lucifer.

MC was much more nimble and careful, stepping slowly and lightly around the hallways until they reached the door to the attic. They reached out to clasp their hand around the doorknob, then froze. It smelled like…

Oh no.

MC leapt away from the door like it was rigged to explode if they touched it and practically dove for cover into an alcove. The all too-recent smell of Lucifer’s fancy cologne and the increasing sound of someone coming down the stairs made them clamp their hand over their mouth and crouch down.

What was their father doing up there?

He had said the attic was full of old junk and there was no reason to go up there, so why exactly did he-

The door slammed open and Lucifer stomped down the hallway back towards his room, MC presumed. They were about to let out a sigh of relief when the footsteps paused. MC felt their heart drop right into their gut when they heard the footsteps coming back in their direction.

What were they going to say to him when he found them? ‘Sorry! This isn’t where the bathrooms are!’ The last thing MC wanted was to add to their father’s ever growing list of stresses. MC was totally responsible and grown-up, their father didn’t need to worry.

MC clamped their eyes shut and tried to slow their heart rate. Demons were beings of darkness and shadow, they could blend in quite easily. They took a deep breath, cleared their head, and felt the shadows of the hallway shift and cover them like a blanket.

Lucifer’s footsteps stopped, MC heard a tired sigh, then the footsteps started up again, this time in the direction of his room.

They allowed themselves a sigh of relief before relieving themselves of their hiding space and opening the door leading to the attic staircase.

If the rest of the House of Lamentation was considered clammy, cold, and foreboding, the attic staircase was that multiplied by a factor of twelve. MC felt themselves shudder involuntarily when they stepped closer to the staircase. Every primal part of their brain was telling them to turn around and walk away, but one tiny part was holding them back. They placed their foot on the first step, waiting for any kind of resistance, nothing other than the feeling of passing through invisible cobwebs.

“MC?”

Upon hearing their name, MC craned their neck to try and get a look at what could be waiting for them at the top of the stairs.

“Are you coming, or not?”

The cascade of warning sirens that began to blare in MC’s head went ignored as they continued to scale the staircase.

When they reached the final step, they were met with a long hallway, with a single door on the right side of the wall.

“H-hello?” MC tried to instill some force into their voice, but it still ended up quavering a little.

“Down here.” Someone knocked on the wall next to the door, almost causing MC to jump.

Oh. Oh no. MC stood straight in front of the door, and when they saw who was looking back at them they nearly passed out.

“Belphegor..?”

Belphegor’s eyes flashed as he gave MC a once over. His eyes narrowed when his gaze snapped to MC’s. The analytical expression melted into a lazy grin.

“That’s me,” he said softly. “Nice to finally meet you, MC.”

[imaginesfora3]

Who Did It First Meme [Sumeragi Tenma]

Who asked who out first?

After some confusion, you’re the one who finally, officially, asked Tenma out. Due to him being a celebrity you were worried about being the one to make the first move, not wanting him to assume you’re trying to take advantage of his status. Tenma never assumed your friendship was fake or based on you wanting anything from him, quietly pining for you and wondering if you’d be willing to deal with everything that came with dating a celebrity. It was an odd middle ground the two of you had reached as you were clearly quite close, craving each other’s company and wanting to make the next move but held back by your own worries about what the other really thought of you. Finally, you figured there was no harm in shooting your shot especially not after the encouragement of some of his good friends at Mankai and your courage is rewarded with a very flustered but very happy Tenma.

Who initiated the first kiss?

Tenma did. He’d done a ‘first kiss’ scene countless times in shows and movies yet it was ten times more intimidating when you were trying to plant one on the person you loved. You didn’t think there was anything extra on Tenma’s mind as he always acted a bit awkward when you cuddled up close, unused to the obvious shows of affection and still getting used to the fact he didn’t have to hide how he felt anymore. It wouldn’t ever be that simple for him to get across all the complicated things he felt for you but the one thing he could do was kiss you, especially after his own cowardice and fear had stopped him from making the first important move in your relationship. It’s a little abrupt and not nearly as romantic as the movie set-ups had it appear but it feels nice to have your lips pressed against his, his heart jumping in his chest when you wrapped your arms around his neck and stole a few more kisses before pulling away.

Who said I love you first?

Tenma did. It slipped out over a long distance phone call, something he wished he could take back as he feels it would’ve meant more if the first ‘I love you’ was in person, but you’d been so upset and he missed you so much that his emotions had taken over. He’d told you that he loved you, that he missed you, promising to take you on the best date you’d ever been on the minute he was home just so you had a little more excitement to look forward to. There’s a piercing silence as he realized what he’d just said, stuttering out, trying to backpedal, stopping to think about the fact that backpedaling might make you assume he didn’t love you when he absolutely did… When you softly ask him if it’s truly how he feels he confirms it, saying he’d wanted to say it at a better time but he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by all the things he felt for you when he’d heard how upset you were.

Who would have the others picture as their phone background?

Tenma doesn’t seem to like to take selfies or pictures often but he likes if you’re the type to want to as it provides him with precious memories to think about while he’s away. Once the world knew about your existence and that the two of you were together he wouldn’t mind having you as his phone background as he doesn’t care who sees that he loves you, though he gets embarrassed and annoyed when people call it ‘cute’ to his face. It’d make his heart flutter to see that you have him as your background, and not just any paparazzi picture you could find online, but one you’d taken of him while you watched him practice or dressed up for one of his plays.

Who proposes?

Tenma does. Proposing was one of the things he thought he’d be good at as he liked to think he had a good romantic sense, and he had been planning on taking you on vacation with him for a long time, so he thought it best to do it then. There was a constant storm of butterflies in his stomach as he was extra careful about not doing anything to ruin the moment, worried about losing the ring during all your travel or having it accidentally exposed while going through the airport or unpacking his luggage. The stress of keeping the surprise under wraps pays off when he takes you to a beautiful, scenic park to set his plans in motion, proud of himself for not faltering once when he lays out his speech that he’d been mulling over for months; he’d practiced for this countless times, both alone and with some of his troupe members who had accidentally overheard him reciting it.

Who does the dishes?

Tenma is always willing to help even if he’s exhausted after a long day, not used to the domestic life but unable to say he entirely dislikes it even if what he’s doing is manual labor. He’s quick and efficient when he helps you out around the house but since he’s gone often enough he doesn’t generally do the chores, meaning he feels guilty when he comes home and tries to take on everything himself despite you not holding it against him. Tenma had never had a particularly happy and healthy home so he wanted to assure no negativity was brewing under the surface as the last thing he wanted you to think was that he took you for granted.

Who’s the first to wake up in the morning?

Tenma is generally the first awake but some mornings he can hardly drag himself out of bed unless he has practice to attend to. He says you’re unbelievably comfortable to sleep next to and though he prefers keeping to his schedule even when he doesn’t have plans for the day, he can’t help but cuddle up with you and wait for you to wake him up. You always tease him that he has an old man schedule as he prefers going to bed at a decent time every night, too, always falling asleep on you when you convince him to stay up a few hours later to watch a movie with you.

Who gets to pick the movie type on movie nights?

Tenma’s not a movie buff despite being an actor but there are a few things he hears about through the grapevine that grab his interest, suggesting them should you have nothing else you want to watch. He hates watching movies that he stars in but he begrudgingly agrees to watch one if you really want to, acting embarrassed but secretly being full of pride whenever you compliment his acting. It feels a little disconcerting to watch romance scenes with a person who isn’t you but it’s quickly remedied when you turn to him with an amused look and ask him to re-enact a few cute love scenes he’s been in.

Who lavishes the other one in gifts?

Tenma always gets you a souvenir from the new places he goes to, even if he prefers when he gets to bring you along with him to pick something out yourself. He tries not to simply shower you with gifts as he feels like it’s not why you’re with him and he fears that you’ll think he’s trying to buy your affection, but he can’t help but think of you when he sees things he knows you’ll love or appreciate. He has a giving nature and if there’s a chance that what he’ll get you will be like a little slice of sunshine in your life or somehow make it easier, he really doesn’t care how much it costs.

Who worries more about the other?

You worry that Tenma pushes himself too hard, that his parents might have such high expectations that he’s going to burn himself out trying to reach them, but this evens out more as you grow older together. Tenma’s quite mature even if he can be emotionally stunted at times and you’re there for him in ways that his parents might not have been.  Tenma just has a daily set of worries when it comes to you that are more basic in nature, like wondering if you ate properly that day or if you had a restful sleep that night; you tell him he acts like a mother hen often but you don’t really mind as it’s his own way of showing he cares about you. You worry about each other a healthy amount but you’ve both learned to be open and honest with each other. Tenma still struggles with wearing his heart on his sleeve but if it’s you, he knows you won’t take advantage of him.

[bubbletimestories]

Imagine : You hide in Bucky's ship to escape a violent family

* You are well-educated, in a almost rich family. You live with one of your parent and their new spouse but the latter hates you with all their might. They often beat you and your back is covered in whip marks.

* Your country is helping another in a war and you usually spend all your time at the hospital, helping the nurses, taking care of the soldiers

* One night, your step-parent goes to a ball and you decide it's the good time to run away. You don't really know where but you have to leave now, it's your only chance. So you cut your hair, maybe dye it and leave in the night.

* You decide to hide in a boat, thinking it will lead you in a better place, wherever it is. However, you are quickly discovered, after the ship left the docks, by a young lord named Sir James Barnes.

* He's from your country's ally (let's say England but it can be any other country) and has to bring important papers to a general to win the war. Seeing you in the hold, scared and huddled, he thinks you are a teenager or a child and brings you in his cabin.

* You decide to tell him you are an orphan and you are going to England to live with your sister who's gonna take care of you. James believes it and decides to 'protect' you during the travel.

* Even if he treats you like a young girl, you feel happy with him, safe and deserving some kindness.

* You are actually wise and patient, he's surprised by how mature you are and he has pleasure talking with you.

* He likes to call you "Doll", "Little woman" or other names and he lets you calling him 'Bucky'

* One night, a terrible tempest exploses, surrounding the ship, prepared to break it in pieces. You try to stay calm as James runs on the deck, giving orders, helping here and there. A terrible night.

* When the weathers calms, Bucky returns in his cabin and applauses your courage before falling on a chair, exhausted. His head is bleeding and you gently take care of him while he sleeps. You clean the wound, put a bandage.

* When he wakes up, James is surprised to see you nursed him and tried to make sure his stuff is not too damaged. He thanks you warmly and make sure you are fine after that awful tempest. He promises you to be your protector until you are safe in England.

* The ship is totally broken, stuck on a sand band and it's impossible to move. While the valid ones are trying to repair, you show your nurse talents with the broken leg of a sailor or changing Bucky's bandage even if he sometimes forgets. The crew likes you but the supplies are diminishing and the water too.

* An enemy ship arrives after a few days and James feels they constitute a high danger. Giving you important papers to hide in your corsage, he makes you jump in the sea while the pirates are still far away, following you to swim as fast as you can to the nearest land.

* You succeed to reach the land but no time to breath, you need to hide and quickly. You arrive at a camp but it's the enemy's. Bucky decides to join them discreetly and you steal an old uniform for him. For now on, you are his young sister and he's a wounded soldier who can't speak.

* Your plan seems to work, nobody pays attention to you two and you decide to follow the troups cause they're meet the english ones. It's a thin chance to be saved and you both know it's very dangerous. You walk all day long, your feet are bleeding, you are starving but keep going. James is impressed by how brave you are, never complaining, stealing some food when you can, still taking care of his bandage.

* Every night, you find a dark corner to rest and fall asleep in his arms, you two hugging tight to be warm.

* One night, as you are kissing him goodnight, you find his lips and not his cheek in the dark. He says nothing but you blush violently. Your first kiss.

* After days and days of walking on rocky paths, hearing your stomach screaming and not really feeling your legs moving on their own, you and the troups reach a mountain. Taking advantage of the fog, James runs to the english camp, taking you in his arms when your body is not responding anymore.

* Seeing a man with a french uniform arriving, soldiers are ready to shoot but Bucky explains quickly who he is and goes to meet the general. You are finally safe.

* The general makes sure you two are well-treated, giving you a few men to bring you to the next city with a ship ready to go. James can shave and you gasp seeing him so stunning and confident, even if his blue eyes are still so soft. For the first time in years, you have a new dress.

* However, you feel sad cause he's only seeing you as a child and you know your ways will part once you'll reach England. Himself feels quite sad at the thought he'll loose his little demon, that so impressive and brave girl who saved his life.

* On the travel to England, you think a lot about telling him the truth but words don't come easy. You simply decide to enjoy those last moments, hoping you'll stay with him forever. The only place you feel safe is by his side now.

* Your ship arrives and you take a big breath, ready to say goodbye even if your heart is heavy. But as you prepare to leave, he catches your hand, looking at you seriously.

* "You have nowhere to go, right ?"

* He can see clearly in your heart that you have absolutely no plan, no family to take care of you. You two spent too much time together, he feels a special bond, maybe like a big brother for a young sibling.

* You just can't lie correctly and just stay silent. James reminds you he promised to be your protector and guides you to his manor, just the time to find a solution.

* In the excitement of the moment, you jump at his neck and you two kiss without realising it. It breaks something, you two just can't act casually anymore. Coldy, he asks you to never talk about it again but he'll try to find you a good place to live. Away.

* As soon as you are in the city, a beautful woman arrives and jumps in the arms of James, blushing and babbling happily about his return. You discover with horror that he has a young woman he's about to marry. Nothing official yet but...

* She's always there, catching his attention, already speaking about sending you in a convent or a school (so you are well-educated, of course, not to push you away). You feel Bucky more distant, especially after your kiss. You already think you're gonna loose him forever.

* Except that one night, a storm starts raging, blowing like the terrible tempest you survived. You cry in your bed, trying to find sleep and finally decide to grab a candle and walk a little bit. Opening the door, you see Bucky ready to knock. He was worried you would be scared too.

* You sleep together, as when you were hiding, feeling truly at peace in each other arms.

* When morning comes, James wakes up first and smiles seeing you sleeping soundly on his chest. Then he sees the scars on your back, the marks of suffering. He realizes he doesn't know a lot about you except you are orphan, brave and strangely wise for your age. Something tickles in him, a doubt.

* Days pass and you feel unable to tell him your secret. On the other hand, he starts feeling more and more confused in your presence. He can't be feeling something else than a platonic love for you. You are a child.

* One day, he decides that the best solution is to marry the woman who's always turning around him. He goes to her, ready to propose.

* But he can't. James just can't stop thinking about you. You, the little woman who saved him, so brave, so wise. He runs to the manor, to you.

* "Y/N, I know you probably will refuse but I love you. I love you more than anyone and I'm ready to wait years for you. So...when you will be older and if you want me, I would be honored to make you my wife."

* Your shock is complete, you stay breathless and Bucky understands it as a refusal. It's quite logical. But as he's ready to leave, you shake your head and call his name.

* Your voice is weak but words flow more and more easily as you finally reveal everything about you, making all the lies between him and you vanish. You are a woman, a woman who loves him deeply.

* First, he's shocked but feels....relieved ? He had not impur thoughts for a child, he saw the woman in you without realizing it. A burden leaves his heart and he takes you in his arms, making you turn and kissing you.

* Bucky keeps his promise : he becomes and stays your protector, for better and for worst. Free from your cruel past, you can now live fully and enjoy every moment.

* The end ?

[asoftervirge]

between the salt water and the sea strands

RATING: PG, may increase as the story goes on PAIRINGS: R. Sanders/P. Sanders (main); T. Sanders/OMC (mentioned)

FIC WARNINGS/KINKS: Drinking, Near Death, mentions of drowning FIC SUMMARY: Roman, a young sea captain, is rescued by a mysterious person

TAGLIST: @backatthebein, @levy-the-b00kw0rm, @ierindoodles, @rosesandstuff, @notveryglittery, @patchworkofstars (if anybody else wishes to be tagged, please let me know!)

CLICK HERE IF YOU READ IT ON AO3 INSTEAD!

“And we’ll roll the old chariot along, we’ll roll the old chariot along, we’ll roll the old chariot along and we’ll all hang on be-hind~”

Roman smiled as he listened to his crew finish their shanty before clanking their tankards loudly and raising them to the high heavens, then laughing jovially as they spilled beer and ale onto the deck of the ship. He didn’t mind it of course, as he had his fair share of being a sloppy drunk and spilling everywhere. Besides, the ship’s deck also had her taste of sea water, blood, and fish guts, so a drunken sailors’ mess is just something else that makes her unique.

The young man made his way to the front of the ship, gracefully maneuvering around the swaying sailors that are mere seconds away from collapsing, gazing out at the view in front of him. The night’s sky was black and dark gray with no stars twinkling amidst its thick clouds, while the water that surrounded the ship was a eerie mix of dark green and blue. With how beautiful it was, it was hard to tell where the sky ended and the sea began.

He inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of salty water and feeling the cold wind blow harshly in his face, then exhaled slowly opening his eyes as he did so (which he didn’t even know were closed in the first place).

“Lovely, isn’t Logan?” he asked the mysterious person walking up to him from behind. He knew it was Logan due to how loud his footsteps were against the deck. That, and Logan wasn’t much of a drinker of ales and beers, stuck-up wine connoisseur.

“In seascapes and literature? Yes. But actually going out on a sea-faring travel? I’ll pass, thank you.”

Roman pouted. “You’re just a ripe old fuddy-duddy, aren’t you?”

Logan pondered that thoughtfully. “No. More like, someone who’d rather not become a victim of the sea’s cruelty and become feast to the creatures that call her their home.”

“In other words, a fuddy-duddy.”

“To each his own, I suppose.”

Roman groaned and dragged Logan closer to him. “Look at her, Logan! How can you call her cruel? She may be a wild thing, but she still as her moments of peacefulness!”

“And we have yet to see that since we left earlier this afternoon,” Logan reminds him, completely focusing his attention on un-wrinkling his sleeve rather than at the sight of the sea in front of him. “Remind me again, why we’re still out here? You know what your Father said—”

“That I shouldn’t be out at sea when it’s dark and dreadful out,” Roman mocked while rolling his eyes which, in turn, made Logan roll his. “Listen, we’re not that far off from port—”

“Nearly 20 nautical miles.”

“—My men are happy—”

“Because they’re drunk to the gills with beer and singing shanties.”

“—So why not enjoy the sea just a little while longer?”

“Firstly, a storm is on the horizon, so it would be best to sail back to port now. Secondly, I don’t understand how you became a thalassophile in the first place. You always liked riding your horse across the mountains, yet you suddenly develop a love for the sea a few years ago. How is that?”

(Truth be told, Logan knew the answer, and Roman knew he knew the answer.)

Roman had always loved the sea. Ever since he was a child, he always called the sea his second home. He loved her personality, her energy, the way she caressed the shore of the beach on her good days, and raged with fury on her bad. The way she stretched on for miles and miles. Empty, open, free. He loved the feeling of the wind blowing in his hair, the salty spray on his face, the sound of the waves lapping against the side of his ship and crashing in his ears.

He’d grown up in the capital city of Alexandria, which was also the largest port town in the country. You would think as someone who grew up near the sea, he would eventually get tired of it, but he never did. He didn’t have the heart to, his love of the sea remained to this very day.

His father Thomas was an actor in a theatre troupe, while his papa Alejandro was a sea merchant and a sailor. Whenever his papa came home from his travels, he would always tell little Roman story after story about what life was like on the sea, the places he had sailed to, and the people he had met during his trades. It would always bring a excited sparkle to the boy’s eyes, proudly declaring that he wanted to travel the sea with his Papa one day.

Unfortunately, that day never came because Alejandro was killed in an unexpected pirate raid when Roman was a small child. While Thomas wanted to forbid his son from going out onto sea, that only increased his desires. He couldn’t stand being so close to his calling, yet he wasn’t able to answer her. From morning to night he could hear sing beckoning to him, yearning for him to control her tempestuous nature and explore her mysterious, adventure-bound waters.

(And bless Poseidon, Amphitrite, Triton, and any other deity of the sea that gave him that opportunity.)

Being from a sea port town, he was used to having the occasional visit from pirates, usually making trades or wanting to get smashed at the drinking house, rarely did the town get pillaged due to it’s importance in sea trading, but that doesn’t stop pirates from being idiots.

One night, Roman and his boyhood friend and future navigator, Logan Faraday, found a young pirate captain swindling the residents out of coin and weapons, along with any other trinket they happened to have bet on. That, was when Roman decided to strike. He decided that he was going to challenge the captain to a bet; this time, through a coin toss. The rules where simple: if Roman won, he’d take the captain’s ship. If the the captain won, he’d take Roman’s most prized possession, a necklace that his papa gave him before he died.

Roman chose heads, the pirate captain chose tails. The coin landed on tails, yet it was Roman that was the real winner.

(Let me explain, both Roman and Logan noticed the captain cheating during all of his challenges. With Logan’s knowledge, and Roman’s papa teaching him about pirates and gambling, they were able to figure out the captain’s trick. Even one as petty as swapping a real coin for a fake.)

(With a chill and humbled smile, the captain surrendered his ship to Roman. Turns out that the young pirate captain was secretly hoping someone would notice his cheating so he could give up his life as a pirate. Wasn’t all that fun for him anymore. Fortunately, he managed to find fun with his handsome, sellsword of a husband.)

And that, was how The Crimson Prince was born.

“You do happen to know The Salt-Water Poems and Ballads, by any chance?” Roman asked after a long period of silence.

Logan quickly snapped his head towards him, the redoing of his cufflinks coming to a screeching halt. “You mean the book of seafaring and maritime history poems by John Masefield?” he asked, making sure he heard Roman right. Once his friend nodded, he only guffawed (not that he would admit that) and exclaimed, “Of course I do! It is, after all, the only poetry book you’ve ever read in your life.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “Then you know what I’m going to recite.” he tells him, standing proudly now, pretending to hold a tankard in one hand and gesturing to the sea in the other as he begins to quote:

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by; And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.”

Logan sat down, not actually caring about how dirty his clothing will get, and propped an elbow on one of his knees, resting his chin in his palm. He couldn’t help but shake his head fondly because even if he’s heard Roman recite this poem hundreds of times over the years, he secretly loves hearing Roman loudly proclaiming his love for Mother Nature’s cruelest mistress.

“I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.”

Logan gave a miniature applause when Roman finishing reciting (even if he intentionally leaves out the third verse). Roman smiled and bowed dramatically, laughing heartily as he helped Logan to his feet.

The sea was his home; she loved him and his father as they loved her. If there was ever a life he lived where it didn’t involve the sea, it wasn’t a life worth living.

A flash of light suddenly made the sky glow for a second and Logan grew worried. For as much as Roman loved to talk about the sea’s beauty, he knew she held as much fury as she did serenity. Logan knew her wrath as well as her comforts, her storms as well as her gentle waves, and he knew to fear the darkening of the skies above and the enlivening of the water below.

He knew to avoid the sea’s wrath— and he knew how hard it was to escape it.

“Roman,” he began calmly, not wanting to raise alarm in his friend and captain. “Now do you believe me when I say we should head back to port?”

Roman nodded. “You’re right.” he said, quickly making his way back to the ship’s helm. “Alright men, enough lollygagging! Get sober quickly and raise the anchor, we’re retreating to shore!”

Soon, rain began to fall across the deck in sheets of freezing cold, and violent waves tossed the ship from side to side; Roman shivered as he clung to the ship’s wheel to keep from tipping the boat over, his knuckles stark-white as he desperately tried to steer out of the raging storm. Logan stood to his side, snapping rapid-fire commands to the crew below, his grim face illuminated by the lightning crackling above and his sharp voice carrying over the deafening rumbles of thunder.

Roman shoved his dripping hair from his face and grit his teeth, yanking the wheel to the side. The ship rocked dizzyingly beneath him as the ocean battered it from below with all her might.

Crack, boom!

He whirled around, a desperate cry tearing from his lips as lightning suddenly slammed into the deck, sending his crewmates, his family, flying. The rain fell but did nothing to stop the flames the lightning left behind, growing bigger and more monstrous with every inch of Roman’s ship they devoured. As the embers flew and the heat licked at Roman, he turned and gripped the wheel once more, desperate to steer them out, to save them…but it was too late.

The water filled his lungs the moment he fell beneath, and though he chocked and struggled, he couldn’t find the surface in the midst of the chaos, couldn’t escape the darkness and the whirling, churning waves. The sea engulfed him at all sides, sending him tumbling, and darkness crept at the edge of his mind as the sea dragged him below.

He’d always known he belonged at sea, and now, like his Papa before him, he was coming home.

When Roman finally regained consciousness, his head hurt and lungs burned from the salt water he coughed up, he heard a singing voice. A singing voice that sounded like it belonged to an angel, hymnal and otherworldly, but he couldn’t understand any of the words. He considered it to be one of the most beautiful voices he had ever heard. He blinked wearily, the high sun shining directly in his eyes, wanting to see who the enchanting song belonged to.

Vaguely, he could see the silhouette of his savior’s face, the sun illuminating around their face, almost like they were carrying a halo. Due to this, he first believed them to be Papa coming to take him to the Great Kingdom in the Sky (he wouldn’t have minded that if he was honest). He gave them a gentle, appreciative smile, but before he could uttered a word of thanks or even a question as to who they were, they disappeared.

“W-Wait! P-Please!” Roman’s voice was raspy and it broke a little when he called out to them. He began pushing himself upward, ignoring both his head and body aches as he tried to stop the person from leaving. When he had fallen into the ocean, he was certain he was sinking to his grave, but here he was, still alive and breathing. All thanks to this mysterious savior who wished to remain just that, a mystery.

When he was finally able to sit up completely and all sunspots had left his vision, they were gone, no sign of them whatsoever. He frowned as he began to look around, wondering where they’ve gone.

For a few moments, Roman was afraid he imagined the entire scenario…but here was no way he could’ve come up with something that creative, could he? But if he did…why did their sweet voice and warm touch continue to linger in his mind. Why did it seem so realistic?

The young captain’s overthinking was soon interrupted by another voice calling out to him, followed by the loud crunching of footsteps on the sand.

“Roman!” the familiar voice yelled. “Thank the Gods you’re alright! We thought you’d died!”

A pair of hands carefully grabbed his shoulders as their form came into his field of vision. As soon as Roman was able to fully recognize their face, an enormous sense of relief washed over him as he let out a shaky breath.

“Logan,” he whispered hopefully, becoming overwhelmed with emotion. When he was thrown off the ship, one of the other thoughts that flooded his mind (aside from his Father and Papa) was Logan; how his beloved friend and navigator was also to meet a watery grave because of his pride and stubbornness. “I…I’m so sorry!”

“Shh,” Logan soothed softly, his voice strangely calm and gentle. Even if it went against his usually cool demeanor, he pulled Roman into a protective embrace. One that showed that everything was alright, and that he was alive and feeling Logan’s warmth encompassing him. “We believe you drowned. Some of our crew tried to aid you, but the currents were too strong. How did you manage to swim against them, surely your nose and lungs would’ve been filled with water.”

“Someone…someone saved my life.”

“Oh?” Logan asked, voice tinged with curiosity as he looked around the cove. “If so, then where are they? And how did they manage such a feat?”

“I don’t know…they’ve gone.”

“I’m sorry?”

“They’ve gone,” Roman repeated. “I woke up to the most gorgeous singing I’ve ever heard— what it was, I don’t know since I couldn’t translate the words— and then I saw them, or almost saw them, but then…they were gone…”

“Roman, I’m sorry but that doesn’t make much sense.” Logan tells him. “Are you sure you weren't hallucinating?"

“Logan, you— you have to understand I’m not making this up!” the young captain protested strongly, glaring at his friend with firm eyes. “I saw them, I heard them! I know they’re real!”

“You nearly died from drowning. It’s quite common for seafarers to have hallucinations, especially when they’ve nearly drank themselves to oblivion." Logan placated, resting the back of his hand on his friend’s forehead. "You also know that we’ve heard similar stories at the bars we’ve been to, sailors saying they’ve been saved by mysterious folk to draw in a crowd.”

Roman growled and violently shook his head to the point where another wave of pain rushed to him. He wasn’t even drinking on the ship, Logan knew that! And why would he make something like this up?! He was known to tell an exaggerative story, but nothing of this scale and grandeur.

This person, angel, whomever, was real! The vague, sweet-looking face, the angelic voice, the feeling of soft skin lightly brushing against his own. It couldn’t have been a hallucination, Roman was convinced of that.

Where had they gone when he tried to thank them? How could they have disappeared so suddenly and without a trace? Who were they? Maybe it was Papa, Roman thought with a sad chuckle.

But if it was Papa, he would’ve known; he would’ve called Roman “his little hijo del mar” and affirm that “the seas have called us home”; he would’ve sung to him in a deep voice, rich with passionate experience, not light with a calm gentleness; and he would’ve held a guiding hand and led him to the Heavens. So who was it that saved his life?

“Come, Roman. Let me take you home. I’m sure Thomas is worried sick about you.” Logan wrapped his arm around his friend’s waist, leading him back to port. After a few moments of trying to convince Logan his story was true (and the navigator remained in denial), Roman begrudgingly ceased his protests and allowed himself to be lead home.

[ivoryribcage]

Story + 1

@ghostsandwhiskey | Send “Story + #” | ACCEPTING

PROMPT. The first meeting between our muses.

TITLE. The Bark on The Trees is Soft as The SkiesSETTING. OriginalCHARACTERS. Théodore Laurent (@ghostsandwhiskey​), Rithisak Aydelotte (@ireofembers​), Veata Aydelotte (@ivoryribcage)

SUMMARY. It is the silence that frightens her most.

It’d been ten months. The end of August would mark the passage of the first year since she’d woken in a world that had been reduced to nothing but herself. Her finger traced the red ink she’d used to help her keep track of the dates on the calendar. It’d been so sudden. One minute she’d been basking in her warm bed sheets. The next there’d been the screeching of metal and a cacophonous troupe of alarms blaring over each other. She’d stumbled to the window, and with her hand pressed to her mouth she had looked out in open shock at the streets that burned beneath her. In that second her sleep-addled brain had sworn the world was on fire. If only she’d known then the true horror that waited her outside among the wreckage.

Veata had lost track of the number of times she’d wished there had been bloodied bodies scattered in the streets. The carnage would have been unfathomable, but at least corpses were tangible. She hadn’t known how to explain it when after ten minutes no responders raced through the streets to reach the wreckage. The wailing of the alarms had made it difficult for her to focus, and in her distracted state fear had rooted itself. When she hadn’t been able to stand the din a minute longer she’d hurried out of her apartment. She’d been met with scenes that had mad no sense, but in the heat of the moment she’d discarded the thought of them to ponder later. The noise had needed to end first.

There’d been neither blood nor driver. Worse yet there had been numerous other crashes she hadn’t been able to see from her apartment. She’d hesitated no longer than half a minute before she’d reached into the car to remove the key from the ignition. The noise had lessened after, but only to the slightest degree. Veata remembered how frightened she’d felt then standing in the middle of the road as the world around her sunk deeper into its violent, unexplained ruin. It’d taken her the entire afternoon to silence the streets around her apartment, and in that time she hadn’t spied a single soul living or dead. There had never been one since either. She frowned at the printed number on the calendar.

She couldn’t be certain the count was correct. At some point during her frenzied escapade to silence the alarms from the countless crashed vehicles Veata had gone into shock. She couldn’t remember for the life of her how long she’d drifted between it and vehement denial as she’d paced through her beloved Bordeaux in search for other people. Her first coherent moment hadn’t come until she’d found herself near the ocean with her toes skimming the water as she sat on the edge of the cobbled path. Once Veata had believed the strongest form of grief a person could suffer was the grief experienced when a loved one was lost. It took time to process through the emotions. How long had she taken to grieve then an entire world lost to her?

People sought to define a reason behind the events that defined their lives. It was human nature. But as she’d matured Veata had departed from such a notion. The plain and simple truth was that very little happened in life for a reason. It was more a series of random coincidences that weren’t tied to each other through cosmic means. Even events that were viewed as tragedies or miracles occurred without reason. She’d perfected such philosophies over the course of her life, and yet in the face of her overwhelming situation she continued to struggle even ten months later with the concept that there might not have been a reason for the sudden banishment of the world’s population – or at the very least not one she would come to understand in this lifetime.

It’d taken time for her to learn how to coax herself from the precipice. Too often she sunk herself into the abyss, and in turn it’d driven her further into madness and the teeth of depression. In order to survive neither of those conditions could take hold of her. Not when she’d almost been killed once before. There’d been a point in time that for two weeks she’d barely left her bed though she understood the need to in order to function. If it hadn’t been for Muppet, her brother’s Great Dane, she doubted she would’ve found the strength to rouse herself. But Muppet had been dependent on her since the world had dwindled in human population, and her need for a caregiver had kept her breathing until the worst of the storm had passed.

In order to survive she needed to keep the storm buried. There was no ridding herself of it, but she could lessen its impact until the inevitable onslaught. With enough effort she could endure it though it didn’t hurt that she’d brought Muppet home with her after a thorough search of her brother’s house had turned no more than the then three-month-old Great Dane. Her breath hitched in startled alarm as she felt a firm, furred head nudging itself under her hand. She laid her palm flat on the Great Dane’s forehead, fingers scratching the space between her long ears. It wasn’t as if Muppet were a trained service animal, but sometimes she felt the canine could read her emotions – knew when she began to travel too deep into her thoughts.

Lowering herself onto her knees Veata pressed her nose against Muppet’s short jowl. “I know,” she reassured. “We’re going to leave soon. I just needed a minute.” The Great Dane turned her head to bump her nose against her cheekbone. To look at the bond the two of them had built a person would be hard pressed to believe that she’d first met the canine with disinterest when her brother had revealed the impromptu addition to his ever growing family. Veata scratched the length of her neck in long strokes. She didn’t think that her mind would have survived intact for as long as it had if it hadn’t been for Muppet. She pressed a kiss in the space between her eyes before standing. At her heels the Great Dane followed after her as she gathered their supplies.

Her hand hesitated on the rifle laid out on the table before she hung it over her shoulder. Ten months should have been long enough for her to accept there were no monsters lurking in the shadows, but Veata hadn’t been able to rid herself of the notion that something watched her when she walked the streets. Even during the peak of summer there’d been countless times her blood ran cold without prompt. Better to be prepared. It wasn’t as if there was a person left in the world that could judge her otherwise. “Let’s go for a walk, Muppet.” Veata watched as her ears perked at that single sentence then without warning as she bound several feet into the air before sprinting for the door. She pranced in front of it with a loud whine.

Out of habit she locked the door before the pair of them exited the building. There were countless habits – looking in both directions before she crossed the street, turning off electronics that weren’t in use, removing her shoes before she entered a house – that lingered though there was no longer a need for such ingrained behaviors. Muppet trounced several steps in front of her, familiar with the path the two of them would take during this hour. Routines had been another source for stabilization for Veata, and she’d found her stride after four months. There was some variation to prevent herself from becoming bored – different tasks that would require her attention in order for the location to remain sustainable – but mornings she dedicated herself to her studies.

It would have made her older brother howl with laughter to learn that she’d begun an academic regimen though the world for all intent and purposes had come to an unceremonious end. There was reason however behind her pursuits. It hadn’t taken long for Veata to learn that though she was bright in terms of her learning her common, practical knowledge lacked severely. She’d passed the Bar Admissions Course in the top fifteen percentile, but she wasn’t familiar with the methods of self-reliance. She was too practical a person not to think she would need those skills in the future. To learn through written word though wasn’t the same as to learn under tutelage, but it was the best she could manage given the circumstances. Practice would have to be enough.

Her tail wagging Muppet ran to greet one of the local dogs. She’d released numerous former pets during her frantic searches of a number of buildings for other people, but it hadn’t been until weeks after the shock had passed that Veata understood what she’d done. Since then she’d gathered as much food as she could from different pet stores in the area – swallowing bile down as she passed the animals that hadn’t had the fortune of her bout with blinded desperation – to feed them. It hadn’t been long before the evening offerings bought her into their good graces, and Muppet a number of new friends. For this reason it didn’t catch Veata off guard when the Great Dane began to bark out of sight after rounding the corner. 

She didn’t know how to make sense of the scene that waited for her when she turned the corner – didn’t know how to process the stranger that stood on the sidewalk as Muppet sniffed with furious interest at him. This morning Veata had thought the worst thing that had happened to her was the unexplained disappearance of the world’s population, but it struck her as she stood there dizzied with nausea that the worst thing that could have happened to her was the emergence of another living person after ten months spent alone in the world. He was taller than her with thick shoulders and tanned, muscular arms. His hair was brown. There was an unmistakable mole on his cheek. His features were aged and weathered. Most important of all: he wasn’t real.

Veata had thought she’d had her mental facilities under control. But the man that stood in front of her couldn’t be more than a hallucination – a conjuring of the heart that ached for the social scene she’d once thrived in. He wasn’t real. “Muppet.” Her voice cracked over the name, but it was enough to capture her attention. Without hesitation she bound to Veata, but rather than praise her the woman found herself rooted in place as the man’s eyes turned to her. Blue. It should have left her ecstatic. Not petrified. Her heart began to thunder in her chest. She felt like she was going to be sick. He wasn’t real. The man cocked his head at her, his expression blank of emotion. If he were real he would’ve had more of a reaction to her. Wouldn’t he?

Her hand pressed against the rifle hanging at her side. She’d only just learned how to fire it correctly after countless hours of blind practice at a shooting range, but she wasn’t skilled enough to shoot him before he could reach her at such close proximities. Did she want to shoot him? It didn’t matter. He wasn’t real. But what if the stranger was? The nausea worsened as her thoughts turned in bounds and leaps to the countless horror stories of the terrible things that could happen to a woman in the world. There were no social constructs protecting her. Not that those had done much good to start. Curious Muppet pushed her head under her hand, but it stirred no reaction from the woman. He wasn’t real. 

She flinched when the man made the slightest movement. One of his eyebrows raised at her – it was the first hint of emotion she’d seen in his face since he’d taken notice of her – before he turned to lean over the open hood of a truck. Had that been there the entire time? Veata didn’t know – couldn’t remember whether she had seen it idling behind him or if in her shock she’d conjured it like she had him. If he were real wouldn’t he have had a similar expression of shock like her? But rather than that he was tending to the truck. With a loud snap steam curled in the air, and he grunted a low, inaudible noise in response. “Muppet,” she whispered a second time though the Great Dane had not wandered from her side since the first time she’d called her.

Much like what had happened when she’d first woken ten months earlier the situation was proving too much for her to handle at once. Her thoughts warred between the belief that she’d begun to sink into madness and the fear that the man wasn’t a figment of her imagination. Both prospects rendered Veata shocked, and neither boded well for her. She did then what she had done the first time: withdrawal into a state of shock that wasn’t helped in the slightest by his flippant response to her presence. The entire situation felt as surreal as a dream. Was it a dream? She could feel his eyes stealing glances at her over his shoulder. Her hand hadn’t moved from the rifle. Muppet pressed her head hard against her leg.

Her eyes didn’t move from him as she took a single step back. He did nothing in response though she couldn’t be certain he had noticed. Was it a delusion? Veata took another step backwards, and Muppet followed with her head cocked. She paid the Great Dane no heed. Her soft whimper however must have caught his attention as the stranger stood straight. He removed from his back pocket a red handkerchief, and began to wipe his hands clean of the grease that coated his skin. Over his shoulder their eyes caught once more for a single moment. At this angle she could only see half of his face, but he looked to be almost concerned. His mouth opened and from it he spoke a question that sent shivers racing down her spine.

When she turned her back to him the man did nothing to stop her. She listened for the sound of footsteps as she began to walk back the path she’d come from, but silence – the silence of human absence – was all that sounded behind her. Veata chanced another glance back to find that the man stood half turned over his shoulder to watch her leave, his expression of befuddlement plain to see. She didn’t look back a second time. Instead the woman focused herself on the simpler details of things she knew to be true – of a grounded understanding that if she walked one foot in front of the other she would move a certain distance with each step. The fear didn’t fade though the further she walked, and she soon found herself hugging her middle with violent shaking.

Veata didn’t know how long she’d walked for before she’d started in on a sprint down the street with Muppet not far behind, but she didn’t slow despite the stitch in her side and the cumbersome burden of the rucksack and the rifle. Her arms pumped as she passed the familiar park she’d often visited with Rithisak and his two children – passed the ice cream parlor she’d frequented at least once a week with her sister-in-law when she and her brother had been part of this world. Veata pushed herself until she could hear nothing but the wind that whipped her face. But even the phantom memories and the pounding of her own heart couldn’t drown out the words of a man she couldn’t be certain was real or imagination.

“You need some help?”

[lifeisthemostwonderfulfairytalex]

Meet The Anderson’s: Chapter 11

Hey guys! It's been a while (very nearly 2 years!) and for that I'm extremely sorry. I've said it several times before in the notes of this story, including in Chapter 9 but I really need to learn to back up my stuff :/. Unfortunately after the last chapter my laptop completely died and I lost absolutely everything to do with this story an any other ideas that I had at the time. I did find the motivation to write some one shots and a story for the Blaine Big Bang but this story became a real sticking point for me. I couldn't seem to get the boys right and it was really annoying me which led to me losing any motivation I had to get this finished. Over the last few months though I've received a few messages about the fic and @forabeatofadrum wrote an awesome oneshot about the boys during the 2016 Klaine advent (go read it I've left the link at the bottom the boys are dead on!). Between that fic and the messages I've received I found my love for these boys again and have managed to create a timeline and remap out the whole story.

Hopefully there are some people who are still interested in this story even though it's two years later and Glee is long over now. Anyway I'm going to try and finish this off this time and I definitely have everything backed up several times over! Hope you enjoy and as ever let me know what you think.

Part 1   Part 2    Part 3    Part 4    Part 5    Part 6    Part 7    Part 8    Part 9    Part 10

Chapter 11: Sing It For The World

"That's it! I give up, it is impossible to choreograph these guys!" Bentley glared around the group of glee club boys in particular, Blaine's shoulders shaking with the effort to keep in his laughter. "Nationals is in one week and you still look like a bunch of uncoordinated bumbling idiots."

Finn winced, "Benny we have to get this right. We can't lose our nationals trophy, not now."

Bentley mumbled under his breath, gaze sweeping around the sheepish looking choir group as the bell rang shrilly for first period. "Fine. Sam, Ryder, Joe, Sugar, Unique and Marley meet me in the auditorium as soon as lunch starts. Then all of you will meet me there after school and we will run through the entire choreography…again." Grabbing his bag from the floor he ran his hands through his fly away curls. "Look I can't sing for shit, but choreography? That's my game. I can dance up a storm and damn it I will pull all of you kicking and screaming along with me if I have to. We'll go all night if we have to."

"All night?" Artie whimpered watching Bentley and Kitty sweep out of the choir room door.

Blaine shrugged, well aware of how serious Bentley could be when it came to choreographing. He had watched numerous 'dance troupes' that Bentley had thrown together fall apart due to Bentley's growing frustration with their inability to pick up the moves fast enough. His brother never did quite understand why other seven year olds weren't also natural dancers. Sighing he grabbed his own bag, heading for his AP History class with Tina and Artie in tow. One more week and they would be in LA. One more week and Glee club as they knew it would be over forever, only the seniors last Nationals competition currently stood in their way.

Blaine trembled slightly as Jean Baptiste and the members of 'Throat Explosion' marched past the New Directions, each of them smirking and hollering as they went. The rest of the glee club stood in shock, mouths dropped open, watching their competition stride confidently for the elevator bank that would take them to the hotel rooms they were staying in.

Mercedes was the first to recover, coughing loudly and levelling each of the younger New Directions with an intense stare. "We have got to beat them."

"And we will…looks like we have our own cheerleader," Artie sniggered, watching the tall boy saunter across the lobby towards them, pulling off a pair of black Ray Bans with a grin.

"Kurt!" Blaine yelled, launching himself at his boyfriend and instantly locking lips with him, shooting Bentley the finger when the boy started fake gagging behind them.

Mr Schuester cleared his throat quietly, eyebrows rising when the two boys ignored him. Shooting Finn a look, he motioned towards the two teenagers. Finn raised his own eyebrow looking from his brother to Mr Schue and back again. Finally understanding what the older man was asking he shook his head vehemently, marching to the desk to check the group in. Mercedes shook her head fondly at the two lovers before following Finn to ensure he checked everyone in to the right rooms.

"Blaine, you're erm, you're going to have to erm, share a room with the rest of the glee boys," Mr Schuester said firmly, finally gaining the attention of the duo when Blaine pulled away from Kurt with a pout.

Kurt glared at the older man, glad to no longer call him a teacher, before pulling away and sighing, wrapping an arm around Blaine's waist. "No good staying with me anyway," He smiled squeezing Blaine's waist lightly before releasing him.

"Why not?"

"Blainey! Benny!"

"Oh dear god no," Blaine groaned, whipping around to see a hoard of his brothers enter the lobby. Quickly doing a head count, he frowned when he noticed three missing.

Kurt laughed gently, "Yep the second I said I was coming I suddenly had an entourage gate crashing my room."

Tilting his head he turned to Kurt curiously, "Why aren't they staying with Cooper and Austin?"

"Cooper kicked me out," Austin's voice boomed across the lobby as he and Pippin rounded the corner wearing matching Hawaiian shirts and board shorts, completing their outfits with large wicker hats. Blaine shook his head when his head count now showed only Cooper missing.

"I wonder why," Bentley muttered under his breath, eyeing the older twins outfits up and down with a horrified look. He yelped when Blaine elbowed him in the side and glared at him.

"Why?" Sam asked, grinning at the twins and high fiving them each separately.

Austin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest, dropping onto the arm of the armchair Marley was sitting in and winking at the girl to make her laugh, Blaine smacking him round the head and glaring at him steadfastly. "Apparently he has a super important audition and I'd just be distracting him," Austin grinned at his twin and rolled his tongue over his lip ring. "That and Pippin landed last night and we may have pissed him off a fair bit."

"There we go," Kurt muttered rolling his eyes and kissing Blaine's temple quickly before going to greet Finn and Mercedes at the counter.

Bentley frowned, eyeing each of his brothers as they filled out the relatively large lobby. "That still doesn't explain why you're all staying in Kurt's room though."

Noah beamed and slung an arm around Bentley's shoulders. "In the defence of your older brothers Sunshine," Bentley stomped on his foot and threw him a dirty look shrugging out of his hold when Noah laughed. "Lijah, Luc and I have our own room."

"Why don't the rest of you have your own rooms anyway?" Elijah asked, glancing around at each of his younger brothers and Ollie with a raised eyebrow.

"To be honest we weren't going to come. We managed to catch the flight with Kurt last minute," Jude grinned.

Reed, Pippin and Austin glanced quickly to each other with twinkling eyes, "Ditto."

"Because you losers couldn't afford to get your own rooms at any hotel in this city last minute," Blaine grumbled rolling his eyes.

Pippin chuckled softly pulling Blaine onto the couch with him. "But little brother this is just so much more fun!" Blaine laughed softly, allowing his head to fall to his big brother's shoulder.

"At least we let Kurt have the bed!" Reed grinned bouncing down on Blaine's other side and snuggling into his younger brother.

"Thank the lord for small mercies," Kurt muttered returning to the group with Finn and a bunch of room keys.

"Okay so boys you're in 1012 and girls you're in 1007," Finn smirked, "And Mr Schue, Mercedes and I all have rooms between you so don't try anything." The glee club grumbled lowly collecting all of their belongings and starting to head for the elevators.

Kurt glanced to the pile of brothers curled up on the couch and on the floor surrounding the couch catching up. He grinned at Blaine still snuggled up between Pippin and Reed looking half asleep but happier than he had during the last six weeks of their Skype sessions. Kurt could easily say from experience that Skype sessions made no comparison to an in person catch up, especially for someone like Blaine who responded to physical contact. Tossing his room keys to Austin he shot him a grin and followed Mercedes to the elevator bank, planning to help her pick out her outfit for the competition.

Kurt yawned and stretched in the early morning LA sun. He had fully been intending to sleep in after his first night in the City of Angels. This should have been his first day with no early morning dance classes or early morning shifts at the diner, or early morning flights to New York from Ohio, in almost two months. Sharing a room with Blaine's brothers though it had quickly become evident that Pippin and Austin's synchronised snoring, coupled with Jude murmuring in his sleep, was going to leave no chance of sleeping late before the competition. Kurt attached his iPhone to his armband and placed the ear buds in his ears carefully. He took a deep breath of warm salty air before starting to jog along the beach, the shimmering Pacific Ocean crashing on his left hand side and the 'Wicked' soundtrack blasting in his ears.

Spotting a familiar head of spiked up black hair a mile into his run Kurt glanced to his watch, raising an eyebrow when he noticed it was still only seven thirty. Veering to his left, he jogged towards the young man and dropped onto the warm sand beside him chuckling as Reed jumped a mile into the air.

"Jesus dude. You gave me a freaking heart attack," Reed sighed, running a hand through his hair as Kurt pulled out his ear bud.

"I'm sorry what?"

Reed just glared at his brother's boyfriend, muttering to himself and returning to running his hands through the sand. Kurt eyed him closely, taking in the deep purple circles under the newly turned twenty year olds eyes and the paler than normal complexion.

"So do you want to tell me what's going on Reedy?" Kurt smiled softly, nudging the slightly older boy gently with his shoulder and lifting his sunglasses to the top of his head. "You look like you haven't slept in a week at least."

Reed chewed his bottom lip nervously eyes, staring out at the endless water stretching out before him, the waves muting the noises of the wakening city that lay beyond the beach. Sighing loudly, he turned to face Kurt, smiling softly when Kurt followed his lead, their crossed knees touching as they looked at each other.

"Is it seriously clichéd if I say that I'm confused?" He asked, eyes boring into Kurt's, hands twisting together on his lap.

Kurt reached out and took one of the young mans shaking hands in his, "I would say confused about what but I'm pretty sure you've been battling this for the whole six months I've known you."

"Has it really only been six months?" Reed asked wryly, tearing his eyes from Kurt's when the blue eyed boy raised an eyebrow at the attempt to change the subject.

"Sebastian?"

"Yeah," Reed murmured, releasing a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. He placed one hand over his heart, feeling it racing at the simple mention of the Dalton boys name while his chest felt like it was starting to untangle from the knots that had built up over the last few months of his worrying and fretting. "Sebastian."

Kurt smiled gently, squeezing Reed's hand. "And what about him?"

"I think I'm in love with him Kurt." Reed's lost coffee coloured eyes, so much like Blaine's that Kurt felt the tug on his heartstrings, searched Kurt's understanding ones pleading silently for help. "I don't understand." Reed pounded the sand in frustration, "And we had a hell of an argument two weeks ago and I haven't spoken to him since. I miss him Kurt." Reed's voice cracked with the last statement and he blinked rapidly trying to clear the tears flooding his vision.

Kurt reached out and carefully took hold of Reed's other hand. "What did you guys fight about?"

Reed shook his head laughing harshly, "It was stupid really, well probably not I guess." He drew in a shaky breath, "Bash asked what he was to me and I couldn't give him an answer. He hung up and hasn't picked up the phone or answered any messages since, but I know he was over at your house the other day because Benny messaged to ask why he looked like shit."

"Much like you," Kurt smirked, grinning when he earned himself a sharp chuckle from Reed. "If you think you're in love with him what's the problem?"

"I've never felt this way about a guy before," Reed ran a quivering hand down his face. "I've only ever been with girls up 'til now, not that any of those relationships ever lasted long at all, or that there have been many of them."

Kurt tilted his head to the side, "Have you ever found guys attractive before now?"

Reed snorted lightly, "I was fifteen when Blaine came out to us and I had Jude and Ollie around not long after that. If you don't think I've heard every argument you could possibly hear about why Zac Efron or Leonardo Dicaprio are ridiculously hot you must be dreaming." Eyes flickering over to the ocean Reed smiled softly at the memories of arguments that had floated around the dining room table once Blaine and Jude had both come out, each of their brothers more than eager to give their own opinions on the celebrity of choice that month. He was definitely thankful that at least some of his family was as progressive as the brothers were.

"And your opinions on that?"

Reed shrugged, "Not my type." He smiled softly, "But I did always have a slight thing for John Mulaney from SNL... and maybe Andrew Garfield if he had green eyes."

Kurt chuckled softly, well aware of who both of those celebrities looked like. "You know your brother taught me something once Reed. It pissed me off completely at the time and caused a massive argument between us but that was only because I was jealous and he was going on a date with Rachel Berry." Reed's eyebrows shot into his hairline and Kurt chuckled softly, shrugging good naturedly, and ignoring Reed's unasked question, "All I wanted at that point was for him to be mine."

"That's all you still want now."

"Oh absolutely," Kurt nodded, fingers finding the necklace around his neck and fiddling discretely with the ring attached to it, "forever if I get my way, and I make sure I get my way these days." Reed laughed softly and Kurt beamed at him. "But he told me 'you fall in love with a person, not with a gender' and he was right. I mean sure there has to be attraction and I guess that's what truly ends up separating everyone at the end of the day. I mean some people are attracted to men, some to women and some to both. It's as simple as that. It's people butting in with opinions that really shouldn't matter that complicate everything." Kurt frowned slightly, his own fingers running through the cool sand. "I don't try to understand it but you know I can't say that if Blaine were a girl I'd love him any less than I do. I may not be attracted to him, but I'd still love him and he'd still be my best friend."

"I kissed him at the twins birthday," Reed whispered with a small smile.

"Uh-huh and how was that?"

"Magical."

Kurt laughed softly, "Boy you've got it bad."

Groaning Reed fell backwards onto the sand. "I know. That's part of the problem."

"Honestly Reed, I'm not sure I'm the person you should be talking to all of this about but I'm honoured you did choose me and I think you guys should give this a shot," Kurt grinned standing up and dusting the sand from his shorts. "I honestly don't think I've ever seen the two of you happier than when you're together."

"I need to talk to Bash." Reed sighed taking Kurt's hand when it was offered letting Kurt pull him to his feet.

"Yep you do, but right now we have to go and wake everyone up and watch your brothers kick some ass at Nationals."

"Damn straight," Reed chuckled, "And Kurt?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Kurt grinned, tying his sneaker and throwing Reed a look, "Race you back to the hotel!" He shouted before taking off, Reed hot on his heels feeling lighter than he had in months.

"We won, we won, we won, we won!" Bentley and Sam chanted bouncing around the tiny hotel room and nearly hitting the entire Glee club and Anderson clan on the head with the large Nationals trophy they were tossing back and forth.

Elijah grabbed the trophy as it sailed through the air again, placing it on the ground and glaring at the two teenagers until they sulked off to the corner pouting and pulling faces at Elijah. Rolling his eyes, Elijah barricaded the Nationals trophy against the desk and threw a dirty look at the pair. "You guys may have won but we're going to end up in the ER with somebody's eye poked out if you keep throwing that around." The duo stuck their tongues out at Elijah and went back to pulling faces at him when he laughed.

"I can't believe how good you guys were," Noah grinned, reaching over Tina and attempting to ruffle Blaine's gelled hair. Blaine squeaked and dove behind Kurt and Brittany, glaring at his smirking older brother.

Lucas yelped as Blaine accidentally pushed him into Jake and Marley. "Okay this room is way too freaking small to handle all of these people."

"No kidding," Finn muttered glancing around the overcrowded single room filled with extra blankets and pillows for all of the boys currently sharing the small room.

Pippin and Austin glanced at each other eyebrows raised, "Party time!" They whooped, jumping in the air and nearly knocking out Kitty and Unique in the process.

"And where exactly do you idiots suggest we do that with a ton of minors in tow?" Lucas drawled with a shake of his head.

"Party at Cooper's!" Austin yelled, eyes sparkling.

Lucas sat up on the twin bed with a grin, "Let's get out of here."

"Sleepover at Cooper's!" Noah yelled, leading the charge back to other hotel rooms to pack a small bag.

"Cooper's going to kill us," Elijah chuckled, scrubbing his hands down his face, "He specifically said he needed quiet."

"Lighten up Lij," Bentley grinned, slinging his backpack over one shoulder and his other arm around his older brother, leading him from the room. "He said the important thing was today which is why he couldn't come to Nationals. SO anyway I need to go bitch him out for missing my awesome choreography." Elijah rolled his eyes and pushed Bentley out of the door laughing and chasing him up the corridor to his own room.

"Mr Schue's going to be mad," Finn sighed. "I was supposed to keep them all in line."

Mercedes snorted, folding her arms across her chest, "Like he's even going to notice Finn. Let's face it Mr Schue's a bit preoccupied in any case. I haven't even seen him since they announced the winners."

"I feel like that happens at every Nationals competition," Kurt muttered, pecking Blaine quickly and following the mass exodus from the boys' room.

"Bentley I need you to tell me everything you know about art!" Cooper yelled charging into the living room and screeching to a stop in front of his younger brother. Conversation in the room ceased as the gaggle of teenagers and young men turned to stare at Cooper staring at Bentley with wide eyes.

Bentley pulled his flannel trousers over his feet and looked at his eldest brother with inquisitive eyes. "Coop, I'm about to study art and photography at Colombia. What I know took a shit ton of time to learn and would probably take even longer for me to teach you."

"Can you give me a crash course? I'm begging you Benny," Cooper dropped down to his knees in front of his brother, throwing in the puppy dog eyes for good measure.

Rolling his eyes, Bentley leaned back against the overstuffed armchair and looked at Cooped through half lidded eyes, knees still drawn up to his chest, "Seriously Coop why the sudden interest?"

"I just really need to know, in particularly what you know about art forgery?"

Eyebrows raising into his curls Bentley smirked at Cooper, Austin and Pippin suddenly joining him on the arms of his chair. "Thinking of a career change Coop?"

Cooper sighed, growling in aggravation. "Please Benny. I'm desperate."

"Hey Pip, hear that," Austin grinned at Pippin over the top of Reed's head.

"Why yes Aus I believe I did just hear Cooper utter those fatal words," Pippin beamed back at his brother, Cooper groaning and placing his hands over his face.

"He's desperate," The twins crowed together.

"Benny boo our advice would be not to give in until you see how far you can get with this first…"

"Get him to drive you anywhere you want while you're here," Pippin interjected.

"Ooh or take you to all the theme parks in the area…"

"Do your laundry for at least a year…"

"Buy all your take outs for a year…"

"Aim for a holiday somewhere really far away…"

"I got a role as a world renowned art forger!" Cooper yelled, cutting the twins off before their suggestions could get more out of hand.

The room dropped into silence once more before all of the brothers let out whoops of joy and leapt on top of Cooper. Others present in the living room had the good sense to dive out of the way of the growing pile of laughing Anderson brothers.

"Seriously Coop?" Noah grinned.

"That's awesome!" Elijah frowned suddenly whacking Cooper's arm and glaring at him, "Why the hell didn't you tell anyone?"

Cooper chuckled softly, "I really, really wanted this one guys and I just didn't want to jinx it. Let's face it, I'm not the best actor in the world."

"So this is why you've been so much of a pain in the ass lately!" Austin snickered, ignoring Cooper's glare.

Blaine rolled his eyes, elbowing Austin sharply in his side. "Coop, you're better than you think you are," He paused, tilting his head to the side slightly, "Just don't try to teach it again, that you're not so good at."

"So…what does the role entail?" Bentley smirked eyes twinkling, "And yes I will try to teach you as much as I can before you start filming."

"Okay so the show's called 'White Collar' and I play a guy called Neal Caffrey," Cooper's whole face lit up as he lamented what the role would involve to his fully entranced audience, his brothers thrilled Cooper had finally found a show that would last beyond one episode.

Cooper slowly trailed off, after he had described everything he knew so far about the show, eyes blinking at the other faces watching him from around his living room. His brow furrowed in confusion and he tilted his head mentally trying to count all of the teenagers and young adults camped out in his living room. "Wait why are there so many teenagers in my house?" He questioned eyes searching the glee club members and his brothers curiously.

The brothers each just looked at each other laughing lightly and sending a barrage of pillows at Cooper as he yelped and dove out of the way yelling at them to stop.

Cooper's eyes darted around the airport, desperately trying to keep an eye on each of his brothers to make sure that they weren't getting themselves into yet more trouble. "Damn twenty odd year olds I should've stopped having to do this when they were teenagers." Watching Austin and Pippin commandeer a luggage trolley he raised an eyebrow at them, shaking his head when they sheepishly stepped back from it again. "I hate airports," He sulked, watching Kurt and Blaine whisper to each other in the nearby chairs.

"Hey Coop?" Jude smiled shyly appearing at his oldest brothers side.

Cooper smiled, patting the spot beside him on the floor with a smile. "What's up Twinkle Toes?" Jude rolled his eyes with a small smile, sliding down the wall and resting his head on Cooper's shoulder. "I haven't seen you around much while you've been here."

"I'm not the one who was avoiding his family for three days."

"Point taken," Cooper laughed softly, leaning his head on top of Jude's curls.

"Seriously though Coop, congratulations you really, really deserve this."

"Thanks Jude. Now what did you come over here for?"

Slowly unzipping his carry on bag, Jude pulled out an envelope and turned it over in his hands three times, chewing his lip nervously before handing it to a curious Cooper. Motioning for his brother to open the envelope, Jude watched Cooper's icy blue eyes widen as he read the ticket in the envelope.

"You want me to come to your graduation?" Cooper grinned, knowing how hard Jude had fought to get more tickets than the two he had been allocated. The twenty two year old had been fretting down the phone to his oldest brother for the last six months over what he would do if he couldn't get enough for his family to be there. "Jude are you sure?"

Jude nodded vehemently. "Ollie got first choice in all honestly, and I genuinely think he wouldn't have hesitated to murder anyone else to get a ticket if I hadn't given him the first one," Jude frowned, shaking his head fondly as Cooper laughed. "But Coop…you raised me. Let's face it, from a ridiculously young age you gave up so much to help raise me, to help raise all of us. I'm not even sure I'd have ever even gotten into Julliard without your pushing. You were the one who first signed me up for dance classes back in Ohio…"

"Well I needed some way for you to release all the damn energy you always seemed to have."

Jude glared but laughed gently, "I want you there Coop."

"I'd be honoured," Cooper grinned, pulling Jude closer and holding him tightly. "So June seventh huh?"

"Yeah," Jude beamed, "At that point I become a fully fledged member of the New York City Ballet Company."

"I'm proud of you Jude."

"Thank you," Jude whispered, leaning his head on Cooper's shoulder again.

"Kurt!" Reed yelled, screeching to a stop in front of Kurt and Blaine, cheeks flushed and eyes shining.

"Damn Reed where's the fire?" Blaine snickered sleepily, his head tucked into Kurt's neck. Smiling at his brother, he leaned closer into his boyfriend and closed his eyes again determined to catch twenty minutes sleep while he was wrapped up in Kurt's arms.

"Kurt I called Bash!" Reed beamed manically.

"And?" Kurt grinned, sitting bolt upright to look at the ecstatic young man. Rolling his eyes at Blaine's whine of discontent he wrapped his arms tightly back around the teenager, smiling when he felt him nuzzle the ring hidden under his shirt before looking back to Reed.

"He's going to fly to Atlanta for the weekend," Reed jumped when his phone vibrated chuckling softly at it and swiftly typing out a reply. "We're going to discuss everything. I mean it's not a solution but…"

"It's a start," Kurt said happily, chuckling when Reed jumped at the overhead announcing the boarding of a handful of the flights that the brother's would be taking out of LAX.

Pulling Blaine to his feet, Kurt chuckled as he watched Blaine instantly be swept up into bone crushing hugs by his older brothers. Glancing to the side and seeing Ollie standing watching the Anderson's affectionately Kurt headed over to join him.

"They may be complete idiots but they sure do love each other," Ollie smiled, laughing as Bentley tried to escape the group hug only for Lucas to grab his collar and haul him back into the middle.

"Wait! We're missing something," Austin sighed pulling back slightly.

Pippin smirked when his eyes caught on his twins, "Group shuffle!"

"Oh no," Ollie cried trying to dodge out of the way and failing as the brothers grabbed the two closest extensions of their family and pulled them into the cuddle.

Cooper chuckled stepping back, "Right let everyone go before they miss their damn flights and I'm stuck with them for longer."

"Well that's just positively mean Coop," Pippin pouted, "Maybe I should try the comedy circuit in LA."

"Yes!" Austin grinned.

Cooper's face went slack and he shoved Pippin's carry on bag into his arms, "Hell no. You are getting on that flight to Chicago if I have to march you onto the plane and strap you down myself. As for the rest of you I will see you in Ohio on June fifth for the twins graduation."

"Our babies are graduating," Pippin and Austin each faux sobbed grabbing the younger twins who valiantly tried to fight them off.

"We're going straight from there to New York for Jude's on the seventh right?" Reed said still beaming at his phone.

"Erm guys, I couldn't get you all tickets," Jude murmured sheepishly, leaning on Ollie.

The brothers all turned to look at him, identical mystified expressions on their faces making the Glee club and Kurt laugh. "Julian Alexander Anderson if you think that's going to stop us from cheering loudly for you in the middle of NYC or taking you out for a celebration you are seriously deluded," Elijah chuckled.

"Yeah bro, any excuse to embarrass each other right?" Noah grinned.

"You guys are idiots," Jude said, hiding his face in Ollie's shoulder when his voice cracked.

"Right let's go home time for you morons," Cooper smirked, trying to push them all towards security, "You've all wreaked enough havoc on my city and it needs time to recover."

Part 12

So my aim is to update at least once a week from now on until the end hopefully. As it's mapped out Meet The Anderson's is going to have 22 chapters so this is roughly the halfway point and I have definitely learned my lesson and have three back ups of everything so far. Anyway here's hoping that there are some of you still interested in this story and please let me know what you think. Also totally go and check out Forabeatofadrum's story about the boys it's awesome and some of what gave me the enthusiasm to start writing the boys again. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it and there'll be another up next week!

[raindrenchedstories]

Brave little knight 1. Caught G/t

Set in the “A new home” universe.

    There was little surprise when the volley of arrows had sprinkled upward into his ankles. Hardly a pinprick. But it was a minor annoyance. Archibald did have to pick up his foot and remove the little thorns from the heal of his shoe. "Really now. Is this at all worth it?"

    Glaring at a small rabble of humans, Archibald considered the possibility of capturing the whole hunting party. Drag them off to the stores, get paid for the trouble's he'd found in collecting godroot. And probably cause the women, elderly and children of their little troupe to starve. These were humans, not elves.     They didn't attack out of malice, or hatred. They were simply frightened by him. Instead of getting upset, he should have taken pity. The blasts from the wars had done a great deal of damage on their people. Sending humanity back to the stone age in a matter of months.     Often they'd be trapped by giants looking for a quick buck and sold as pets. Those that did hunker down in civilizations would soon be hunted by the elves. Leaving the species in near ruin. Forcing them to live as constant nomads. It was a wonder these little fellows were brave enough at all to even stand near him.     Keeping that in mind. He simply discarded the little arrows near them, scowling. Taking a moment to recall what he'd learned from listening to William's little pet. Finally he formed a single, clear statement. "NO." Kneeling over the hunting party with his lips pressed in a thin line.     Many cowered back. All but one in a bit heavier garb. This one stood up taller, glaring right back. Making a show of being unafraid. This impressed Archibald a bit. A smile trying to tug free from him. But there would be no smile for the little brat today, only a stern expression.     Perhaps this one thought he'd distract Archibald. Giving the others option to escape. Or Perhaps Archibald had frightened off their little prey. For that he did feel a twinge of guilt. No many animals in the wood stayed around while his people were about. Usually figuring their steps to be small earthquakes.     It didn't take long for him to stand up and leave. His feet leaving deep impacts in the ground. Finally his amusement managed to leek free as the mountain giant could only laugh. "Brave little thing. Must be a regular along the trail. Probably seen me before." Half way down the trail, he took a left. Approaching a sort of mountain. Odd bits of stone growing off the sides at random.     This was a sort of dwarf ward. Keeping the tiny fellows from trying to populate the giants home. Though it still happened from time to time, he'd have an unexpected visitor. Generally someone trying to explore the area only to fall through his ventilation system. Archibald had put a one time falling spell on each vent in case of such emergencies. And all of them generally came with an alarm.     In a careless motion of the wrist, Archibald asked the very earth to move and re-shape for him. The mountain opening like a great maw to swallow the giant whole. A set of crystals on the wall lit up, allowing Archibald to gaze down the stairs forming into the stone. Slowly making his way down, Archibald returned to his home in the earth. Looking to have a good long sleep, adjusting his dragon bone glasses on the edge of his nose, back to the appropriate place. Ending a less than eventful day.     The night was another matter. Something made sound in his secluded mountain home. Small, scratching, and heading for him. Archibald chose to lay still in his bed. Waiting for the sounds to settle. Soon enough he felt a small tickle against his ribs. Scrabbling at the fabric on his shirt. Falling. And trying again.     It wasn't an elf. They tended to throw spells first. This, was more like a tall dwarf. Or, an orc? That would explain how they got in. But why didn't his alarms go off? While he pondered this, the being made it's way to his chest. Sliding down softly until they landed just on his neck. And that was enough.     With a snap of his wrist, the dull crystals in the cave lit up brightly. Stunning both him and the little monster on him. His left hand shot to grab at whoever was hanging off him and bring the tiny beast to view. However, the sight only brought more questions.     It was, in fact, A human. The one from before. A tiny sword was gripped tightly in two fists. Though it was shoddy in make, and rather frail looking. Archibald quirked a brow at this, holding the tiny man carefully in his hand. "Now... What brings you out here?"     His response was the little sword being plunged deep into his palm. Causing the man to yelp. He gripped the little jerk tightly enough to restrict movement, hissing in pain. It was all his restraint not to shout at the terrified little fellow. Who was now trying to cut his way through Archibalds hand with the restricted blade. It wasn't working, but the wiggling of the blade agitated the wound enough.     In a split instant, Archibald began casting a simple translation spell. Poking the humans forehead back with a grimace. Finally the incoherent shouting became actual words to Archibald. Though he was quite sure he didn't want to hear what this little guy had to say any more after the first sentence was translated.     "And drag your entrails across the path so non of your filthy over grown allies dare return!" The little man screamed out. This earned him a light squeeze as Archibald crawled out of bed. Making the trek to his kitchen and simply dropping the human into one of his spare glass cookie jars.     He removed the small sword from his hand hissing. It actually had gone quite deep, and left a decent mark on his skin. Definitely a band aid situation. The little puncture making him uncomfortable. Archibald flexed his hand in front of the human. "Now. Look what you did! Look at this! BAD."     The scolding did shock the little one. Only for him to fly into a further rage. "Look what I did? LOOK WHAT I DID? Are you even hearing yourself? YOU aren't my master, no one is. You've no right to scold me."     "You stabbed me! I think that's enough call to be upset! How'd you even get in here!" Archibald retorted. Anger starting to boil.     "I followed you. And if I'd had my way, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." The small man admitted. Though there was no trace of guilt in his tone.     "...You little prick." It occurred to him, the human was actively trying to slay him. Which did not sit well. Instead of getting angry, or even retaliating, however, Archibald took a deep breath. "Now, why, pray tell, did you break in my home in attempts to kill me?" He leaned on the table, staring in wonder.     The human only scowled leaning back against the glass. "Oh I don't know. Perhaps it's because your species literally kidnaps mine on a regular basis. My self included at one point."     To this Archibald perked up. He hadn't detected any spells on the little fellow before, but then, he wasn't looking. The man continued to speak while Archibald began scanning for any form of magic. "I only got out because the brute forgot to close a door during the sorting process. Taking men and women and transferring them into different cages. Small, wooden cages. Do you have any idea what it feels like to see that many of your own kind trapped like that?"     "You're talking to a war veteran. At least your kind don't need literal spikes running through their limbs." He sighed. The human pausing a moment. Before starting right up again.     "Those people were SOLD giant! Like slaves. No, actually not like. AS slaves. Now tell me how moral you are. My people don't have to take this shit." He kicked the glass with a fair amount of force. Enough to knock himself on his own ass, and give Archibald an idea.     Lowering a hand into the jar, he lifted the small ball of fury. "Well, I can't let this behavior slide. I understand your point, however. If you slay a giant, the hope is your people will understand they aren't helpless." He held the man carefully in his palm, smiling down somewhat. "But I have a better idea. Something you may hate now, but it will give you the result you're looking for."      With that, He covered the man with the other hand and focused. Spells worked their way into his skin, making the human squirm and yelp. Though they shouldn't have caused any pain. The spells slowly became a part of him. Soon after, the little man was placed on the table. Archibalds smile turning tender.     "What did you just do you...Over grown bastard" Clearly this human was running out of insults. Which made him all the more entertaining.     With a little chuckle, he spoke up. "Amusing myself. I'll take good care of you." With that, a small golden light flitted over the humans figure and sealed into his skin and clothing. The small man giving a horrified expression. He'd witnessed a claiming before. And clearly knew what had happened.     "YOU ASSHOLE!" He popped up on his feet screaming in rage. Archibald picked up a clear glass, regarding it a moment, before carefully lowering it over the human. Waiting out the storm of slurred expressions of rage.     "I told you, you wouldn't like it. My name is Archibald by the way." He took a paper and scooted it under the mans feet. Picking the little fellow up and placing him carefully back into the cookie jar. "I'll pick up some supplies for you later. Store's closed for now. And... We'll see about some proper spells to keep you safe. For now you're simply bound."      He'd also have to see about a proper cage, and a name for the little fellow. Placing the slightly thin being on a high shelf in order to prevent the nasty little thing from escape. He gave the little fellow one of his old socks. Clean, of course, but baring a large hole making it unusable. For Archibald, at least.     The sword was confiscated for the night and placed on the bed side table while Archibald returned to his bed. Setting his glasses to the side and closing his eyes. "Good night. Little human." His reply was a slur of hot, angry words. Ending in a useless threat. If that was how the little guy wanted to communicate, that was fine.     Archibald woke to the usual methods. The spell on his bed making the great stone slab move slightly. Archibalds bed was a wonder of magic really. Well, to him. Mattress held in place by stone claws. And able to tilt away from anything frail or easy to knock over. The earth giant had enchanted it himself, to wake him around the eight hour mark of sleep.     How it did this however, was a little abrupt. The mattress was slightly tilted. Giving him the option to wake. When he did not, it tilted more the incline making the blankets run off one side and leave Archibald bare and exposed. Still he refused to wake. Until finally, unceremoniously, The bed physically slammed the giant against the floor. Giving him a smack for good measure. A side effect of leaving items enchanted for too long. They had personality after a while.     There was a tiny yelp from the kitchen. Indicating to the now groaning and displeased Archibald that his charge was awake. In slow, steady movements, Archibald dragged himself up. Making a slow trek to answer natures call. And with that and a few steps in between, the Giant dropped a few raw ingredients into the glass with the human. "I see you didn't perish over night. That's good."     The man inside only hurled the first bit of fruit he could at Archibald. "Of course I didn't. You think I'd give you that satisfaction?" The man barked. He only received a shrug in response as Archibald reached into a sort of wooden box. Pulling a large hunk of what looked to be sandstone.     With a yawn beforehand, Archibald brought the stone to his lips, and bit into it. The boulder crunched easily under the pressure, shattering part way into the giants maw. Casually chewing away, Archibald brought the glass cookie jar down from the shelf. The contents of said jar now attempting to scramble up the farthest side away from the giant.     "A-are you....Is that a gods-damned boulder?" The man shrieked in thinly veiled horror. Archibald regarded the question a moment, before staring at the stone in his hand. He sighed and shrugged the comment off again.     "Yep. Just a light breakfast for today. Any how. What do I call you buddy." Before the man could answer with more insults or twice as many questions, he clarified. "If you don't answer with anything but your name. I will be renaming you. I'm thinking Flopsy." He gave a soft smirk soon after. Leaning his cheek on a closed fist.     The human only kicked the walls of the glass jar. Finally he spoke up. "May as well 'name' me. I know how magic works. You'll take my name and bind your sickening spells to it. And I won't stand for it!" He folded his arms, giving his back to Archibald. Who only hummed a little. Reaching to poke at the glass.     "True. But you DO realize I can just bind the name to you. Making that your true name. What ever your human name is, it won't hold any value to the spells." Archibald was already thinking of things his human would need for his plan to work. Protection spells were a given. Probably some falling spells.     Watching the human kick the wall and fall on his rump once more distracted him from his thoughts. But it brought another to mind. Something much more...personal. He reached forward and caught hold of the man in the cookie jar. "Speaking of which...We probably shouldn't dilly dally much longer. Right Flops?"     The man definitely made an effort to escape his grasp. Leading Archibald to place him between two cupped palms. Gold light radiated out from his hands. Covering the human in a few simple spells. When all was said and done, he held the man by the back of his shirt with a smile. "Shall we give these new spells a test?"     "What? Wait wh-" With that, Archibald let the man go. Confident enough in his own magic to know the human would be fine. If not a little shaken from the event. Sure enough, the man landed on the table. Unharmed. Though the distance Archibald had held him should have at lease broken a leg.     The man only fell backwards, landing in a sitting position. Clearly bewildered, before letting off the most indignant, horrified scream Archibald had ever heard. "What the hell have you done! I should be dead from that! What, I mean. Why? I-" Whatever arguement he'd had, the man let it die in a string of fragmented words.     "Simple fall safe spell. Most pets have it on them. Especially ones who live with kids. Just in case. You also have a few spells to protect you from becoming a little bloody pancake." With that, the man was placed back into the cookie jar. Confused, and clearly frightened.     While finishing his 'light' breakfast of sandstone, Archibald began doodling plans for the new guy's cage. Being the sort of giant he was, Archibald was able to shape mother earth herself to his will. Making the wall produce a sizable cage to hold the human with. Bringing a handful of sandstone out once more, Archibald crushed his palms together. Rolling the rocks quickly and finally making a sort of wobbly glass.     This he slid into place. Admiring his work a moment. The cage acted like a shelf, hanging off the wall neatly. Several rooms interlocked, and gave 'Flopsy' a need to climb, jump and work to get from one place to another. No easy ways. Unlike Williams spoiled little pet.     Archibald reached into the cookie jar one last time. "Right. Well Flopples, looks like this is it. Welcome home I guess." The man fought, screamed and kicked to avoid being put in the cage. Only for Archibald to pull the glass aside and place him on the lowest shelf.     "I'll be away for an hour or two. Need to get you all the good stuff. Bed, dishes, easy to make food because I can't- HEY!" In a mere second the little fellow had lept from the lowest shelf. Free falling with his hands up. In a mere moment, the little blond landed, falling backwards again despite his effort otherwise.     In a few seconds he was bolting for the nearest bit of furniture. Only for his plan to be thwarted. A good stomp from Archibald shook the ground far more than normal. Small shock waves knocking the human back onto his rump. Only this time, there was no getting up. A stone sort of birdcage shooting up to cover him. "DAMNIT"     "My sentiments exactly. I'm trying to be humane here Flops." Smoothly, the cage was lifted. Flopsy, as he'd come to be known, now keeping well away from the titanic hand delicately holding the stone prison. Carefully, he was placed back into the wall cell. Released from the birdcage easily.     The human, Neil, had lost all patience with his situation. Trying for a second escape only to be thwarted. The glass panel was placed back in its slot. "Humane!? You call imprisoning me humane?" He pounded his fists against the glass screaming in anger.     Archibald gazed down to this, but merely shrugged. "Well, back in the days of old, your people used to lock up criminals quite liberally. So I figure it's the best way to deal with the man who attempted to murder me." There was a sting in those words. Causing Neil to back off a little. Gazing into those hot gold eyes.     "Now, I'm going to the store. Be good and wait there until I return with your things." The mountain opened with little effort on Archibalds part, Leaving Neil to sit and contemplate his situation.

[eclecticpatrolsweets]

Give him a name

​​The pick-up desk met Baichuan again, he lost a lot of weight, and compared with memory, but also much younger.

​

No hugs, waiting for hours, little lost.

​

They take the subway, 1km, 2km, 3km, 4km, 5km... The train kept moving, there wasn't much language, there was a little little happiness.

​

Two people came to the hotel, the next day around, looking at the joy of Baichuan, Artu slightly feel the beauty of the sun.

​

Atu hope that Baichuan to his place of residence, in 2016 together to live, did not leave any good impression, this time to go home again, Baichuan should know their hearts.

​

"Where are you going?" "The question Atu didn't say, he waited for Baichuan's idea.

​

Wherever you go, I'm by your side, forever and ever.

​

If you do not believe, I have never lost who, if you want to fight, I will be blood-driven sun,my heart will blow the Red Army's command, the head on the head do not let go, my father from the army, whether he is well, I can afford.

​

That's my answer.

​

I don't know what you've been through, I don't know what it's like to be alive, I just know, for so many years, you're my brother, my family, 17-year-old sweded to meet someone.

​

A few days later the two flew back to work, returned to the familiar place, to open a new chapter.

​

"Where do you put the flag?" Arto asked.

​

"When the courier arrives, I'll put it here." Baichuan pointed.

​

"Oh, I had an idea when I was at home, and if I was penniless, the flag would be a place to be reckoned with after death. "

​

Baikawa didn't speak.

​

Baichuan let Artu cast resume, night, Artu will be cool mat to the roof, spread out, point incense, look up at the stars.

​

"Look, that's Orion, three stars. Arto pointed excitedly at the sky.

​

The feeling of Baichuan getting older.

​

In fact, whether you love or not, I will be by your side.

​

After moving, the lightning of the sky blew the wind in the posture of a thousand dragons roaring, Atu had nothing to say, he always did.

​

If you want to go, go. Atu also said, now just in mind.

​

Baichuan to go, hurried, Artu some sad: "Do you want me to help you?" "

​

"Don't! "

​

In the end, Artu still sent Baichuan to the driveway, Artu followed him: "After leaving, get married and have children, have a good family." "

​

Baichuan replied: "Dog bastard! "

​

Baichuan replied to the mood, back home.

​

Atu did not say anything more, deep lying, let the world change, his heart in the abyss.

​

In April, Baichuan sat on a small stool, viciously said: "You will be old will be miserable!" "

​

Atu looked at Baichuan, waves, peace of mind.

​

From the beginning of June to August 8, When He woke up on the 7th, his lower body turned red, and on the 8th, his hands were stained with bright scarlet peach blossoms.

​

The knife of the right hand rose against the wind, the tip of the knife was aimed at the zhu fin, the green dragon fire.

​

"This seat has two sides, one side of God, one side of the devil, if I am the same, there are three, respect the doctrine, caress the hearts of the people, strict law." "

​

Artu's eyes changed to "Xiao", said: "Jun has lost me, for the storm of the week." "

​

Three heads and six arms of my head.

​

The lotus flower slots behind

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Come back and I'll take your life.

​

Then the East China Sea

​

Gold Ring and Red Satin

​

Look at my golden sakura gun in hand

​

To be in this chaotic world

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Big open killing ring

​

In the distance came the sound of Buddha:

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South no conversion ten side to empty the boundary of all the Buddhas

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South non-convertten ten side to the empty boundary of all respect law

​

South Non-Convertten Ten Party Deflated All Sage Monks

​

......

​

After the calm, rain clear, the earth filled with the bloody smell of disaster, the debris is full of land.

​

Abone opened his eyes, and Ai's face was full of tenacity.

​

A bone gets up and looks around.

​

Ai had no language, a bone looked to Ai, and the child was asleep.

​

For a long time, the child woke up and cried.

​

Ai asked Abone, "You are the son of the leader, give him a name." "

​

"Take the rain! "

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"Good! "

​

Ai got up, grabbed the bone's hand, and held tightly, moving in the direction that should go.

​

"Find our people!" Ai said.

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"I'm your leader!" "

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"There's no doubt about it!" Ai held the child, clutching the leader's hand, raining in the background, the two back is Brazil's most majestic sun.

​

Take the toxoplasmosis of the rain

​

"You love her because your mind is not clean!" The emperor's minister sat high on it.

​

The tied Nayuda smiled with contempt.

​

"Medically, find that if there are toxoplasmosis in the head, will particularly like cats, mouse because they like cats, so the cat eat, that pickled woman will also eat you, I am a good heart, after all, God is merciful, he accepted so clean and clean people, you are very clean to go to the court, how can you fail God's mercy?" The minister said sympathetically.

​

"I don't understand what you're saying, And I don't want to live in your glorious city, I just want to take her away!" "Take Yuda's attitude is firm.

​

"You have defiled the holy church of the son of Heaven and must be punished!" "

​

Take Yuda was put on a platform, next to the odd flower big tied, her hair messy, face is tears.

​

"I don't regret believing you, I don't regret being your wife!" "Voices weakly.

​

Da Yuna has not too much strength, he looked at the powerless strange, exhausted the last trace of strength to look at the sky.

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During the execution, Dayouna saw a flag with a snake painted on it, its head facing the tail of the snake.

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"Elders! "Da Yuna finished, bowed his head, no breath.

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In the sky, suddenly appeared an eye, eyes burst with colorful speed of light, DaYuNa's body glowed, his body changed into a huge white dragon, whistling hovering over the ancient city of Pompeii, strange body red light, become a phoenix, with the white dragon chasing each other, white dragon and phoenix flying together.

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The giant eyes over the ancient city of Pompeii are approaching, becoming a planet, frantically smashing toward stomping on the earth.

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Drama, Zoo

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Hummingbird plays the role of Snow White on stage, waiting for The White Horse to arrive.

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Blue also learned to dance, and he performed on stage with his fellow troupes.

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With the applause, the curtain came to an end.

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"I think you're making a play that's too much of a feeling. Hummingbirds took their blue hands and rushed to the playground, where the rain was falling.

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Blue hasn't changed her show clothes yet.

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Blue looked at the hummingbird, his chest rising and falling.

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Blue couldn't help holding the hummingbird in his arms and kissing the hummingbird.

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For a long time, the hummingbird's lips left and said, "You are in love with me, I will sing in your zoo." "

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After listening to the hummingbird, Blue couldn't help kissing the hummingbird.

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Then the two left a tear, and the rain washed away the tears on their cheeks.

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That night, blue and happy sleep, hummingbirds take off a flower, put aside to sleep.

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The next day, the two got up early, the hummingbird received an invitation from the blue, the two happily pulled hands to the street full of lanterns.

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"I love the feeling!" Hummingbird said.

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"Me too!" Blue said to the hummingbird.

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"I don't want to think about the day of separation. Hummingbirds looked at the blue carefully.

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"I never thought about it. "

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"But now you're starting to think about it." "

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"We're not going to break up!" "

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"What do you promise?" "

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Blue looked at the hummingbird earnestly: "If the earth is difficult, then I take you to Mars, where we will have a very beautiful future!" I will do whatever it takes for you, and I will do everything for you, and I will hold your hand unless we both have the reasons and strength to separate..."

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Hummingbird blocks blue mouth with its index finger: "If that's the case, I won't resent you." "

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The two ate some steamed dumplings at the restaurant, and the amount of food was not too big.

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"You didn't eat anything. Hummingbird said.

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"Why do you think I'm going to eat a lot?" "

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"I've seen a lot of boys eat a lot. "

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"You didn't eat anything. "

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"Isn't all the girls you've ever seen eat a lot?" Hummingbird asked sharply.

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"I'm sorry! Blue smiled.

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"We'll go to the movies at the waittime." Blue said.

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"Yes!" Hummingbird said with a smile.

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In the street, hummingbird said: "It is difficult to meet the love of people and the right people in their lives." "

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"How could all of a sudden be so emotional?" "Blue doesn't understand.

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"There is a very old book, that story is also very distant, a heroine also called hummingbird, she was forced to marry an adult ceremony to a person she did not like, so the ship left, but found the zoo abandoned by humans. "

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"I will not abandon you, you are my forever zoo." "

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"Maybe you'll open a zoo on Mars." "

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"It's a good idea!" "

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"Do you think our story has an ending?" "

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"It's a pun!" "

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"Then say it." "

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"Hold my hand." "

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The hummingbird grabbed the blue hand, the blue held the hummingbird's hand tightly, and the two quickly rushed to the end of the street.

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By the bridge, blue hugged the hummingbird and kissed.

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"You'll always be my hummingbird." Blue said softly.

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He came to the pool.

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Chuan looked at the full of noodles, said: "The two of us, estimated that can not finish." "

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"It must be a no-go!" Let's eat together. Said, "I'm not going to be there."

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We all swept the noodles together and praised the deliciousness.

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A shake, 28 days quietly spent.

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"It's been 28 days and It's time for me to do an interview. Kawasaid to Yu Di.

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"Yes, it's been so long. "The flute stood up.

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"Follow me, " said the flute. "

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Sichuan followed the flute and came to a room full of paintings and other items.

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"You see i painted them all. The flute pointed to one of the paintings.

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"Well, isn't that me?" Chuan was a little surprised. "

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"Do you think it's good?" "

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"I'm not a professional, I can't judge. "Chuan stared at his portrait.

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The flute came out of the room, and Sichuan followed.

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The flute came to the edge of the pool, walked into the pool, and floated on the water.

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"I love you, not because of what you gave me, but because of the age when I need you most, you appear. "

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Gradually, the flute body became a metal structure, constantly self-disassembling.

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In the end, there was only a square robot that wiped the pool.

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Constantly wiping the rock walls of the pool...

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- Ghosts with few flutes --

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- September 2, 2019 at 18:23 -

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- Starting in 2019, the size of Mesa

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- Bi Yuyong Lake subway station​​​​