#tobias when i catch u

[littlemissemeritus]

um?????? the trailer is out in seven days what the fuck?????

im literlaly so excited i cant evej type ewjhdvsj

[teshadraws]

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Seekers of Soul

[Chapter 62]

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AO3 Link

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Nia and Tobias get some time to relax and check out Kaleido Bay before solidifying their plans to find Xerneas.

“Oh! Tobias, look at these!”

Nia knows this is the fifth time today she’s called him to her side with the same level of excitement, but she can’t help it! Kaleido Bay is just made for overeager tourists like herself.

Besides, Tobias doesn’t seem to mind her enthusiasm. He looks up from the other side of the merchant stall, dry amusement on his face, and wordlessly skirts around other tourists browsing the merchant’s wares to reach her side.

“What did you find now?”

Nia points out her newest marvel: little sculptures crafted out of shells and stones and chunks of coral. They’re lined up across the counter, depicting…Pokemon? Nia thinks they’re supposed to be Pokemon. They’re kind of silly-looking, though, with proportions that even Nia can tell are way off.

They remind her of something she’s seen in the human world, when her and her family visited the beach and perused the endless little shops made specifically for tourists. Shells and rocks and googly-eyes haphazardly glued together to form palm-sized sea turtles and fish.

Tobias cracks a smile, picking up what Nia thinks is supposed to be a pichu. “Didn’t know there was a water type pichu out there.”

“Would that make it a beach-u?”

Tobias barks a laugh.

Nia beams, pleased with her accomplishment. Her eyes linger on her partner, trying to gauge how he’s feeling as he looks through more of the silly figurines.

It’s been nearly two days since their fight with Dismas. Nia’s ribs are finally well enough to walk around—sore, with stabs of pain if she laughs or inhales too deeply, but manageable—so they’d decided to browse the tourist shops of Kaleido Bay before heading back to Will’s settlement. According to Tobias, a merchant cart willing to take passengers is scheduled to leave town in the early afternoon, so they should be able to hitch a ride with them then.

Tobias seems to be doing as well as he can be, considering the circumstances. Nia’s relieved by that. Her heart still hurts every time she remembers his cries the other night, when he wailed into her shoulder and grieved all that he had lost.

“I should’ve died with her. I couldn’t even avenge them! What good am I if I can’t even do that?”

Nia had fought off a burst of panic at those words, staying wide awake even when Tobias had eventually drifted off. She’d held him close with a lump in her throat and frantically wondered if she needed to do something more drastic to keep him safe from himself.

The next day he’d seemed more lost than actively interested in harming himself, but she still felt herself tense every time he drifted off into thought, eyes glassy and brow furrowed, or when he had to leave the room for a few minutes.

He’s still quieter than usual, and that makes her worry, but Nia also can’t help thinking some part of him seems…lighter, almost. Like a weight she’d never noticed him carrying has finally been lifted away.

Even the way Tobias is picking through the merchant’s goods is different. He’s eyeing them with actual interest, which she usually wouldn’t expect from him. She can’t tell if the change is just him trying to distract himself, or if he’s actually letting himself relax for once. Letting himself take in the world around them rather than charging after Team Zenith with no allowance for trivial things.

Maybe Nia is just overly optimistic, but she can’t help hoping something good came from Tobias meeting Dismas and learning the truth.

Tobias snorts, catching Nia’s attention again.

“Look. It’s the jerk from the prison.”

Nia looks at the little shell creature in his hands: a grumpy bipedal sea turtle, with a rocky shell. A carracosta, Nia knows now. Its eyes are mismatched, one higher than the other, giving it a ridiculous expression.

Nia laughs, then winces when the action sends a bolt of pain through her ribs. Tobias winces too, looking torn between apology and being just as smug about making her laugh as she was for him.

“I think I prefer this version,” Nia says, taking the little figure to turn it over in her hands.

It’s cute. Much cuter than the real version they’d met yesterday, at least.

They’d been expecting a visit from the officials at the prison after everything that went down, but Nia still hadn’t been prepared for the carracosta who was sent to inform them of the aftermath of Dismas’ escape and subsequent recapture.

The carracosta did confirm right away that Dismas was safely secured and had been assigned a constant guard for his transfer to an even higher security prison in Ghatha. After his little stunt with the shackles here in Kaleido, they aren’t taking the risk of leaving him alone before his trial.

Tobias’ relief had been palpable after that piece of news, his tight shoulders slumping.

Unfortunately, the agent’s tone had hardened immediately after.

—————————————————

“I do have a matter of security to discuss with you both.”

Nia sends a nervous glance Tobias’ way. He’s holding a poker face better than she is, but she can see the tension hidden in his spine.

The carracosta lets that heavy sentence sit for a moment. Then he continues. “D22 was a high-security prisoner. A D-rank team with no official connection should not have had the clearance to speak with him.”

Nia cringes. They’re not just in trouble, but big trouble. She’d half-expected them to be, with how they’d used Rosalind’s connections to blackmail their way into Dismas’ cell, but…

Well, this is coming back to bite them much sooner than she’d feared it would. Guilt and fear eats at her in equal measure, but she keeps her mouth shut, staring down at her lap.

She doesn’t want them to get in trouble with the law, but she also doesn’t want them to get in trouble with Rosalind. Nia doesn’t want to imagine what the hatterene would do if they sold her out.

Nia half-expects Tobias to lie and get them out of this, but he also stays silent, apparently deciding that such a game would be too dangerous with the authoritative carracosta.

The atmosphere in the room is stifling. Choking. Nia thinks she’s sweating under her fur. Can she sweat? She’s wondered about this before. She’s basically a dog, so she thinks she just sweats through her paws and—

The carracosta grunts. “I see you two are going to be just as stubborn as Jude.”

Jude. The drednaw they blackmailed to let them into the prison. Oh, jeez. What happens if no one talks? They don’t torture people for stuff like this, right? Do they throw them in jail?

Just as panic starts to bloom in earnest in Nia’s chest, the carracosta sighs.

“Fine. We aren’t going to push for a statement that would likely just be a lie.”

While the tone isn’t scolding, per se, and the words aren’t outright condemnation, the meaning is clear.

They messed up. They did something that bent the rules, at best, and the officer in front of them is well aware of that. Even if he can’t accuse them outright.

Nia barely resists looking at Tobias again, swallowing hard and keeping her eyes down.

She can feel the burn of the carracosta’s accusing stare. “Considering you weren’t the direct cause of D22’s escape attempt and you did recapture him, we’ll be lenient this time. Tapu knows he would’ve done more damage without your intervention.”

Nia holds her breath.

“I’ll be letting your guildmaster know to keep an eye on you two for suspicious activity, but we won’t actively restrict you from missions. Consider this strike one on Team Scarlet’s record.”

Nia finally lifts her head to peek at the carracosta, unsure how to feel. Part of her didn’t even think they could get a mark on their record like that. Could their Seeker status be revoked entirely if they got too many?

That thought carves a pit of shame in her stomach. They never should’ve worked with Rosalind in the first place. And they definitely shouldn’t have done something as low as blackmailing Jude, no matter what he might’ve done to get in Rosalind’s books.

Is he going to be okay? What if he gets fired from the prison for this?

Nia swallows back tears.

They might be the reason someone loses their job. And they’re going to have a mark on their record. That means August will know about it, right? She can already imagine the shame of talking to their guildmaster with that weight hanging over their head.

Tobias, on the other hand, seems relieved at the sentencing, apparently more aware than Nia of exactly how badly this could’ve gone. He nods. “Thank you.”

The carracosta doesn’t smile. He looks at the two of them for another moment, then simply turns to leave.

“W-Wait!” Nia says, unable to stop herself. She knows asking about Jude would be a stupid idea, and some cowardly part of her doesn’t really want to know. But there are two other Pokemon who have been on her mind ever since waking up here in the clinic.

The carracosta stops.

“The guards. The ones who escorted us into the prison. Are they, um…okay?”

The carracosta looks back at her, something in his sharp expression finally softening. “Miroslav won’t be on duty for a long while, but he’ll live. Toko’s injuries were minimal. She asked that I thank you both for making sure the two of them made it out alive.”

Nia melts with relief. It’s so strong it almost overshadows the guilt she’d been wrestling with before. “Thank you.”

The carracosta leaves without another word.

Nia and Tobias wait another minute in heavy silence. Finally, when they’re both convinced the carracosta is really gone, they exhale.

“Well, that was terrifying,” Nia murmurs, sweeping her hands back over her ears.

Tobias makes a quiet sound of agreement, pinching at his eyes. He looks like he’s thinking hard about something, so Nia watches him and waits while her heart rate slows.

Sure enough, he eventually speaks up. “We shouldn’t take any more missions from Rosalind. At least for a while.”

Nia straightens, surprise clear in her voice. “Really?”

Tobias had never flinched at the idea of working with Rosalind. Even after Asra, when Nia thought it was too dangerous to keep pursuing her leads, he’d been adamant. She would’ve thought that after Dismas, after Rosalind’s lead pulling through more than ever before, he would be even more stubborn.

Tobias huffs a laugh. “I know. Just…”

It’s clear he doesn’t know how to articulate what he’s feeling. Likely wrestling with the fact that they’d almost died—again—as well as the more severe consequences they just barely sidestepped with the law.

Whatever made him change his mind, Nia isn’t going to argue. “I’m fine with that. That guy was almost as terrifying as Rosalind.”

Tobias makes a halfhearted attempt at a laugh.

———————————————————

Even now, surrounded by happy chatter and the tropical beauty of Kaleido Bay, that conversation weighs heavy as stone on Nia’s mind. She hates going against the rules, and she hates getting in trouble. She hates that they have a mark on their record now, and that they’ll have to face August’s disappointed gaze without being able to explain themselves. She hates that they’ll likely never know how their interference affected Jude. Grumpy as he was, she still didn’t want to get him in trouble.

They’re supposed to help people, not hurt them.

Nia sighs, wincing as the motion strains her ribs. Then she shakes her head to dispel the gloomy thoughts. They can’t do anything about it now. She’ll just have to make sure they don’t hurt anyone else in the future. Especially not for their own gain.

Nia and Tobias wander away from the craft merchant’s stall, strolling through the city and taking in the sights. The salty breeze is balanced out nicely by the midmorning sunshine, and the sky overhead is a deep blue that makes the surrounding ocean shimmer. The bright buildings and even brighter merchant stalls are eye-catching and cheery, making for the perfect distraction from anxious thoughts.

The Pokemon crowding past them are clearly in high spirits, too, chatting and laughing with one another as they shop. Families corral excited children who are grasping sweets in sticky paws, and friends nudge one another to point out their next destination. An adorable couple passes by them, linked arm in arm. Mid-conversation, the taller one dips to give the top of their partner’s head an affectionate nuzzle.

Nia smiles at the gesture, then looks at Tobias. To her surprise, he’s also watching the couple, brow furrowed. Nia tilts her head at him, and he quickly glances at her before looking away, face warming as he hurriedly points out the next stall.

It’s a familiar little shop, and Nia perks up. “Oh, the glassblowing shop! Can we look around for a bit? I didn’t really get the chance the other day.”

Tobias nods his agreement, and the two of them split up to peruse the wares carefully laid across the counter of the building’s wraparound stall.

Last time, a blue monkey Pokemon with long, curled hair atop her head had been behind the counter—a simipour, according to Tobias—but this time around the merchant is a stoic-looking fire type, though he too looks strikingly monkey-like. He’s orange like Tobias, with a long fire-tipped tail and intricate blue markings over his eyes. A monferno, Nia thinks.

Nia doesn’t pay him much mind, startled instead by the little blue monkey also flitting about behind the stand, pulling herself up to be able to see over the counter and talk to customers. She’s just a kid, clearly, but for a moment Nia feels a phantom pain on her upper arm, under where her scarf is tied. They’d fought a panpour once before—an outlaw—and for a moment seeing such similar features throws Nia for a loop.

But this panpour is much smaller, and the spitting image of the simipour Nia had spoken with days before. There’s none of the outlaw’s malice on her cheerful little face, and the blue of her fur is a darker hue than his.

Nia manages to pull her eyes away, instead focusing on the beautiful glassworks on the table in front of her, shining and sparkling in the sun. After a moment of hesitation, she dares to pick one up to see it more clearly.

It’s a Pokemon—a seahorse of some kind. Unlike the wonky proportions of the shell figurines they saw earlier, this statue is intentionally styled, the curves of it elegant and acting as a perfect balance to the sharp points of its frills.

Nia carefully puts the statue back, eyes scanning the pieces until she stops at one of the more abstract works. It’s the color that she notices first, a turquoise blue that matches Nia’s aura almost perfectly.

It’s shaped like a flame, or maybe a drop of water, with wisps of glass curving upwards and intertwining with one another. The thinner ends are almost transparent, and the thicker base has incredible depth, blue like springwater.

It’s gorgeous. Nia hesitates before picking it up in her hands, running a thumb over its smooth surface.

She really, really wants to buy it. Maybe she’s just a sucker for souvenirs, but it’s so well-crafted and it feels…personal, almost. Like it was made for her.

Nia examines the little price tag tied around it, frowning. She can afford it, surprisingly, but it would clear out her personal funds entirely. She doesn’t think she can justify spending that much. What if she needs that money later? Or what if Tobias needs it for something that his own funds or the team’s can’t cover?

Nia reluctantly puts the statue back down.

“Aw, I really like that one!”

Nia looks up, surprised to lock eyes with the little panpour. She has her arms crossed on the counter from the other side of the stall, a grin on her face.

“I helped Dad make that, y’know!” She adds, clearly proud.

Nia blinks, glancing over at the monferno. He’s on the other side of the stall and talking with Tobias, who actually seems to be responding willingly, if not a bit awkwardly. His arms are crossed over his chest but his expression is open and oddly attentive.

Man, Nia really wants to know what he could be talking about so happily with a stranger. Maybe he feels more comfortable because they’re both fire types?

But Nia has her own conversation partner.

She smiles at the little monkey. “It’s gorgeous. You did a great job on it!”

The panpour smiles wider, showing off sharp fangs. “I know! Is it just too expensive for you?”

Nia shrugs with a regretful smile. “A bit.”

The panpour doesn’t seem offended, thankfully, just nodding in response. “I’d ask Dad to give you a discount, but he’s real strict about that kind of stuff.”

“It’s a fair price,” a deeper voice calls, and both Nia and the panpour jump, looking over at the child’s father. The monferno is walking over to join their conversation, and he ruffles the poof of fur on the panpour’s head as she shrieks with laughter.

“I-It is!” Nia agrees. “I’m just a bit tight on money right now, unfortunately.”

Tobias trails around the stall after his fellow fire type, stopping at Nia’s side. He tilts his head, scanning the goods. “You wanted to buy something?”

Nia gestures at the blue flame-like statue with a smile. “Isn’t it pretty?”

Tobias picks it up, just as delicately as Nia had. “…It is. Good craftsmanship.”

“You didn’t answer before,” the monferno says gruffly, looking at Tobias. “You interested in glassblowing?”

To Nia’s surprise, Tobias hesitates. He glances at her, as if embarrassed, before nodding. “Couldn’t do it myself, but it’s impressive.”

“Why not?” the panpour chirps, pointing. “You’re a fire type. You have good hands for it.”

Tobias looks uncomfortable, shrugging. “Don’t have time to learn. I’m a Seeker.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to be a Seeker forever!” the panpour says brightly.

The monferno grunts in agreement. “You don’t have to make a career of it, either. Let me know if you’re ever interested in learning and I can help you get started.”

Nia blinks, surprised by the generous offer.

Tobias looks equally thrown. “Really?”

The monferno shrugs. “Sure. Not many fire types ‘round here for me to pass the craft on to. Just don’t go stealing my customers.”

Tobias laughs at that. “Don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”

“It’s all practice.”

Tobias hums, staring down at the glass piece. “I’ll…think about it.”

Tobias ignores the surprise that Nia knows is written all over her face. He idly looks at the glass flame’s price tag himself before putting the piece back on the table. He glances at Nia. “You ready to go?”

Nia’s eyes linger on the statue, but she shakes her head and smiles. “Yeah. Let’s go before I make an impulsive purchase.”

The two of them say goodbye to the merchant and his daughter, trailing farther down the street.

As soon as they’re sucked back into the crowd, away from prying ears, Nia looks at Tobias. “I bet you’d be good at it, you know. If you tried it.”

Tobias snorts. “Glassblowing?”

“Yeah! You’re already good at guitar. Like that girl said, you have the build for it.”

Tobias’ mouth twists. “…Let’s save the world before we start looking for new hobbies.”

Nia wilts. He does have a point.

Tobias frowns, looking her over. “You okay? We can take a break.”

Oh. He must think she’s getting tired. He isn’t wrong, per se—the constant ache in Nia’s ribs and the tense way she has to hold herself IS exhausting—but that wasn’t what she’d been thinking about.

But if he doesn’t mind…

“Could we rest? Just for a minute.”

Tobias nods, looking around before leading them to a little island of shade in the sea of sun. It’s cast by a large bush of flowers, taller than they are, and the little wall containing the plant is the perfect size for them to sit on. Nia eases herself down with a relieved sigh.

Tobias stares at her, brow furrowed. “You’re supposed to tell me when you need a break.”

Nia gives him a smile. “I don’t need a break. It’s just nice.”

Tobias rolls his eyes. “Well then tell me when it would be nice to have a break.”

Nia bites back a laugh. “Will do.”

Tobias nods, then leans against the wall as well, the two of them falling silent to people watch. Tobias fiddles absentmindedly with the satchel looped around his shoulder, sharp claws kneading the fabric like a cat. Adorable.

Minutes later, Tobias suddenly straightens up. “Hey, do you mind waiting here for a minute? I’m gonna, uh…go back and get that monferno’s name. Just in case.”

Nia blinks. “Oh! No, go ahead.”

Tobias nods, mumbling that he’ll be right back before slipping away into the crowd. Nia watches him go, relieved that he’s still thinking about the future and what might make him happy down the line. She’s been worried about that more than ever after his breakdown the other night.

Satisfied, Nia tilts her head back to close her eyes and enjoy the weather.

It doesn’t feel like long at all before Tobias returns, readjusting the satchel on his shoulder.

“Hey!” She greets. “Did you get his name?”

Tobias freezes. “Yeah. He’s, uh. Rico.”

Nia gives him a funny look. “You don’t sound super confident about that.”

Tobias doesn’t answer, instead looking her over. “You ready to walk again? We can wait here a while longer if not.”

Nia shakes her head, slowly getting to her feet. “No, I’m good. You sure you don’t want me to take the bag for a while?”

Tobias grabs the bag almost protectively, glaring at her. “You’re not carrying the bag when you have a cracked rib.”

Nia lifts her hands, palms out, in a peace offering. “Okay, okay! Don’t worry, I’m not gonna steal it from you.”

“Good.”

Nia shakes her head, smiling, and follows Tobias back into the thick of the market.

They spend the rest of the morning that way, drifting through town and browsing the shops. They even stop for lunch at a delightful little cafe with a clear view of the ocean.

By early afternoon, Nia is exhausted and more than ready to get off her feet. Tobias checks the sun’s positioning in the sky before leading them first across the bridge to shore, then along the hot sand of Kaleido Bay’s beach.

Finally, they reach the path they took when arriving here, where the sand meets firmer soil. A merchant cart awaits there, with a giant Clydesdale-like Pokemon the color of clay at its front and a kecleon checking the cart’s contents. Tobias pays the little chameleon for a ride back north, then leads the two of them to the back of the cart.

Tobias climbs in first, then helps Nia up into the cart. Nia sits as soon as she’s in, collapsing back against some bags of…grain? Rice? Whatever it is, the bumpy texture is welcome if it means she can lean back and relax her sore ribs.

Two other Pokemon, lone travelers by the look of them, also climb into the cart shortly after, giving Nia and Tobias a cordial nod before finding their own places to sit.

Tobias settles down next to Nia, eyeing the strangers for a moment before deeming them innocent enough for him to relax, too.

Nia doubts he’ll be able to sleep, though. After a moment of deliberation, and figuring that her worrywart of a partner would just tell her to take the chance to rest anyways, she tilts her head back against the bags to close her eyes.

Nia falls into a light doze, somewhere between asleep and awake. The bumpy movement of the cart as it starts up and travels along is strangely soothing, and must nudge her closer to Tobias, as warmth spreads through her side and the faint scent of her partner wreathes around her. He doesn’t protest, though, and the soundtrack of their journey—the faint rustle of the winds through dry grass, the rhythmic hoofsteps of the horse Pokemon pulling the cart, and the quiet conversation of the other travelers in the cart—becomes a wash of white noise.

Nia barely registers that any time has passed before she’s being nudged awake. She lifts her head, blinking against a haze of sleep. “Hm?”

“Time to get off,” Tobias says, looking amused.

Nia makes a quiet noise of protest, but doesn’t put up her usual fight since she knows the rest of the caravan is waiting on them.

Nia pushes herself to her feet, wincing when the motion pulls at her ribs. Yawning, she clumsily follows Tobias off the cart, accepting his help without a thought.

The trail back through the tall grass to the mesa in the distance seems both impossibly long and strangely short. Nia shakes off her clumsy, half-awake steps as she goes, needing to be alert for the climb up to the cliffside village.

It’s sunset when they finally arrive back at the gates to the human settlement.

Slate isn’t the one guarding the entrance this time. Instead, a bipedal yellow lizard Pokemon with a sun-like collar and black scales covering his head and neck greets them with easy familiarity. Nia remembers seeing him around the settlement a few times before she and Tobias left for Kaleido, so the lizard must recognize them in turn.

Even with her nap on the way here and the walk up the mesa, Nia is still trying to shake off the last dregs of sleep. So it takes a moment to register when a familiar voice yells at them from above.

“You’re back!”

Nia startles and looks up. Junie dives at her from the nearest rooftop like a tiny, feathery comet.

“Wait, don’t—!” Tobias shouts.

Even though some part of her knows it’s a bad idea, Nia can’t just not catch Junie. So she opens her arms, and Junie barrels into her, making Nia stumble back with a yelp. Tobias’ hands steady her.

“She’s hurt, you idiot!”

Junie immediately flails out of Nia’s arms to flutter in the air in front of them. “What?!”

“I’m fine,” Nia says, trying to smile instead of grimace as she straightens up. “My ribs are just a bit sore.”

Junie’s face falls. “I’m sorry, Nia! I should’ve checked first but I was just excited and—wait.”

Oh boy. Here it comes.

Junie looks between the two of them with angry suspicion, fluttering just a bit higher to be at eye-level. “You got hurt. I told you not to get hurt!”

Tobias sighs, arm still looped loosely around Nia’s back. “Our visit to the prison didn’t go as planned.”

“Ya think?! I swear, I can’t leave you two alone for a second! I was getting worried since you weren’t back yet and I knew you got into trouble, but I told myself, ‘No! It’s only been a couple of days! How could they possibly find trouble that quickly?’ Like a fluffy little—"

“Junie!” Nia says. “Breathe.”

Junie’s beak clicks shut.

Nia wordlessly holds out her arm as a perch, like a hawk handler she remembers seeing at the zoo when she was young.

Junie hesitates, but after a moments she settles on Nia’s arm, nearly weightless. Nia thinks she sees her feathers trembling.

“I’m okay,” Nia soothes.

“You’d better be,” Junie grumbles. But the words are weak, no bite behind them at all. She turns her glare on Tobias next. “You hurt too?”

“No.”

Nia frowns at him.

“Ugh, fine. It’s just my side. But it’s already mostly healed.”

Tobias lifts his arm to show where fresh bandages sit plastered across his side after Dismas snagged him with a claw.

Junie doesn’t look pleased by how casual he’s being. “You two are walking disasters, you know that? C’mon, let’s get you some food before you keel over.”

Junie flaps back into the air, giving them another quick scan as if to assure herself they’re in one piece. Then she nods and leads the way to the cafeteria.

“Well,” Nia says, giving Tobias a teasing smile. “She didn’t chew us out too badly.”

Tobias snorts. “Bold of you to assume she’s finished.”

Then he seems to realize all at once that he still has an arm wrapped around Nia’s back. He yanks himself away with a flush, muttering something about hurrying up before Junie comes back.

Nia chuckles, following her partner as he chases after their friend.

————————————————————

When they’re done eating and catching Junie up on their trip to Kaleido Bay—which did indeed include a second round of scolding—Nia is more than ready to go back to the inn and flop into a nest. She crosses her arms on the little table they’re seated at, easing herself into a slouch to rest her head and relax.

“So,” Tobias says, lowering his voice and ducking closer to Junie. “What’d we miss here the last few days?”

Junie chirps a laugh. “Nothing warranting that sort of tone, Mr. Suspicious. I was a little distracted by Asher, but I didn’t see anything obvious. Rosalind left soon after you two, and Will seems to be really into his research. Fidel just keeps the place running smoothly, as far as I can tell.”

Tobias slumps, clearly disappointed that his suspicions about Will still have no backing. Nia tries not to feel smug about that and doesn’t really succeed.

Junie opens her mouth to say something else, but her eyes flick past Nia and Tobias, towards the door of the establishment. “Well, speak of the devil. Or his dog, at least.”

Nia looks over her shoulder, immediately spotting the tall figure of Fidel. The zoroark is standing in the open doorway of the building and clearly looking around for someone.

His ears perk when he catches sight of the three of them. He weaves between other tables and patrons to reach their side.

“Good to see you two made it back safely,” Fidel says with a warm smile.

“Mostly safe,” Junie corrects with a dry look.

“Good to see you too, Fidel,” Nia says, pushing past another scolding with a smile. “You looking for someone?”

“You three, actually,” Fidel chuckles. “I heard that you and Tobias had returned, so I thought I’d let you know personally that Will has some information to help with your search for Xerneas. However, since it’s getting late, you’re more than welcome to wait until morning and get some rest first.”

Nia blinks, exchanging a surprised look with Tobias. She honestly hadn’t expected Will’s team to find anything in…what? Two days? Three? And she is awfully tired, but…

Well, the thought that they could get some answers or at least a little direction before bed is a nice one.

Both Tobias and Junie look to Nia to make the decision, seeing as she’s the most injured and in need of rest.

“Let’s go ahead and meet tonight,” Nia says, slipping out of her seat and stretching carefully. “I’m just going to be thinking about it all night anyways if I go to bed now.”

“I’m sure Will will be pleased to see you,” Fidel says with a smile. “He can be impatient when he wants to get something done.”

And with that, Fidel steps back and waits for the three of them to gather their crumbs and trays into a tidy tower on the table before leading them outside.

Junie, apparently deeming Nia too injured to act as her usual perch, instead settles on the satchel at Tobias’ hip. He glares down at her, but doesn’t try to push her off, so she wiggles into her spot with a smug fluff of her feathers.

Nia bites back a smile and soaks in the easy atmosphere of the settlement as the Pokemon—the humans—around them go about their evening.

Fidel leads their group back through the same building as before, down the electric-lit tunnel and to the quarters hidden within the cliffside. It’s cooler here, a slight dampness to the air and to the stone underfoot.

Will is alone this time, sitting at the table with a few sheets of paper in one hand and a cup of something hot and steaming—tea, Nia thinks, by the scent—in the other.

He looks up when they enter, red eyes brightening. “Ah, welcome back! I see Fidel found you all. How was your trip to Kaleido?”

Nia grimaces, making a so-so gesture with her hand before glancing at Tobias.

Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t look eager to share. He crosses his arms. “Fine.”

There’s an awkward beat of silence after that.

When it’s clear Tobias won’t be elaborating, Will claps his hands to move them along. “Well, I for one am happy to see you back safe and sound. I’m sure you’re tired, so I’ll cut to the chase. Fidel told you that we’ve made some progress on our research?”

Will gestures for them to sit, so they all gather once more around the stone table. Nia has to ease herself onto the stool, and she waves off Fidel’s concerned look.

“So whatcha find out?” Junie asks with a tilt of her head.

Will gathers up the papers in his hands, splaying them out in front of him. Nia leans forward to read them herself, but the scribbled notes—written in more than one handwriting—are tough to parse, especially upside-down.

“While we don’t have anything like exact coordinates, we do have a better idea of where Xerneas may have decided to rest.” Will points at a particular block of text, written in a hurried scrawl. “We confirmed first that her proximity is indeed close to Yveltal, which we expected considering that the two of them are so intertwined in legend.”

“They are likely sleeping within sight of each other,” Fidel adds. “Almost certainly on the same continent.”

“Great,” Tobias says, voice heavy with sarcasm. “But we don’t have time to search entire continents.“

Will smiles, a gleam in his eye. “True, but I’m not finished quite yet.”

He flips through his papers again until he finds what he’s looking for.

“Here! Xerneas and Yveltal always choose different locations for each sleep cycle, but the environments where they rest always tie into their natural roles.”

“Meaning..?” Nia prompts.

“Meaning that while Yveltal would likely settle somewhere barren of life—a harsh environment with few plants or Pokemon—Xerneas would likely settle down in a very different kind of environment: somewhere absolutely teeming with life energy.”

“Xerneas disperses life energy into the world when she wakes,” Fidel elaborates. “In order to prepare for that moment, she needs to feed on the ambient life energy around her as she sleeps. Yveltal, however, consumes life energy when he wakes, so he needs a barren environment to empty those stores of energy into when he falls into sleep. The two of them are push and pull, like the tides. You need both to keep this world in balance.”

“Even more astonishing,” Will adds. “Both of them can tap directly into this life energy as if it were one connected system. A great tapestry made up of every living thing, from plants and Pokemon to the fabric of this dimension itself—which is likely why Giratina is hoping Xerneas can prevent or at least heal the break in the dimensional border. With their power, Xerneas and Yveltal can restore energy where it is lacking, and remove energy where there is an excess.”

Nia nods slowly, trying to take all of that in.

“So they can both just…feel all of the life energy, everywhere?” Junie asks, uncertain. “Like, all of it in the world? Even us?”

Fidel hums. “It’s said that all life energy in the world is intertwined, in a way, so yes. I have no idea how, or how the legends access it, though.” He gives Nia a brief smile. “You’d have to ask one of them yourself, or one of the Pokemon more attuned to life energy, such as the lucario and riolu.”

Nia blinks, leaning back as all eyes turn to her. “Don’t look at me! I can see the aura of other Pokemon, but I can’t do anything like that!”

“Have you ever tried?” Will asks, looking at Nia thoughtfully.

“W-What do you mean?”

“Tried tapping into the life energy outside of other beings,” Will clarifies. “Plants. The dimensional border. It would be fascinating to learn how deep your aura powers go.”

Nia won’t deny that the idea does pique her curiosity, but it sounds much too powerful an ability for her to have in reach.

…Then again, Nia hasn’t ever tried looking for life energy outside of other people, and she certainly hasn’t tried anything like Xerneas and Yveltal seem to be able to do. Affecting that greater tapestry of aura threaded throughout the world. Adding to it, or taking it away. Interacting with it directly.

It all sounds kind of overwhelming. Maybe that’s something she can look into later, when she’s back at the guild with Avery and Val.

“Okay, put the aura experiments on hold for a minute,” Tobias sighs. “Right now, we have to focus on the mission. We know Xerneas will settle somewhere lush, and Yveltal will hibernate somewhere barren. That doesn’t narrow it down much.”

He has a point, unfortunately. If that’s all they have to go on, the duo could be anywhere. Xerneas could be resting in a forest, or under a field, or within a coral reef. She might even be sleeping below a city. Yveltal, likewise, could be sleeping in the desert, or the arctic, or even on the ocean floor. There are endless locations that would fit the bill for both.

Will’s excitement dampens. “You’re correct, unfortunately. We do have one other clue at the moment, but I’m not sure it’s of any help.”

“What is it?”

Will flips through his papers again, frowning. “Yveltal apparently cocoons himself in a very peculiar kind of crystal when he hibernates. Sometimes it can crop up in excess in the environment around him, giving a hint of his presence. However, if those crystals have yet to be discovered anywhere, then…”

Then they’re out of luck.

Still, as silence falls over all of them, Nia frowns. Something about that phrasing—strange crystals—tickles at her brain. Where has she heard something about that before? Recently, even?

It takes a moment, but then it hits her.

“Carnelian!” She gasps, hands smacking the tabletop. She looks at Tobias. “Didn’t Carnelian say he was called to investigate some weird crystals under the Silenfroar mountains?”

Tobias’ brow furrows, and Nia can tell it takes him a moment to place the name of the sableye they’d saved, when they were stranded in that dungeon with the crew of the Aqua Jet.

Then his face falls slack with surprise. “He did.“

“The Silenfroar range could certainly be considered barren of life,” Will murmurs, glancing at Fidel for confirmation. “It’s a very harsh, snowy land, yes?”

“Our guildmaster trained in a village on top of those mountains,” Tobias protests. “Pokemon live there.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean Yveltal couldn’t still be nearby,” Fidel says. “He destroys life energy, but that doesn’t mean someone would die from living near his resting place. Just that anything more fragile, such as plants, likely couldn’t grow in the area. Which wouldn’t stand out as strange in such a desolate environment.”

“So you think there’s a good chance Yveltal could be there?” Nia asks.

Fidel nods. “Likely inside one of the mountains, if he’s stayed hidden for so long.”

“So if we assume Yveltal is in the mountains somewhere, we should be able to limit our search for Xerneas to the areas around Silenfroar, right?” Tobias asks.

Will shakes his head. “No, we shouldn’t just assume we can use the mountains as a starting point. We can’t afford to be wrong and waste time searching the areas nearby when we know we have to be efficient about all of this. We’re on a time limit.”

“But how can we know for sure that Yveltal is actually there?” Junie asks.

“Simple,” Will says with a smile. “We check for ourselves. If we can confirm Yveltal’s presence in the mountains, then we can use Silenfroar as the anchor point in our search for Xerneas with full confidence.”

That does make sense. The world is on a time limit, so they can’t afford to be looking in the wrong area only to never find the legendary because Xerneas is somewhere else entirely.

“So does that mean we need to go to the Silenfroar mountains?” Nia asks, looking to Tobias.

“I would prefer to look into this myself,” Tobias admits. “But I don’t know if we’d be the best choice for that. We aren’t the fastest Seekers in the guild, so August might decide to send someone else.”

“Like a flying type?” Junie asks with a tilt of her head.

“Normally that would be the fastest option,” Tobias agrees. “But I know the Lexym mail ‘mon can’t deliver anywhere in the mountain range because the air is too frigid for flight. Prone to blizzards and avalanches, too. So August would probably have to send a land ‘mon.”

“There are a lot of grass and bug types at the guild, though,” Nia says. “We would at least have an advantage in the snow, right?”

Tobias’ muzzle wrinkles as if he disagrees with that sentiment, but he nods all the same.

“Stop by your guild first and see if you can convince your guildmaster,” Will says, flipping through his papers. “I would prefer to work with ‘mon I know I can trust on this. On that matter—Fidel?”

The zoroark straightens to attention.

“Could you accompany Team Scarlet to Silenfroar to look into this? I’m sure they could use a helping hand, and there’s no one I trust more.”

Nia expects Fidel to agree instantly after how loyal he’s proven to be, but instead he falters, looking torn. He glances at the tunnel leading back outside. “I wouldn’t mind, but…”

“You know we’ll take good care of Asher in your absence,” Will says, giving Fidel a soothing smile. “Please, Fidel. I need someone to give me the news right away once Nia and Tobias return to their guild, and there’s no one I trust more with the job.”

Fidel still looks reluctant, but he forces a smile and a nod. “Of course. I’ll talk to Asher.”

“Good.” Will nods and looks back to Nia and Tobias. “Fidel will accompany you two for the time being.”

“We didn’t ask for an escort,” Tobias growls, crossing his arms and glaring at Will.

“Tobias,” Nia sighs. “C’mon, you just said it’s going to be a rough trip. We need all the help we can get.”

Tobias clearly isn’t convinced, but he relents under Nia’s pleading expression. “Fine.”

“Does that mean I can come too?” Junie pipes up.

Everyone turns to her, surprised.

She chirps a laugh. “C’mon, you can’t expect me to sit out on saving the world! Bo will understand.”

Nia exchanges an uncertain look with Tobias. “It…might be dangerous, Junie.”

Junie scoffs. “Duh! That’s why I’ve gotta come along! Look at what happens to you two when I’m not there to keep you out of trouble.”

She gestures at Nia’s ribs and Tobias’ bandaged side.

Oh. She’s worried about them. Of course she is, after hearing about their fight with Dismas.

Nia softens, glancing at Tobias. “What do you think?”

Tobias shrugs. “Whatever. Just don’t complain when it’s freezing cold in the mountains.”

“That’s what I’ve got you for!” Junie chirps. “You’ll be my walking heating pad.”

Tobias rolls his eyes, but doesn’t push any further.

“Good. Now that that’s settled,” Will says, hands clasped as he looks between them. “Be careful if you do find Yveltal. Do not under any circumstance wake him, as he could go on a rampage if he’s roused early and Xerneas isn’t awake to calm him. Just confirm his presence or the lack thereof, then report back as soon as possible.”

Everyone around the table, even Tobias, gives a solemn nod.

“I suppose we should leave first thing in the morning, then?” Fidel asks.

Will gives him a sympathetic smile. “Time is of the essence, old friend, so yes. I’ll send one of our night fliers to the nearest travel outpost right away to hire flight ‘mon for the trip. It’ll be much quicker if you can leave directly from the settlement in the morning.”

Fidel nods. “Understood.” He turns to the Nia, Tobias, and Junie. “Rest up tonight at the inn, and be ready to go by dawn. Make sure to eat breakfast before we depart.”

“Yes, Dad,” Junie jokes under her breath. Nia bites back a smile.

“Then you’re all dismissed,” Will says. “Good luck and stay safe.”

Fidel murmurs his thanks and hurries out of the room, likely to find Asher. Nia and Junie give their own thanks before getting up to leave, too.

Tobias groans as he stands. “Guess we need to see if there are any winter cloaks in our size at the guild. We can’t go somewhere so harsh without protection.”

“Oh! No need for that,” Will says, catching them before they get too far. He gives their surprised looks a smile. “Our seamstress here in town already has some snow gear prepared for the coming winter. She’s likely still in the shop if you want to stop by yet tonight. Feel free to grab whatever you think you’ll need, free of charge.”

Nia blinks. “Oh! Are you sure? That’s awfully generous.”

Will waves them off. “Of course, of course! You three are working to save the world—I think we can spare a few coats and scarves for that. Besides, Florence knows she’ll always be properly compensated for her work.”

Nia glances at Tobias and Junie. Tobias doesn’t look thrilled about being indebted to Will in any way, but he doesn’t argue. Junie, on the other hand, chirps a happy, “Thanks!”

The three of them head outside, and Nia takes a breath of crisp evening air, feeling a pang of longing when she catches the smoky scent of the settlement’s fire pits and hears the distant sound of the band they’d listened to the other night. She wishes they could’ve stayed here just a bit longer, but unfortunately the end of the world waits for no one.

Tobias starts walking. “C’mon. Let’s get this over with before the shop closes for the night.”

Oh, right. Clothes! Nia perks up, and she can see her own excitement reflected in Junie’s eyes.

“Shopping trip!” Junie crows, pulling ahead of Tobias and drawing looks from a few passing ‘mon.

“Shopping trip!” Nia echoes, much quieter but no less eager.

“Shopping trip,” Tobias monotones, with all the excitement of someone about to be tortured.

Nia giggles as Junie cackles, the three of them quickly tracking down the tailor shop they’d seen in the days before.

Warm light spills from the windows, the lack of flicker telling Nia that this building must be one of the few with electric lighting, like the tunnels. When they head inside, a bell jingles overhead to announce their arrival.

Nia’s eyes jump immediately to the colorful swathes of clothing crowding the large room. Some clothes are hung on horizontal wooden poles like makeshift store racks, little islands of fabric with just enough space between them to act as cramped walkways. Other clothes line shelves and closet-like alcoves set into the walls.

Everything seems to be roughly organized by size, a rack of clothes along the left wall boasting cloaks and dresses and robes long enough to be curtains, though they’d probably fit Maggie or August well. Conversely, racks on the right side of the room look more like baby clothes or pet outfits, some even tiny enough for Junie’s small frame.

Accessories, jewelry, and even shoes are also shelved here and there between clothes and near the register.

While it’s immediately clear that the fabric options aren’t as diverse as Nia is used to, with nothing plastic or synthetic in sight, there is an impressive variety of styles and colors. It almost feels like Nia’s back in the human world again, shopping with her mom or Toni.

Nia swallows back a sudden surge of longing, and tries to focus instead on the good feelings the shop’s familiarity brings.

“Hello.”

A Pokemon, presumably the Florence that Will had mentioned, is looking at them from the front desk. She’s a tall black Pokemon with white ribbonlike adornments atop her head and chest. She has a pouty purple face and pale blue eyes framed by hair-like disks on either side of her head. She reminds Nia of a particular style of fashion from the human world, one she thinks was popular in Japan.

Regardless, the Pokemon has a long piece of fabric laid across the counter she’s sitting at, one end of it held carefully in her hand. A threaded needle floats in the air just above the piece of cloth, surrounded by the purple glow of psychic energy.

“We’re closing soon,” Florence says, going back to her work. Her needle moves with confident, elegant movements, dipping in and out of the fabric. “But you can take a look around if you’re quick.”

“We’re here on Will’s orders,” Tobias says, eyeing the contents of the shop like they’ll bite him. “We need snow gear fit for the mountains.”

The needle stops sewing for a moment as Florence glances up at them again. But then she shrugs and goes back to her work. “I’ve got a few pieces that would fit you three in the back section. Check there.”

Tobias nods, apparently not bothered by Florence’s less-than-social behavior, and leads the way through the shop. Junie hops from rack to rack above their heads, starry-eyed as she looks around like a kid in a candy store.

Nia can relate to the feeling. While the impressive craftsmanship and the sheer number of pieces in the shop would be thrilling enough on their own, some part of Nia is also excited by the idea of wearing clothing again, weirdly enough. She’s long since gotten past the embarrassment of being “naked,” as long as she doesn’t think about it too hard, but there’s something distinctly human about clothing that she’s eager to reclaim.

Tobias finally stops in front of a rack of clothing made for Pokemon around their size. He quickly pushes through summery shawls, skirts and robes to reach the smaller selection of winter clothing at the end. He flips through the thick fabrics for a moment, skimming past clothing clearly made for quadrupeds, and stops at a deep navy cloak that hangs heavily on its makeshift hanger. After looking it over for a moment, he pulls it free, draws it around his shoulders to check the fit, and flips the hood over his head. It doesn’t drag on the floor, and it seems to sit comfortably around his shoulders and tail.

It looks nice on him, too, the dark tone complimenting his bright orange skin and cool blue eyes.

Tobias nods and pulls it off, draping it over his arm. “Done.”

Nia blinks. “Just like that?” She glances at the nearby floor-length mirror, slightly less smooth than human mirrors but effective enough. It must’ve cost a fortune, rare as mirrorstone seems to be in this world. “You don’t want to see how it looks or anything before deciding?”

Tobias raises a brow. “Why would that matter? It’s heavy enough and it fits. Does it look stupid or something?”

“N-No! It looks nice on you,” Nia assures. “It goes well with your eyes, actually.”

Tobias blinks, clearly surprised. Slowly, a flush spreads across his cheeks and nose.

Junie snrrks a laugh from atop a nearby rack of clothes. “Well, if Nia thinks it looks good, that’s all that matters, right?”

Nia frowns up at her. “Don’t you think it looks nice?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Junie assures, waving her off with a wing. “Looks great. Now if you need me, I’ll be looking at the little chihuahua-sized stuff over here.”

Junie hops a few racks over, where notably tiny clothes are hung, and starts picking through them to find something for herself.

Tobias is strangely quiet after Junie’s cryptic comment. He holds his cloak closer and shuffles over to look through some knit hats instead of commenting.

Nia’s shakes her head and takes Tobias’ place, looking through the small selection of snow clothes. There are a few cloaks like Tobias’, and she can imagine he chose that option because it’s what he’s used to. Less restrictive than most human-styled clothes.

Nia can’t help being drawn to the more coat-like options, though, with sleeves and a line of buttons down the front. She feels strangely nostalgic as she runs her fingers over soft, thick fabric stuffed with down.

How difficult was it for the seamstress to adapt to working with these kinds of materials? Is it hard to make thick, hide-like cloth without animal pelts or plastic? What about the downy feathers stuffing the coat, which would’ve had to have come from a Pokemon? Molting feathers, maybe.

Nia’s musings stop when she comes across a cream-colored coat, with adorable charcoal buttons off to the side and large pockets. It has a heavy hood, too, with little slots in the fabric for ears.

Nia pulls it off the rack and slips it on, pleased to find that other than the sleeves being a bit long, it fits perfectly, snug and warm.

“What do you think?” Nia asks, stepping back and giving a little spin.

Junie, struggling into something like a winter vest with a disgruntled Tobias’ help, stops to look. She lights up. “You look adorable! Don’t you think so, Toby?”

Tobias spares Nia a glance, face reddening again before he looks back at Junie, yanking her into the vest a little rougher than necessary. “It’s fine. Is it warm?”

Oh. Nia actually feels a little disappointed by his lackluster answer, for some reason. But at least Junie likes it.

Nia nods, moving to look at herself in the mirror, pleased by the coat’s color against her fur. “It’s really warm! I’m still gonna grab a hat and scarf, though. Tobias, do you need a set?”

Tobias grunts an affirmative. “Probably. Didn’t get a chance to grab anything else before this little idiot recruited me.”

“Hey! Excuse me for never dressing as a bird before. I don’t have hands, Toby—it’s hard!”

Nia chuckles as she picks out a matching hat and scarf set for both herself and Tobias. A deep scarlet combo for herself, and a cream set the same color as her coat for Tobias. That way, they’ll still look like a team even when they’re all bundled up.

From there, it takes twice as long as it did for Nia and Tobias to get Junie’s snow gear figured out, mostly because she has to consider her wings. Eventually, though, they manage to stuff her into a combined snow vest and cloak, and she seems pleased by the slits on the sides of the vest that allow her to slip her wings through to fly, while the cloak sitting on top of her wings should still keep her warm when she’s on the ground.

Junie, of course, picks a bright yellow hue from the few color options available, which makes her stand out like a sore thumb in the shop’s dim light.

Tobias looks so tired. “Is that really the color you’re going with?”

“It is a little bright,” Nia admits with a smile. “But I like it.”

“It’s your favorite color. Of course you like it,” Tobias huffs. “I think she looks like a combee.”

Nia blinks, surprised and delighted that Tobias remembered that little fact about her.

“Yep, this one’s good,” Junie confirms, looking smug that her choice has the bonus factor of annoying Tobias. “Now help me get back out of it. I’ve still gotta grab an itty-bitty hat and scarf before we leave.”

They manage to untangle Junie from her outfit and find a hat and scarf that she approves of, which are of course dyed an obnoxious pink color. At this point, Nia is pretty sure she’s picking such bright hues just to annoy Tobias.

Tobias, likely catching on to her game, steadfastly refuses to comment.

The seamstress doesn’t give them any trouble about payment, luckily, and even hands them a thin fabric sack to carry everything in. Nia makes sure to thank her before they leave, taking the bag and swinging it as they walk out of the shop and back to the inn.

They’d fallen into a comfortable quiet as they left the shop, but Junie speaks up now from where she’s nestled between the top of their satchel and Tobias’ side. Her voice is unusually quiet.

“Hey, Nia?”

Nia’s worried by the bird’s suddenly downcast expression. “What’s up?”

“Could you help me write a letter to Bo when we get back to the inn? Since Will’s having our ride come here, I won’t get to see the big guy before we go to your guild. I don’t want him to freak out when I don’t come back home after a few days.”

Oh, Nia hadn’t thought about that. The skarmory would be beside himself if Junie didn’t return when she said she would, and Nia has no idea how long Junie will be with them at the guild while they try to track down Xerneas.

Nia feels a stab of guilt for involving Junie in all this, despite her insisting on tagging along.

“Of course, Junie. Are you still sure you want to come with us? N-Not that I don’t want you there, but…”

Junie actually seems to consider backing out for a moment, but then she shakes her head, giving Nia a smile that falls flat.

“No, I wanna go. Someone has to keep an eye on you two, and saving the world should be fun. I just…don’t want him to worry, y’know?”

Nia gets it. She nods. “Yeah. Let’s write that as soon as we get back, okay? We can mail it off tomorrow before we leave.”

Junie looks relieved. “Thanks, Nia. You’re the best.”

Nia smiles, and Junie moves the conversation onto lighter topics, rambling about what tips she might learn from the flight ‘mon during their trip tomorrow.

They’ve got an early morning ahead of them, but Nia thinks they’re ready for it.

[d0g0r0t]

y/n comforting Toby after one of his anger outbursts🤗

Comforting Toby after outbursts

Depending on what is outburst were ABOUT is when you should and shouldn't be in the same room as him

If it's coming that doesn't involve you negatively then yea PLS COMFORT HIM

He's all over you.

Arms wrapped around your waist and under the covers as he uses your body as a stress toy mumbling random things

He loves when you do little romantic things to cool him down.

Taking him away from everything else and praising him in a gentle manner. He melts for your touch when you do

Or when you hum little songs for him as he rests in your arms, head dug into your cheat as he listens to your slow heart beat

When you guys are in public he most of the time has his head buried into your hair and arms around your neck as he goes quiet.

As long as your there he's fineeee.... kinda

Most of the time he just let's you hold him for HOURS

He's low-key so pathetic to your kindness. Whining for you to be closer and to not leaving him.

His outburst can be alot sometimes... well most of the time

It's not always at you but sometimes it is

After every outburst he'll get super emotional, huffing like a dog and staring at you for a few moments before breaking down into tears, shoulders dropped and knees shaking

When he does lash out at you he wants to be alone and cool down. Mostly because he fears he might hurt you more rather then the argument itself

He interrupts ALOT when he's mad. Never letting you speak your mind or actually help him

"No! He won't fucking stop!" "Tobias please... just calm do-" "NO SHUT UP JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

Yea..

But afterwards he's quietly crying in your arms saying how much he's sorry

Just turn on scream or the conjuring and cuddle up with him :(

He's literally so pathetic

Depending how caring you he'll give back the same kindness when you need it

He always gives back to you one way or another

Whether it be gifts, snacks, cuddles, kisses, sex

He loves that you can handle him. It makes him feel so good and loved it makes him so giddy and fuzzy

He always feels bad in the end that u have to handle it all.

He feels like it's to much and he's scared he might break you with all of personal shit but he loves you so much for that

The fact you take him in with open arms after the horrible things he says

It doesn't make sense to him

But he loves you

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT I KNOW ITS GETTING OUT REALLY REALLLY SLOW BUT MY BAD GRADES R CATCHING UP TO ME 😭🫶🫶🫶

[wheresmymilliondollarman]

can you do hcs of dating grayson hawthorne?

grayson hawthorne x fem! reader

hcs about meeting & dating the heir apparent of the hawthorne family.

a/n: ofc!! thx sm for the request & sorry for the wait!! i just got a new one also requesting grayson so this one goes out to you too anon!! grayson hawthorne is one of the lomls🫶 i am so indecisive between him & jameson fr (but for avery i think jameson is better suited for her). hope u enjoy!! i'm a sucker for the poor x rich trope sorry & i love tobias lowkey playing match maker in these LOL & this follows some of the main story but then kinda trails off

word count: 6.8k

warnings: almost drowning (LOL), minor mature language, few spoliers for final gambit i guess?,

before you were dating the second oldest hawthorne, you were just a girl working part-time at a diner as a waitress, trying to make enough money to buy a car. you were relentlessly getting picked up/dropped off everywhere by either one of your parent's vehicles.

being a waitress wasn't ideal when dealing with rude customers, pretentious managers, and occasional annoying co-workers, but you had decent pay, and tips weren't too bad.

most of the time you were running the show on your own. serving tables, acting as hostess, dealing with unsatisfied customers, etc. it wasn’t even the lack of staff, it was lazy behaviors of your co-workers and manager - who got the job because her dad owns the business.

one peculiar afternoon you were doing your usual job of serving tables and taking orders when an older gentleman walked in, way classier than your usual customers. you seated him, gave him a menu, and then returned to the kitchen to serve your other tables.

the diner staff seemed to be murmuring words and glancing back at the man, but you didn't pay any mind to it. it wasn't unusual for you to catch staff gossiping about customers.

going back to the table, you gave him the complimentary water and then asked for his beverage of choice - he chose a simple black coffee. you went to the kitchen and returned with his drink. you were on the verge of asking for his meal order, but he looked preoccupied with a crossword puzzle.

you peaked over, and noticed he looked possibly stuck, so you offered your help because you often did crosswords when you were bored. "do you mind if i take a look?"

he said nothing, only gesturing his head toward his little crossword booklet and pen beside it. even his pen looked fancy.

you looked over the one he was one, and after reading the hint and the number of boxes for the word, you could figure it out.

"tatersall."

the old man peered at you as if you spoke a different language.

"it's fabric with checks and lines, the phrase is a bit old-fashioned. i only know it 'cause that's what my dad refers to his shirts as." you explained.

he looked intrigued by your words, as if you'd given him an idea. he thanked you, then went on to fill out the boxes.

words were said much after that. he drank his coffee and left sometime while you were busy serving other tables. when you returned to ask him if he wanted anything else, he was already gone. but not before leaving $200 dollar tip next to his finished coffee.

you thoroughly checked if it was real, not believing anyone would purposely leave such a tip for a cup of black coffee. but in fact, it was very real. and you even bought yourself a very cute dress to commemorate. just to double check it was legit, of course.

the older man with silver-blue eyes continued to come into the diner every few days, never ordering anything other than a black coffee and always being generous with the tip.

you two had polite conversations and odd ones rooted questions he dropped on you. you noticed a lot of them pertained to money and contributions. but you never passed on answering.

they were questions like "what jobs have you worked?", "what are your parents' occupations?", "are you interested in charities and donations?", and "what do you do with the money you earn?"

thru these visits, he finally gave you his name, tobias. it shouldn't had surprised you he had a unique name to match his unique personality.

you didn't get much information about tobias. all he revealed to you was he enjoyed games, was obviously wealthy, and has 2 daughters, one son, and 4 grandsons - who weren't too off from your age.

he liked to talk about a certain one, the second oldest, grayson. you created an image he was a closed-off, goal-driven, cunning, and loyal guy. you didn’t wanna jump to conclusions, but one could say he was slyly trying to set you up with him.

it wasn’t uncommon for grandparents to come in the diner and rave about their grandsons. at times they would even show you a multitude of photos saying how handsome they are and well-raised gentlemen who would be a great match for you.

you never had the heart to straight up tell them ‘not interested’, so you listened to their praises and then fabricated a lie as to why you were unable to date their grandson.

if tobias ever were to ever try and do that you would use the same methods. you were sure his grandson was an acceptable man, but you had no interest in going on a blind date with anytime soon.

however, the conversation didn't maneuver that direction; instead, he went on to talk about how grayson was in charge of a foundation he owns and basically manages everything.

you found that rather impressive, considering he was only eight-teen. then you thought, 'just how rich is this guy?'

this arrangement continued for a few more weeks and then it turns into a constant routine for months. still never ordering anything order than a coffee, and leaving after.

one day, tobias abruptly stopped coming into the diner. and after a two-week hiatus, you figured he was likely not returning again.

you didn't realize how tedious work was without the old man's presence, you were still as busy as ever doing everyone's job, but now you didn't have the levity from your conversations.

it stayed like that for the following three months, no word from tobias. you wanted to contact him somewhere, but you began to realize how little you knew of him, hell you didn't even know his last name. he knew all the basics of what comprised you, but you couldn't even say his favorite color. and you’d known this man for almost a year.

but as it turned out, you didn't need to contact him yourself because a man came into the diner asking for you.

at first, you thought it was an unsatisfied customer here to berate you some more; it wouldn't be the first time. but you were more than relieved it was a guy you'd never seen before, a particularly handsome and well-fitted one.

you went up to the man and politely greeted him, asking how you could help him. he took you presence in when you appeared, looking up and down. it wasn't in a 'checking-you-out' type way, it was of an 'i'm judging what type of person you are' way. you felt scrutinized in your lousy diner girl uniform. it didn't help he was dressed pristinely from head to toe.

he finally spoke, "it's pertaining to my grandfather, tobias hawthorne."

you were piqued up at the mention of tobias, this was the first time you'd heard of his last name, but you didn't know any other tobias's so it must be him.

the man in front of you was one of his infamous grandsons he loved to chat about, although you weren't sure which one. but based on his stern and disciplined attitude, you'd place your bets on grayson. but just to be sure you asked.

"right, my name is grayson hawthorne." you called it. "unfortunately, my grandfather has recently passed. my family is in the middle of gathering everyone for the matter of the will, but all parties must be preset. my grandfather's law firm has informed me you are also mentioned in it."

your heart broke at the reveal of tobias passing. you knew him less than a year, but you still had formed a connection with him.

then the other portion of his statement dawned on you, he mentioned you in his will. why?

grayson seemed to have wanted to know this too. he said tobias mentioned you in passing but didn't offer details about your relationship. he didn't hide how he was suspecting and untrusting of you.

you filled him in on details of how you met, your meetings, and the last time you conversed with him. grayson was still wary of you, but he didn't have any reason yet to say you were lying.

he then urged you to gather your belongings because the two of you had to head over to his family's residence as soon as possible. he has already informed your boss of your leave of absence.

it was all so sudden, you were still processing all this information. grayson's insistence made it nearly impossible to do anything but listen. 

so, grayson took you home to change and pack a few items. you left a note for your parents, letting them know you'd be spending a night or two at a friend's house. you knew if you explained what was really going on they would not let you go; they'd probably even scold you for befriending a random old man at work, calling you naive.

although, that had merit because you were currently off with a man you knew for like five seconds because you believed he was the grandson of a man who you also didn't know for too long.

you thought the chance of getting kidnapped was better than overworking at the diner.

you were astounded when grayson casually took you to the destination of his private jet. you'd never flown first class, let alone a private freaking jet.

you two took off, and a few hours later, arrived in texas. the moment you stepped off, a bodyguard guided the two of you into a limousine. from there, you sought off to the mansion.

when you arrived, you thought you'd been driven to some sort of fancy hotel, but not it was where grayson and the rest of the hawthorne lived. you'd likely get lost trying to go from the kitchen to your bedroom.

grayson had to physically drag you away from your jaw-dropped stare at the property.

when you entered the entrance hall , another girl was already there, an older girl with her as well.

she turned her attention toward you when she noticed you entering, she seemed to have recognized grayson, but had a questioning gaze toward you.

the older girl was the one to speak to you first. “and here i thought we’d already met everyone affiliated with this crazy rich family. hi, i’m libby and this is my sister avery. are you grayson’s girlfriend?”

you could’ve died from awkwardness right there. you didn’t even wanna take a glance at grayson’s reaction, you imagined he would have a look of discontent.

“er, no. we just met today actually. he came into my work saying i’m needed for a will reading, and next thing i know im off in a private jet and in this mansion.”

this time avery spoke up, “sorry about libby’s assumption. it was just because you guys came in together and he’s carrying your bag.”

grayson was in fact hold your small luggage bag. he taken the liberty of taking it out of the trunk of the limo and carried it since.

you didn’t say anything, you just snatched your bag out of grayson’s hands, mumbling a quiet thanks.

grayson let out a laugh, but covered it up as a cough.

avery talked about her situation being similar to yours, except she’s never met tobias hawthorne before. it made you feel better there was someone else who felt like an outsider.

you were led away by grayson, guiding you to the room the will was being read. but you ran into a numerous amount of people on the way.

first, it was xander, the youngest hawthorne grandson. he appeared out of secret passage, jump scaring you. then he introduced himself.

nash, who had a country accent, followed a bit after walking in with his mother skye. she asked you a few invading questions about yourself, and you replied cordially. very relieved when grayson excused you both.

finally, you’d met jameson on accident. you were on the way to the bathroom, using directions given to you, and that’s when you bumped into him. he was very obviously drunk. he slurred a few words, but you quickly excused yourself, not wanting to deal with whatever was going on with him.

once you were finally in the room, you took a seat next to avery since she and her sister were the best options.

finally the will reading began, and the lawyers started reciting its words and designated belongs and money to different family members. all the families were stunned that the grandsons, especially grayson, hadn't gotten the entire fortune. yours and averys names had yet to be mentioned.

"to my newfound friend y/n l/n, i leave conservatorship to the hawthorne foundation. the remainder of my estate, including all properties, monetary assets, and worldly possessions not otherwise specified, i leave it to be shared upon y/n l/n and avery kylie grambs."

nothing could have you prepared for that. you thought it was a prank at first, some sick joke rich people do that get less-than-fortunate people's hopes up. but no, the lawyer did indeed confirm it to be true.

avery and yourself turned toward each other wide-eyed, completely flabbergasted. then the whole room erupted into chaos, everyone standing up to demand an explanation, accusing you both of having done something.

you had just met these people, and you couldn't for sure say they were capable of murder, but you'd seen enough movies about the rich to know it's definitely a possibility.

luckily, oren, tobias' (now ex) bodyguard, stood in front of you girls, preventing the hawthornes from stepping any closer. he claimed he worked for you both now, so it was his job to protect you.

"should we trust this guy? what if he's just playing us to get the inheritance." avery whispered to you.

"a bodyguard with ulterior motives is better than being left to the wolves."

"good point." libby chimed in.

it didn't end there; there were conditions for the will, saying you and avery must remain at the hawthorne estate for a full year to receive the inheritance.

so not only did you become enemy number one toward most hawthornes, but now you had to live with all of them. lovely.

that jump-started your now future of being involved with the hawthornes (and the grambs sisters)

after the will fiasco, the grayson made it his mission to unmask whatever game you played to get the inheritance, but he always came up empty-handed because you, as you insisted to multiple hawthornes, did not manipulate tobias. you didn't even know the guy's last name until you had met grayson.

if you had a talent for taking advantage of rich men, you would not be wasting time being a waitress for a shitty diner.

however, you tried to look on the very bright side of things, living in a gorgeous mansion. your bedroom was the size of your home's first floor. you;'d never slept on a comfier or larger bed.

one thing that set you apart from avery in the will was that you had complete ownership in the hawthorne foundation and his involvement with different charities. alissa had informed you that you'd need to learn to manage it- designating which associations to donate to, how much, how often, etc.

it was overwhelming to think about; if you failed to be a conservator, it would be given to the grandsons. you also knew having authority over it bothered zara hawthorne, since she'd spent basically her whole life running it. you knew it you were to make a wrong move, she'd be quick to call it out you.

alissa had arranged for you to go to the foundation and meet with someone who'd help you navigate the ropes. a part of you assumed it'd be zara meeting you there, maybe forced by alissa to help you. but instead, it was grayson, who still thought you were some master con woman.

he was the only grandson that had an issue with you and avery, but for some reason, you were more suspicious to him. xander, jameson, and nash seemed to have adjusted to events and were now somewhat friends with you. it was pretty infuriating how grayson would not listen to reason, no matter how much you tried to make amends.

grayson remained professional, not wanting his personal feud to hinder the foundation's work. he started giving you a tour and explaining an overview of how things ran. it became easier for you to imagine yourself running it.

you stopped when you passed by various black and white photos hung up in midair. they'd been hung since the beginning of your tour, but you'd only truly taken notice just now.

"who took these? they're beautiful."

"i did."

'of course, you did' you thought. he seemed to be good at everything.

"can i have a copy of this one?" you pointed toward a photo to your left; it was of a couple dancing together in the rain, in front of the eiffel tower.

"why?"

"i'd always wanted to see the eiffel tower. plus, i just really like it." it was true. the photo was captured exquisitely, and going to paris had always been a goal of yours, along with traveling to different places in the world.

he didn't respond. grayson went up to the photograph and carefully unlatched it. he then turned to you and gestured for you to take it, "here, you can have it."

you were a little shocked he just gave it to you, but hundreds of photos were decorated throughout the building, so it probably didn't mean much just giving you one.

you took it in your hands gently and thanked him. you both then continued your tour into the conference room to discuss further management of the hawthorne foundation.

but unbeknownst to you, the photo you now owned was one of his favorites.

it became easier to get to know and warm up to grayson the more you visited the foundation, which you did quite often because you now that you had (or will have) conservatorship to the foundation, you wanted to ensure you knew everything involving it to ensure you'd continue its success.

you could now say the two of you were somewhat friends, but there still seemed to be a wall - built by grayson, between the two of you. likely from the lack of trust he still has toward you.

at times he'd look at you as if you were the enemy, and other times he'd treat you courteously. his constant mood changes were driving you crazy.

you had been staying up later than usual since your stay at the manor began. it didn't help that there was possibly a secret passage in your room like avery's has.

but your leading cause of distress stemmed from the mystery of the whole will situation. you'd gotten a small letter like everyone else, but it failed to offer any closure.

in fact, all it said was, "good luck". you'd never had the urge to strangle a dead old man til now.

however, this night you decided to walk outside. you'd been hesitant to wander around the mansion, but then again, you technically half owned it now, and nobody could really stop you. so you decided to go to the pool area, carefully avoiding alerting your new bodyguard of your movement.

when you got there, it was empty as you had hoped. the pool was illuminated with the lights, the area surrounding it was dimly lit.

you settled for solely dipping your feet in the pool and gazing at the stars upon the sky.

half an hour in, you heard the faint sound of someone possibly approaching. you took it as a sign to get back to your room before oren noticed, if he hadn't already.

you got up a bit too quickly, causing an imbalance in your step - leading you to stumble backward into the pool.

most people would simply swim back up to the top and pull themselves out, but you couldn't do that for one big reason. you never learned to swim.

panic began to seep into you as you flailed your arms all over the place, attempting to float to the top, but it only made you sink further. it didn't help drowning was on the top of your list of 'ways i would hate to die'.

you were midway through choking on the water when someone jumped into the pool and carried you back onto the pavement.

after coughing the water out of your lungs, you looked at the face your your savior kneeled in front of your; low and below there was grayson hawthorne - wearing nothing but swim shorts.

the sight of him shirtless made it harder to steady your breathing.

"are you alright?" you nodded in confirmation.

"what were you thinking getting into the pool so carelessly?"

"well, i just to test out my new waterproof mascara." you said sarcastically. "obviously i didn't end up in the stupid pool purposely!"

he rolled his eyes. “god, were you born a horrendous swimmer or just taught by an imbecile.”

you stayed silent, looking away from him, not wanting to admit the embarrassing truth.

“do you…do you not know how to swim?”

"….. define knowing to swim.”

he gave you an incredulous look, “seriously? even most 5-year-olds know how to swim, better yet, they wouldn’t almost drown in the 7ft part of the pool.”

“okay i get it! it’s pathetic i don’t know the basics of swimming. you don't have to be an asshole about it.” you stood up angrily in your soggy clothes and attempted to walk away - but grayson grabbed your wrist.

“wait. alright, i apologize for being quick to judge. if you want..i’ll teach you to swim.”

you were taken aback by the gesture, not quite sure what to think. on the one hand, it could be a plan to embarrass you further, but on the other hand - you really didn’t want to live your life not being able to swim any longer.

“alright.”

the following night he made good of his word when you went out to meet him. (oren being aware this time, after he warned you he'd lock you in your room if you snuck out without him again.)

this time you had proper swim attire, a 2 piece bikini alissa had purchased for you, along with others.

grayson was already in the pool when you arrived, swimming laps. once he noticed your arrival, he stepped out of the pool. you would've thought it was a scene from a movie from how smoothly & dreamy he moved.

you averted your eyes before you stared at his form too long.

you weren't sure if it was your imagination or you saw grayson do a double-take when he saw you.

all his attractiveness was shortly forgotten when he went to his bag to retrieve something, then handed you some plastic. it took you a moment, but then it clocked - these you arm floaties.

"you're joking right?"

"hey, after that near-drowning experience, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"it's like you want to humiliate me."

"don't worry i chose the ones with the flowers to enhance your matureness." he fought back a smile with his words.

he got a nasty glare in response.

still, you knocked down your pride on putting on the floaties before you and grayson submerged into the pool.

then grayson began reciting exercises and movements for you to do. after floating around for a bit, he instructed you to remove the floaties. you were obviously hesitant, the floaties were keeping you from drowning, but grayson insisted that you trust him.

he grabbed your waist with both hands and got behind you; that was enough to quicken your pulse.

his hands held you steady as you attempted to stay afloat by moving your arms and legs. it would get harder to focus when his hands moved up and down your back.

"okay, i'm gonna let you go now."

"ok. wait what-"

you were abruptly cut off because grayson immediately removed his hands, leaving you on your own. being caught off guard, you began a repeat of the night before, but this time attempting to swim correctly. regardless, you were still beginning to choke on water and sink down.

grayson swam back to your aid in an instant, holding you up above the water by the waist.

"shit- i'm sorry. i assumed your instincts would kick in if you had less reaction time."

"oh, because it worked so well yesterday."

"right, perhaps i should've given it more careful thought." he moved a hand to the side of your face, "are you sure you're okay?"

you nodded, unable to verbally respond. the tension in the air thickened as the two of you continued to stare to one another. for a brief moment, his gaze wandered to your lips, and you stopped breathing.

his face slowly leaned into yours. you didn't know what you'd do if he was going to kiss you - a big part of you was ready to kiss back and the other part told you i'd be a mistake if you did.

but the moment was interrupted by alissa, who was calling your name because she wanted to ho over tomorrow’s events with you.

you also knew, based on alissa's critical gaze, she'd seen what was about to possibly happen. she has already given you a fair amount of warning about getting involved with hawthornes.

grayson then pulled away, awkwardly bidding you farewell, saying he'd see you later before he made his way out of the pool.

since then, the brewing tension between the two of you grew. it didn't help you already see him quite a bit during the day, then alone at night. apparently, it was evident to everyone there was something happening because thea calligaris cornered you.

"the last girl who was with grayson ended up dead."

you were unsure what to believe after that, you really didn't trust thea, but didn't mean it couldn't be true. 'don't rich people always have some murderous secret?'

you couldn't help it, and brought up the topic to grayson, who went very still at the mention. he lashed out at you before walking away. you suppose that confirmed it.

he avoided you for a few days, even skipped out on swimming lessons, so you kept yourself busy with school and hanging with avery and xander; solving the still ongoing mystery of the will. which you'd lowkey given up on because riddles were not your forte.

you felt bad your question, but he didn’t need to act so harshly toward you. so, you weren’t going to talk to him until he approached you first.

a knock sounded in your room when you were getting ready for bed. however, it didn't come from the door but from behind a large painting.

'i swear if this house is haunted, i'm running back home'

you tried to remove the painting, but it was stuck to the wall. then you discover a small button hidden on its frame. against better judgment, you press it, making the painting and the wall behind it move forward and slide to the left.

you knew there were various passages, but having one in your own room kind of freaked you out.

behind the moving wall stood grayson. you screamed at first, only seeing a figure in the dark. but then grayson quickly stepped into the light and closer to you to put a hand over your mouth. you were relieved to see him and not someone who would possibly murder you.

he didn’t remove his hand, you gave him an expectant look.

“just hear me out, before you demand i leave. i came to apologize.”

you nodded, allowing him to continue. he sighed and pulled his hand away. then he opened up to you for the first time, telling you about a girl name emily laughlin.

he explained her condition, how both hom and jameson were involved with her, and how she died.

the more the story went on the more you felt bad for both brothers, especially grayson since it seemed it was still affecting him. you even felt for emily, obviously, she lacked something in her life to play 2 brothers.

“i'm not complaining, but why did you decide to tell me all this” the two of you at some point made your way onto your bed, sitting side by side each other

he humorlessly laughs, and looks directly at you. “to be honest, i’m not even sure. all i know is when i look into your eyes, i have this urge to tell bare my soul to you.”

deja vu to the pool incident, you both didn’t say anything, just looked at each other, slowly leaning your face closer.

you were ready to be interrupted again, stopping the act before it can happen. but there was none, and your lips were now an inch apart, and your heart was beating like you just ran a marathon.

“tell me to stop right now, or i’m afraid i won’t be able to hold myself back.”

you said nothing.

wasn't like he gave you much reaction time anyway because he kissed you a second later - like you were the last person he was ever going to kiss.

and oh boy, was it a good kiss.

even when he left your room later that night, after much kissing you were still reeling from the shock of it all.

you didn't know what it meant for the two of you - did he like you?, was it a one-time thing?, or did he kiss you as a way to forget emily?

you were only sure of one thing right now - you felt something toward grayson that crossed the friend zone.

the kiss was never brought up over the days; grayson and you continued to work together and swim at night together almost every other day. you weren't sure if you were relieved or offended he never mentioned it.

you swore he got flirter since the kiss - his hand brushing against yours, standing very close behind you when reviewing something for the foundation, hands wandering when helping you swim, even a subtle flirty remark here and there.

you confided in avery about the events. she was insistent on the fact grayson liked you, and that he didn't seem like the type of have a fling nor rebound.

you wanted to believe he liked you, but then you would hear thea's voice in your head, reminding you of emily, and how he isn't over her.

it was driving you mad, so you convinced yourself you were simply reading into things. you weren't.

it all came to a head at a charity event the both of you helped plan for the foundation. you'd wore a beautiful namebrand designer custom-made gown, the fanciest dress you ever adorned.

however, the whole night grayson ignored you and made it clear he was avoiding you. anytime you approached him he gave an excuse to the person he was talking to that he had to go somewhere. or if you tried making eye contact, he was quick to turn his head the other direction. you didn't know what his deal was.

when you took to the outside for a breather, you sensed the arrival of his presence.

you scoff, "so now you wanna talk to me or what?"

he didn't respond, which upset you more. so you opted to walk back into the ballroom, but grayson stopped you.

"anytime i look at you too long, i think of our kiss that night. then i have to hold myself back from doing it another time. and if i kiss you, i thin- no. i know i won't be able to help but fall for you."

you were again dumbfounded by such confession. a habit that seemed to always happen in the presence of grayson hawthrone.

"i don't mind."

"neither do i."

he crashed your lips together with his in a flash.

unlike the first one, the kiss was messy, and messy was never a way you thought you'd describe the pristine grayson hawthorne.

his hands made their way to your face keeping you close while his mouth was almost devouring your lips. you steadied yourself by holding onto his shoulders because you did not trust your wobbly knees to stand on their own.

you pulled away first, heavily breathing like the night you almost drowned. your mind was still hazy, unable to properly form a sentence to speak.

grayson hands stayed, caressing your face gently,

"you can have my entire being if it means i get to kiss you like that whenever."

you both didn't end up returning to the charity that night. not while your makeup was smudged and all your lipstick was transferred on grayson's face.

though it was never verbally official, the two of you were evidently more than friends at that point.

you didn't even need to tell anyone of your newfound relationship because you'd come to find out jameson had seen the two of you that night, and he would could never resist a gossip about grayson. so the information easily made its way throughout the entire hawthorne manor.

in relation, grayson fought jameson. unfortunately, you weren't allowed to watch the fight because grayson didn't want you to witness any violence. you were lowkey disappointed because you and avery were ready to place bets.

alissa also made sure to have a talk with you both regarding public appearances. she advised it was better to keep it private because everyone was still reeling from yours and avery's newfound inheritance, and this news could possibly do damage to your media reputation. plus, it was better if grayson was advertised as single.

you personally didn't mind, you weren't the biggest fan of pda when you had a thousand new eyes on you. and alissa's advice was wise since you were new to the whole being a public figure thing. and well, you both lived together anyway.

grayson was more hesitant to agree, but mostly for your benefit he listened to alissa.

it was fun in a way, acting platonic in public then kissing when you got to the mansion or even the limousine. it was like having a secret relationship.

whenever interviews tried to insinuate something, you learned how to shut it down after much lessons on pr. but grayson liked to leave sly comments; only the two of you could understand.

"yeah, y/n's quite well at exploring the mouth of new things."

"y/n and i have become very acquainted with each other."

"you could say i'm into women who sink instead of swim."

it made you wanna laugh and playfully hit him all the same.

what really made your relationship step into public light was when rumors about you and jameson dating started circling around.

a photo of the two of you had been taken getting out of a limo together then entering a building, where people rumored you had a 'date'. in reality, both of you were there to talk to skye hawthorne after she was removed from the hawthorne mansion.

grayson was less than happy about these rumors, and jameson not denying anything to the press to get a rise out of grayson, was making things worse.

so, in a grayson hawthorne manner - he took care of things himself. he bought out all of the press and made them debunk the stories.

then to be even more dramatic, the next time the two of you were out together, he made a whole show of kissing you. even going as far as dipping you down in his arms before the kiss - felt straight out of a cheesy romcom. you couldn't say you didn't enjoy it, though.

the paparazzi had a field day with those photos & the two of your the front page of gossip magazines for weeks. alissa was ready to explode after only finding out the two of you went public from the media.

being in a public relationship was harder than being in a secret one. there were somehow even more eyes on you, picking your relationship apart. they mostly targeted your flaws and even took digs at your old diner job. even a surge of online hate came at your direction.

even grayson couldn't buyout every magazine or person who had a negative thing to say about you, and trust that he very much tried to.

but being official in public also had great pros. now, grayson and you could go out on dates wherever without worrying about hiding and disguises.

you couldn't stay anywhere too far at first because of the 'stay in the house for a year' rule, but you had dates at all sorts of fancy places. even though you were technically a net-worth nigher than him,now, he always insisted on paying the bill. ever the gentleman.

grayson knew how to plan one himself. a personal favorite of yours had to be the picnic in a hot air balloon.

but once the year was up, the first place gray took you was to paris, which he knew was always your dream. paris now seemed like a mundane dream compared to all of the past year's events.

still, paris was absolutely incredible, and being there with your boyfriend made it better - and helpful because he was fluent in french while you barely passed the high school class with a B.

seeing the eiffel tower was the best part, it was even more amazing up close. standing there with grayson, the grays started to cloud, and small drizzles of water came down.

your bodyguard (one oren forcefully implanted) had advised you both to head to the car before it started pouring. you were ready to follow along, but gray tugged your sleeve, stopping your movement.

you gave him a questioning gaze, so he held out his hand, asking you to dance.

you laughed and accepted nonetheless, even when the rain started to pour in more. the two of you began a clumsy (on your part) waltz across the pavement. both of your faces filled with blissful smiles. to this day, it is a favorite memory of yours.

it was even better when grayson gifted you a photo of you two that day, one he asked the bodyguard to take. now, the picture was framed next to the one grayson had taken & grayson hung a copy of it at the hawthorne foundation.

since dating, grayson's insomnia has improved immensely. it mainly had to do with the fact you two frequently sleep in his bed together. he jokes your his personal nyquil.

it's true when they say he sleeps like a deadman, even has a tiny snore - though he keep denying it. but he has some sort of sixth sense that enables him to know when you leave the bed.

like for instance, you needed to use the bathroom one night, and the moment you got up from the bed - grayson is up and asking where you were going.

the swimming lessons were not forgotten - you two still had that nightly routine. but you weren't becoming a michael phelps anytime soon. not when most of your lessons involved more kissing than swimming.

but hey, at least you've moved past the need for floaties. because grayson just carries you himself if it's too deep for you to swim.

he loves to buy anything that reminds him of you. a jewelry piece that matches your eyes, a dress he thinks would look pretty on you, a shift from your favorite film/show/artist, or even an item you offhandedly mentioned you wanted. he'd have them wrapped and ready to give to you the next moment he saw you.

much to our surprise, grayson was also the clingy type. his love language was more gift-giving but doesn't mean he wasn't a bit touch-starved.

he revels in hugs, kisses, and intimate moments. he always wants to hold hands when you both are walking together. jameson and nash love to tease him on it.

he has as a domestic side to him. he helps you put on your coat or even sometimes makes you wear it, keeps you on the side of the sidewalk not near the street, carries your purse or shopping bags, and helping you slip on your heels and shoes.

overall, grayson hawthorne was nothing less of an amazing boyfriend. except when he sees eve for the first time.

you were in the office of the foundation looking over a few files when you saw tobias' name mentioned then initials at the bottom. 'T.T.H.'

"huh, i thought your grandfather didn't have middle name."

grayson looked over your shoulder, "oh, he didn't. at least not until had changed his legal name less than a year before his passing."

"what is it?"

"tatersall. quite peculiar right?"

you laughed to yourself. perhaps he was trying to set you up with her grandson after all.

@itzchanelx @marigold-morelli

[parhelios]

Hi! Can you actually please elaborate on the stargate animorphs crossover thing? I am obsessed with both so this intrigues me 👀

OKAY! so this is more stargate atlantis + me playing fast and loose with animorphs canon, and an excuse to do a character study of john sheppard, because i love him.

this is part one, part two is here!

so in this au, long before john sheppard ever saw atlantis or the stargate, he knew that life existed beyond the stars. because john used to be tobias. for anyone more familiar with stargate than animorphs, tobias was trapped in the form of a redtail hawk, permanently, though he later regained the ability to morph into other forms, including his human self. in this au, the yeerk-human war was never revealed to the general populace, and everything was as hushed up as it could be. however, the us governement did not like the idea of someone with the morphing power they could not control, and therefore, shortly after the yeerks were defeated, tobias was forced by the us govt (and honestly as i type this i think maybe the rest of the living animorphs were involved bc they don't want tobias to have a lifespan of like 3 years as a hawk) to become a nothlit once more and trap himself in human form. he's placed by the government with a military family, and given a new name, since tobias at this point has been declared legally dead.

john sheppard grows up quiet and a little too intense for his peers who he is, a little too grown up (he is sixteen when the war ends but his human body was thirteen forever until it became his again). it takes him time to make his face emote like everyone else, to learn how to be charming to mask that hole inside him that longs to fly. (he never really kicks the prey drive - though catching darts out of the air does make for a fun party trick)

so he joins the air force. closest he'll get to flying again, there'll be no ellemist-ex-machina, but maybe he'll be able to capture a sliver of the life he lost. and john sheppard gets to see the stars, by a random, biological chance, and he can't help but wonder if it's not so random. if maybe his ATA is influenced by elfangor, by the eskafil device, by ellemist meddling - so much of his life has been touched by the unknown.

so john gets to atlantis like in canon, and quickly realizes that he is the only person in atlantis with clearance regarding the yeerk invasion. most of the early episodes go pretty much the same plot-wise, up until the genii invasion of atlantis. john going full guerrilla warfare/hawk mode is somehow more intense than in canon, and i think it definitely gets focus from his team. rodney, however, has been lowkey weirded out by some of john's behaviors since the start of the mission, having caught several of john's blank no-one-is-looking hawk expressions and has just been keeping a running tally of weird shit john does since, and this is just one more freaky fucking thing on john's tally.

nothing super comes of it though, and on the mission to chaya sar's planet, things end up changing for john quite a bit. this is where the au really kicks off, as chaya sar can sense something is different about john, and when he meets with her alone and she tells him she cannot intervene, she tells him that there is one thing she can do, just for him. it turns out that the ellemist is a rogue ancient who fucking loves meddling (told u we're fast and loose w/ animorphs canon) and because she would technically just be undoing some of that meddling, she can give john back his red-tailed hawk form, and only that, without a time limit.

so now john can literally fly again, and that changes things.

part two

[ghoulettalie]

THE POST CREDITS OF THE MOVIE HAD US ALL FUCKING GOING “TOBIAS”

LITERALLY EVERYONE WAS GROANING LMAO

tobias when I catch u…

[sublimecatgalaxy]

1.One Bed

‘Im not afraid of you.’

not sure who you’re in the mood to write about today! so if u are in the mood for anyone in particular that you think would fit this prompt, go for it:)

I was thinking Four (Tobias)

DO UR THING BESTIE:)

-🐣

Ugh bestie I can not write Four right now I'm SO SORRY LMAO! Thank you for giving me the option though, I love you!

"You sure we're safe here?" Daryl's eyes lift to look up at me from the fire, auburn flames burning in his deep eyes and it forces a smile to my lips, just at the way he looks at me.

"You're always safe with me." He promises, deep voice only soothing my worry and I squat down beside him, bumping his shoulder with mine.

"While I'll admit that's really cute of you," he gives me a sassy eye roll and a scoff, turning away to hide the blush on his cheeks, "I'm more worried about someone else stopping upon us and killing us in our sleep."

"Won't happen." He shrugs with a simple smile, looking back at the door that he has securely closed with a chair under the doorknob, which appears to be the end all to all of our possible problems in his mind.

"Why's that?"

"I'll kill'em before they can get through the door." He munches on a piece of jerky with such a matter of fact tone and the sass in his voice forces a smile to stretch happily across my lips.

"Sounds good, tough guy." I clap my hands with a deep breath, making my way over to the small cot in the corner of the room, barely enough to fit me let alone Daryl and I. I've seen how he sleeps, like a mummy, on his back with his arms either thrown over his head or tucked up under him when he's laying on his side. He tries to take up as little room as he can but ends up taking up a ton of space because of the sheer, bulky size of him. "Wanna get some rest?"

"You can, I'll stay up. Keep watch." He answers almost immediately, eyes flickering over to me briefly to catch my disappointed look.

"Daryl-"

"Don't argue, get." He points to the bed, silently urging me to lay down but I just continue to stand my ground, knowing and visibly seeing how much he needs the shut eye and rest.

"Please?" I ask, pouting gently and he cracks, huffing loudly as he makes his way off the ground, boots stomping as he steps up to me with a tired smile. I scoot over as much as I can, laying my head on Daryls coat that I'm using as a makeshift pillow and he takes a seat beside me.

"For a minute." H says sternly but I know a minute will turn into him sleeping soundly beside me all night. He lays himself down with a groan, batting his unruly curls from his face as he glances over at me "I don't bite." He lifts his arm, creating an inviting, enveloping space for me to rest and I take his offer happily, slipping under his arm, tucking myself soundly into his side. "Don't gotta be nervous."

"I'm not afraid of you." I mumble but there's a part of me that still is so nervous around him after all this time.

"You're shivering like a leaf." He whispers, rubbing my arm soothingly and the ways his lips are brushing against my forehead has me warming up in no time, pressing myself further against him, deciding to just give him a chance. "See? Not so bad."

[gatefleet]

Safe With Me

Scorpion: Walter O'Brien, Paige Dineen, Tobias Curtis

WordCount: 1,179

T(W): Hospital, Kidnapping, Temporary Blindness, Blind Panic.

Request: Yes, “Hey! Could u do a Walter o brien x fem reader, where the reader is kidnapped and the kidnapper keeps sending them her videos and these videos cause walter's EQ to show like he's panicked or even crying and when the team finally find her Walter hugs her tight and tends to her injury this causes toby to tease him and paige becomes jealous.

I totally understand if u don't want to do it.

Thank you” - @quackthesuck

A/N: I'm so sorry I've taken so long with this request, I've had a hectic time at work. I hope this is what you were looking for.

You awoke and could not see; your vision was in darkness, and this caused more panic and fear in you than the vague voices in the background which were drowned out by your panic. Your panic only increased when you became aware that your hands and arms were restrained. Realised you were rocking back and forth on some something solid which moved with you. You tried to speak or scream and realised that you had something made of fabric in your mouth. Your panic grew and you began hyperventilating.

Watching on the live stream Team Scorpion stood frozen. Gabe went to make a call, Paige looked like she was about to cry, Sly already had tears streaming down his face, Toby had begun to babble to himself about ransom demands and motives, Happy look pissed, and Walter hit shutdown mode. Paige was quickest to recover after Gabe and tried help prevent the team from spiralling too deeply, Gabe quickly behind her focussing on Happy and Walter.

Once Happy gained a little more composure she immediately went to work on a potential deterrent for the next person who dared hurt the team and thinking of a way to try and track your location from the equipment the abductors carelessly left in the frame. Walter was still in full shutdown mode. The first few videos they had sent you had appeared to be unaware of what was happening, perhaps unconscious, it wasn’t affecting him as much, but watching you panic, writhe in fear and hearing those muffled screams… that was what broke him. That was what overloaded his EQ, his primal brain and made him shutdown.

Gabe had begun physically shaking Walter in the way someone would a person who had passed out. That was when his brain kicked in again. He went straight to his computer to download the video file, to try and begin pulling it apart in some software he had to find any clue or hint as to your location. It took Sly a minute or two to catch up and attempt the same thing from a different angle on his own computer. Walter had begun to snap at anyone who seemed to be falling behind in their natural duties. Began to look harassed and was poorly hiding his panic.

Toby then began to write up a psych profile on the abductors in the hopes it would help with narrowing down locations or motives. Happy began to work on something to help track you using whatever information the rest of the team could extrapolate.

You heard the bangs first. The loud, deep voices shouting something. The people in the room shouting among each other, panic beginning to rise among the group. Heard the door open and close quickly, the quickly pacing footsteps of those that remained to guard you. It took what felt like ages before they got antsy and left the room. You heard other noises you couldn’t quite identify and then you felt yourself being lifted. You began to panic again and must have passed out, when you awakened you were relieved that you did in fact have your sight back and had not gone blind. Then you panicked as you realised you were in hospital. Nurses came to check on you due to your increasing heart rate. They gave you medication to try and relax you. Then you were being interrogated by several people in suits. You quickly had your adrenaline wear off and became numb and begun reacting on impulse.

The team were watching another livestream, you were calmer this time, but still panicked in the video. Gabe was on a call and told them team “any minute now”. Within seconds the team heard the military extraction in the background of the stream and the immediate aftermath, including the military personnel picking you up and heard Toby’s analysis that you had passed out as a normal bodily function to the fear and panic of not understanding what was going on. The team had to wait a while before they could get to see you, the alphabet agencies each wanted to speak with you in turn and then you were on strict no visitor policies in between to get some form of rest. They sat in the waiting room for hours. Walter getting more annoyed at the time going past without seeing you. Toby watched the interactions of the group to let Paige and Gabe know when something was going to erupt, just to keep himself occupied, any time a doctor walked past he would try to find out anything he could from them. Toby noticed Paige’s demeanour change more and more the longer Walter paced, the longer he rubbed his face in his hands, the more annoyed look would come over Paige’s face, which would flicker to hurt and back to annoyed. Walter’s eyes darting towards the doors, his catching himself pacing up to the doors and fighting the urge to burst through them to see you, to see with his own eyes that you were physically alright.

The second Walter was given a hint of a green light to finally be able to see you he burst through the hospital searching for your room, the rest of the team trailing behind him. When he finally found your room, he stopped dead when he saw you standing next to your bed having a test done on your balance and reactions, you hadn’t realised he was there yet, staring silently, taking in the sight of you. You had sat back on the bed by the time the rest of the team caught up with him and Gabe’s subtle push to get Walter firmly into the room instead of hovering on the outside. The others watched from the door as Walter awkwardly moved into the room, how he awkwardly made you aware of his presence, coughing lightly. You turned quickly and the smile you gave Walter. It made his heart falter, his breath catch in his chest. He hadn’t realised he had opened his arms to cradle you tightly until your body practically collided with his. Toby began to make fun of “Mr. 197 IQ” but quickly stopped once he was elbowed in the ribs to ‘read the room’. What he didn’t miss was the very teary look in Paige’s eyes and the distinct quickness of her suddenly being distracted by something at the other end of the hall. All you could hear over the tears and both you and Walter’s rapid heartbeats was him faintly whispering into your hair, “it’s fine, you’re back and you’re safe with me.”

GIF credit to the owner

Tag List;

@lastwandastan (won't allow tag) , @lollipopsandlandmines

[jerzwriter]

I hope you have a day full of love and sunshine - you deserve nothing less! Thank you for always caring about others and spreading joy - even when it's not the easiest thing to do. Thank you for always, always being there for me, and for simply being you. It was a very, very good day when you entered this world, ma'am. We're all better for it!

I hope you enjoy this beautiful art from @callmebeem. Olivia deserved some love today, too. You know darn well Merida & Casey would never let her day slip by uncelebrated, so here's a little fic for you - I hope it makes you smile. Sending you a huge hug and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Something Sweet

Open Heart | Bryce x Olivia, Ethan x Merida, Tobias x Casey | Teen | Approx. 1300 words | Merida belongs to @lilyoffandoms| Olivia belongs to @storyofmychoices

 In some ways, it was a typical Boston morning. The Paramount Diner was bustling with city-dwellers grabbing sustenance before heading to work. The clattering of dishes, morning news blaring from the TV, and a mixture of North End and Brahmin accents shouting orders to Joey, who manned the grill, was not out of the ordinary. The unusual thing was our chatty little crew could actually hear it.

It had become a Wednesday morning tradition. Ethan and Bryce headed there right after the gym; Merida and Olivia stopped by before work, and Casey and Tobias arrived just after... well... you know. Olivia had dubbed them the “breakfast besties,” and Ethan did his best to prevent rolling his eyes every time he heard it. On a typical morning, there would be at least three different conversations taking place, each trying to yell over the other, and anything happening outside of their table would be a misty blur.

But today, you could hear a pin drop. It could be attributed to a late case that left Tobias, Casey, Ethan, and Merida with very little sleep. Or it might have to do with the flight they had to catch in three hours. Perhaps Bryce had a case of nerves over the surgery he had been called to assist on at U Mass Memorial. The rare procedure was being streamed live to nearly every major hospital and medical school in America. No pressure there. The only one who appeared to have a normal day ahead was Olivia, and that was the problem.

Bryce scowled in an utterly oblivious Ethan's direction. But the curmudgeonly doctor couldn’t ignore the handsome, young surgeon when he blurted out, “I can’t believe you had to make this presentation today... of all days!”

Merida looped their arm with Ethan’s and leaned in close.

“Hey, you know I’m the last one who would typically rush to his defense, but I don’t think Ethan had anything to do with scheduling the AMA symposium.”

“And while I’m the next to last person to rush to his defense,” Tobias jumped in. “I can confirm he wasn't on their selection committee, either. So he wasn’t the one that invited us to present.”

Ethan reached for his coffee with a shake of his head. “Thank you both... I think.”

Across the table, Olivia was growing increasingly uncomfortable. “Guys, it’s OK. We’ve been over this before... I don’t mind.”

“Well, I mind,” Bryce frowned, and Ethan couldn't hold back anymore.

“Lahela, for what it’s worth, I’m not responsible for you being asked to assist on a pulmonary autograft at U Mass either.”

“I know,” Bryce unreasonably tried to reason. “But if you didn’t have the symposium today, I wouldn’t have to worry about Olivia being alone at Edenbrook on her birthday!”

“Bryce,” Olivia comforted. “It’s all right. I’m a big girl, and we’re all celebrating this weekend. It’s OK.”

And it was. She was an adult, after all, not only an adult but a doctor, just like the others. It would be silly to think that their busy worlds would stop just because it was her birthday. But if she was completely honest, she was a little sad that she wouldn’t see any of their faces in Edenbrook today.

“It’s all right,” Casey said, tapping Olivia’s knee. “We are going to spoil the heck out of this beauty on Saturday.”

“Damn straight we are,” Merida chimed in. “We have an epic spa day planned, with bottomless mimosas to boot! You guys are lucky if we remember to meet you for dinner after!"

“Oh, you’ll remember,” Tobias chuckled. “If you think Casey will forget meatballs at Carmelina's, you’re bugging.”

Ethan let out a sigh. "Is this where someone makes an obnoxious comment about these two and meatballs."

"Only you," Casey teased. "You really need to stop being such an adolescent, Ramsey!"

Ignoring the exasperated expression on Ethan's face, Casey turned to Olivia.

“I love that we share a favorite restaurant.”

“Of course we do,” Olivia grinned. “We have exquisite taste!” She turned to Bryce and lovingly brushed his hair away from his eyes. “Honey, as far as I’m concerned, Saturday is my birthday, and it will be great. Today... it’s just another Wednesday.”

After giving Olivia a dozen kisses, Bryce left directly for U Mass while the others headed to Edenbrook. Olivia had a busy day ahead, and her friends were checking in on patients before their flight. But Casey couldn't help but feel sad when she watched Olivia walk away.

“I know I said it doesn’t matter, but I was just trying to look at the bright side. Honestly, I hate that we won't be here for Liv’s birthday.”

“Yeah,” Merida soughed. “I feel the same way. Of all days for us to all be away.”

“In reality, we’d all be busy working anyway, but at least we could take little moments throughout the day to make her feel special, you know?”

Merida tapped their pen on the desk. That glimmer that appeared in their eyes whenever an idea struck suddenly appeared. “Come with me!" Merida said, grabbing Casey's hand. "I have an idea.”

~~~~~

Several hours later, Bryce was focused on his surgery as the other's plane touched down in Cleveland. Olivia grabbed her folders from the nurses’ station, surprised to find a bright pink envelope on top of the stack.

With a gentle smile, she put the note in her pocket and continued with her day. Before she knew it, she was ready to sign off for lunch when Nurse Laura handed her an envelope.

“What’s this?” Olivia asked. “I’m not waiting on any results?”

“Not sure,” Laura shrugged. “But I was given strict orders to get that to you right before you headed to lunch.”

Olivia opened the envelope to find an ecru sheet of fine stationery, a note with penmanship not typically associated with a doctor inside.

Olivia beamed as she held the note close to her heart. She was filled with warmth, and not just because she was anxious for the delicious Penne.

“Laura, you have lunch now, don’t you?”

“I do,” the nurse nodded.

“Good! Join me! Carmelina’s portions are more than enough for two, and trust me! You’ll love this!”

~~~~~

The day was busier than usual, so it passed by in a flash, and now, it was time to go home. She just had to make one stop at the nurse's station, to pick up the beautiful flowers Bryce had delivered. But it looked like her surprises weren’t over yet. An adorable pink box from Little Miss Cupcape sat next to her flowers, a colorful note affixed.

The nurses watched on silently as Olivia’s eyes began to tear. “Your friends really love you,” Laura smiled.

“I know,” Liv blushed. “Leave it to them to make me feel special from seven hundred miles away.”

She gathered up her belongings when Laura reminded her of just one more thing... there was no way the nurses were letting her leave before they got to sing.

I hope you enjoyed this, Dani. I know this isn't the easiest birthday for you, but I still hope you find joy in special little moments throughout the day—just like Olivia did here.

Sending you the biggest of hugs! xoxo

[scurvyratt]

Oz fast food barista AU (as someone who has had 3yrs barista experience). Also their ages can be pretty flexible in this au. Maybe they're college students maybe they're middle aged idk.

Tobias: He's definitely a shift leader and is one of the most responsible employees. Customers like him and he's the person you go to when you need a shift covered. He may not be the fastest barista but he never messes the drinks up.

Busmalis: Random elderly coworker. He's nice but he is SO slow and it stresses everyone out when they see that he's scheduled for a morning rush. Also he spills everything.

Rebadow: Sweet old man customer who orders the same thing every time (black coffee, prefers to pour his own creamer. Also a bagel with butter, prefers to put the butter on himself). Leaves a $1 tip lol.

Chris: Fuck boy employee. Has slept with TOO many coworkers and slips his phone number to like 20 different customers every shift. He's kinda entertaining but otherwise miserable to be around. He isn't particularly good at making drinks and he def doesn't help with cleaning or prep,, but he is unfortunately good at drive thru and making tips.

Ryan: The workplace gossip and devils advocate- you want to know anything about anyone? Ask Ryan. Somehow, he knows everything. He riles people up for fun and pits his coworkers against each other. He spends a lot of the time in the back on his phone, or in the bathroom doings drugs (yes I had a coworker who would do this lol), but sometimes he does work hard; It's very on and off with him. If u work with him for long enough he will tell you about his own relationship troubles. Also he's weirdly obsessed with one customers (gloria).

Miguel: He's fun to work with and is a pretty fast barista, altho he gets in trouble often and has even been fired a few times but somehow they always take him back. Runs to the window whenever there's a dog and makes sure to give them a pup cup. Is the only one who likes cleaning the espresso machine.

Chico: Is best at the food station or as a barista. Sometimes comes to work high but somehow he works better that way. WILL fight customers he does not gaf. Will make shady comments to a customers face if they don't leave a tip. Does not care about milk allergies and rolls his eyes when asked to remake a drink.

Omar: Same as Busmalis where he makes a lot of mistakes😭. Can talk to customers for a long time even if they clearly want to leave and are over the convo. They try to keep him in the back doing prep or the dishes but he loves doing drive thru even though he messes everything up.

Kareem: Shift leader who dreams of becoming manager. WILL call you out if he catches you stealing or sitting around, like if he is on the schedule it will not be a chill shift. He gives good advice sometimes so you would probably like him if he wasn't your annoying snitch coworker lol. He's the only person who makes sure that the bathroom is clean. Is pretty good at making tips.

Kenny: That one random teenager. Probably the laziest employee. He sits on the counter and plays games on his phone, even in front of customers. He's kinda amusing until you remember that he's a misogynist. Constantly threatens to quit but he never does.

Augustus: Okay so since he's in a wheelchair he may have to just stay in one position (I did some googling). Like just drinks or just drive thru since it's pretty cramped behind the counter. He's excellent at taking orders and makes customers laugh. A man who values his breaks. Like he doesn't gaf if the drive thru line has 20 cars, he WILL go sit out back to get some air.

Schillinger: gets paid minimum wage but also thinks that the minimum wage should not be raised. CREEPY. Like you do not want to work a closing shift with him. Will go on racist rants and all you can do is nod. Is a terrible barista and thinks that oat milk is woke.

Mukada: I imagine him as an operations manager type of person? Like he randomly pops into the store to see if everything is going fine. Everyone scrambles when they see his car pull into the lot. Ignores all the dirty jokes that they make. Tries to gently guide everyone to follow the rules but it's hard.

Adebisi: Also a creep that you won't want to work alone with. Do not put this man on drive thru... but he's an alright barista actually. Likes coming up with his own drinks. Has earbuds in when working and no one can get him to take them out.

McManus: Manager who is mad about the fact that he works for a fast food place. Honestly tries to be chill but will lose his shit over the most random things. You can tell him the times that you prefer to work but he will ignore that and schedule you whenever anyways. Does not take shit from customers and will defend his employees against them.

Okay ermm there's prob a lot of other characters that I could do but lolol

[tache-noire]

You still want depraved ghost fic thoughts????

My dude I am a /slut/ for a dubious consent. Like... sometimes U just wanna have to completely surrender yourself because you don't have a choice??? Does that make sense??? Idk if this is sort of what Ur looking for but like??? I'm very feral for Copia so like, the idea of suddenly a gloved hand over my mouth and just being yanked into a fuckin supply closet or something and being threatened if I make a noise??? Mmmmmmmm

i made it a little spicier whoops

also in my world Copia has a fancy lavish room because fuck canon, i’m writing the stories Tobias is too afraid to.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Rating: 18+ (explicit sexual content)

Ship: Papa IV/Copia + M!Reader

Word Count: 1,953

Contents: Dubious Consent (at first), semi-public sex, turning the tables, degradation, blowjob, anal sex, definitely not enough lube but its porn so who cares, slightly irresponsible/under-negotiated kink, unexpected aftercare (i sure as hell wasn’t planning on writing it but it happened somehow)

Summary: You and Copia have something of an “open door policy” about sex, but even that has exceptions. Something snaps when he catches you at a bad time.

You're tired. Exhausted, even. Not just physically (cleaning is your least favorite job in the Ministry, and you couldn't trade with anyone), but mentally as well (to make things worse, you were stuck with a Brother who never shut up about the Baptist church he grew up with). All you want to do is shower and go straight to bed, but Papa is back for a couple of days between nearby Rituals, and he requested your company for the night, as he usually does. You won't just stand him up. The least you can do is go tell him in person that you're not up for it tonight.

That's the plan.

Right up until a hand darts from your peripheral and drags you into a broom closet on your way.

"Son of a--!"

A gloved hand claps over your mouth before you can really raise your voice. You're shoved up against the wall and your legs forced apart, and that's when you start to panic. Your assailant's hips are pressed against yours. He's rock hard, rubbing against your ass like he owns it. Fuck no. This isn't happening, not fucking tonight of all damn nights. You buck hard and try to lash out behind you with a fist, but it’s caught with ease in an iron grip.

Soft lips press against your knuckles, then just below your ear.

"Shh... There are still Siblings out at this hour, tesoro. Do you want them to find you like this?"

Instantly, all your fear turns to irritation. He must feel your body relax, because he loosens his hold and takes his hand away from your mouth.

"Copia?!" You hiss.

He nips your ear sharply. His hands roam freely over your body now that you're not fighting him anymore.

"That's Papa to you, Brother," he growls, groping at your dick.

Honestly, if he'd caught you any other time, on any other night, you'd gladly let him have his way like this. But this time...

"I've been gone for weeks, and you greet me so coldly?"

... His attitude is really pissing you off.

With his guard down now, you throw Copia off your back and whip around to bar your arm against his throat. The two of you stumble back until he hits the opposite wall, and he grips your shoulders defensively.

"So what, being Papa means you can just take whatever you want?” You bark.

Copia chuckles. “Positions of power do come with perks, carino.”

You press harder against his throat, until you can feel him struggle to swallow.

“Funny. You don’t look like you’re in a ‘position of power’ right now.”

He’s still hard and throbbing against your thigh when you force it between his own. The two of you have a safeword, and he's not using it. Beyond that, Copia could easily fight you off if he wanted to. Anybody who's been in his bed knows that white eye isn't just for show. It comes with inhuman power, something he loves to throw around whenever he can. He's letting you pin him, and he lets you push him to his knees, too. His eye glows in the near-darkness, laser-focused on your hands as you unzip your pants and pull your dick out. It offers a convenient point of reference to curl a fist in his hair and pull his face up against your crotch.

"You wanna play rough, Papa? Let's see you take it, then."

He runs his hands up your legs, settling them on your thighs. You hold your cock straight just until he gets his lips around the head, then force him the rest of the way down. You're not quite hard, so it's not much of a challenge for him, yet. But with the way he moans around your length and works his tongue against the underside, you're sure he'll be struggling before long.

"That's a good boy. You better get it nice and wet for me. That's all you're gonna get."

Copia shivers. You wish you could see him right now. He always looks good sucking cock, but you've never seen him this way. Submissive and ravaged, nose pressed up against your pelvis as you grind against the back of his throat. You wonder if he'd even washed his paint off before trying to ambush you, or if it's smeared off his lips and along your shaft now. Fuck. More than anything, you'd love to see his face covered in your cum, mouth gaping open and panting-- but you have a promise to keep, and there's more than enough saliva dripping down your balls to keep from tearing Copia up too badly.

“Up, hands on the wall.”

He obeys as soon as you step away and give him room. You have to be quick. You give him two fingers to suck on while you get his pants open and pushed down just far enough to fuck. If you take too long, his spit will dry and.... It won’t be much fun for either of you, but especially not him. You’re just trying to teach the man a lesson, not kill him. The most you can do is open him up with your fingers, spreading them apart to fit the head of your cock between them. You have to cover his mouth now to muffle the ragged groan that rips from his chest.

“There’s still Siblings out at this hour, Papa,” you coo, mimicking how he’d warned you earlier. You hold his hip steady while you slowly ease your way in. He moans again when your pelvis hits his ass.

“Imagine what they’d think if they found you like this.”

Copia shivers against you. Around you.

“Oh, would you like that?”

He nods, pushing back against you, asking you to move. You start slow. He may be greedy and you may be feeling a little sadistic, but he's got a Ritual tomorrow, and he can't be limping around onstage because of you. Sister Imperator would have your head. It's a battle against Copia's own devilish sex drive. He can keep you on edge for hours, but you have to dig your nails into his hip to stop him from fucking himself harder on your cock.

"Maybe I should open the door. Let everybody see what a slut their great and powerful Papa is."

You work your way up from languid to powerful thrusts; still rather slow, but full and unyielding. Letting Copia squirm and whine for more. You rip the front of his shirt open one-handed, forcing him to bite his lip to keep quiet. Buttons fall and clatter to the floor, forgotten quickly as you run your fingers through his chest hair and pinch a nipple between them.

“Fuck, caro--”

The tone of his voice doesn’t help his case at all. In this stuffy broom closet, his skin is already tacky with sweat. Every stroke ends in an obscene slap. You wish you’d done this sooner, maybe under other circumstances. In a context where you could take your time to really enjoy the plush softness of his body. Still, you can spare a moment to kiss up his neck and bite his ear just as he’d done to you.

"There's plenty of other Brothers who'd love to have their way with you like this, you know," you warn him. You shove your fingers in Copia’s mouth to shut him up again as you pick up the pace.

"I could invite them to join in. Have you suck one off just like this while I fuck you."

Ever obedient, he sucks greedily on your digits, giving you an excellent demonstration of exactly how he’d sound. Sloppy, wet. Moaning around them each time you slam back into him.

"Let them take turns filling you up when-- fuck-- when I'm done with you--"

With the way Copia’s squeezing around you, that’s not gonna be much longer. You can tell that he’s close, too. He’s been so good, taking everything you’ve given and nothing more. He’s even better behaved than you usually are. But he doesn’t need to know that right now, not when he’s still being punished. If he’s getting any reward, it’s gonna come with a catch.

“Go on,” you snarl, slowing nearly to a stop. “Go ahead and touch yourself. Fuck yourself while you think about the whole Ministry using you like the whore you are, Papa.”

he’s pathetically quick to follow your commands, desperate to get a sweat-slicked hand around his dripping cock. Even more desperate to pick the pace back up and push back onto yours. You take your fingers out of his mouth, and you’re not sure he even notices. If he does, then he really doesn’t care about getting caught after all. He doesn’t bother to muffle his voice, even as it climbs in pitch and volume with his approaching climax.

When he comes, Copia moans your name and takes you up to the hilt. His ass clenches around you so tightly, it’s almost painful. You grit your teeth and shove him flat up against the wall. You keep him pinned while you keep fucking him, through and past his orgasm and to the point of uncomfortable overstimulation. He whimpers and squirms as you take your pleasure from his body, finally releasing deep inside him with a low groan.

You stay there, both panting in the darkness, until you’re soft enough to just slip out of his thoroughly-used hole.

Fuck, you thought you were tired before.

More importantly-- fuck, what just happened? Copia still hasn’t said anything. Maybe you went too far.

You’re about to leave and deal with the aftermath tomorrow, when he catches your hand.

“Aspetta, caro.”

“Papa, I can’t right now--”

He pulls you to himself and kisses you softly.

“No talking, just come to bed with me.”

Somehow, he sounds in better shape than you. You let him lead you out of the closet with his arm around your waist, although you do notice him leaning on you ever-so-slightly after a while, with a bit of a limp to his stride.

“... I’m sorry, Papa, I don’t know what--”

“I won’t hear you apologize, carino.”

Copia takes you to his room, to the ensuite bathroom. He undresses you as well as himself, despite your protests. You shower together, practically melting in his arms. He washes your hair. Massages the knots from your muscles. Dries you off with a fluffy towel. Everything you swear you’re supposed to be doing for him right now. He keeps you cradled in his arms in bed.

“Why are you doing this?” You finally ask.

“Because this is what you needed. And I’m sorry I didn’t see that.”

“You can’t be sorry. I shouldn’t have taken out my frustration on you like that. Why didn’t you stop me?”

Copia scoffs and kisses your forehead.

“I would never pass up a good, rough fuck like that. Satana di sotto. Do you think I can’t handle myself, caro?”

You sigh. Of course he can. You bury your face in his chest, and he pets your damp hair soothingly.

“Mm. You have nothing to feel guilty for. Next time, we will prepare better. Make sure you are comfortable first.”

“Next time?”

“Of course, mio caro. I want more of this side of you. But we can talk about that tomorrow. Sleep.“

You want to talk now, but... Copia’s right. You can barely keep your eyes open, warm and cozy under his heavy duvet. Feet tangled together. His steady breaths and heartbeat lull yours in step. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t so dearly loved and wanted. You fall asleep at last, bone-tired and with the last of your worries faded away.

[murswrites]

Fluff Alphabet ⎯ Tobias Eaton

Character/Celeb: Tobias “Four” Eaton Fandom: Divergent MASTERLIST

A/N Thanks to my horrible mental health I can’t connect to any of the characters I usually enjoy writing for... only the ones that I consider #comfort characters (or if I simp for them *sigh*)

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

Intelligence and passion. He’s a smart guy despite looking like a hot meathead, Four definitely needs to be able to talk to someone and have them keep up without him feeling like he’s talking to a wall. What I mean by passion is the ability to continue through with something even if it’s hard. He finds hardwork to be rewarding.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

Probably not due to how his father raised him. Four doesn’t want to risk being a bad parent like his dad was.

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

He’s typically a big spoon but honestly he adores it when you hold him close at night.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Very lowkey, usually hanging out in his apartment or wandering the city at night.

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

“You are my salvation.”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

The first time you both opened up to each other, it was pitch black out but the full moon was enough for him to appreciate the softness in your eyes as you listened to what Markus Eaton would do to Four... it was in that moment when he knew you were the one.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

He hates the thought of ever raising a hand to you so Four handles you with his hands very gently. Four has feather-like touches because he’s afraid to break you.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Four prefers hugs but he likes when you press your palms against his.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

He thought you were a bit weak to be honest, but that soon changed as you advanced through the Dauntless initiation.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Sometimes, but Four’s rather chill about it. He’s not that insecure in your relationship so he doesn’t find it to be worth it to stress over another person shooting their shot.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

Four’s surprisingly tender and soft, shy almost. You definitely initiated the kiss.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

You do, Four’s terrified of putting himself out there even if he’s not insecure. He doesn’t want to risk himself for someone else.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

The first time you both opened up to each other, it was pitch black out but the full moon was enough for him to appreciate the softness in your eyes as you listened to what Markus Eaton would do to Four... it was in that moment when he knew you were the one.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

He tries to because he’s not the best at expressing his genuine emotions (hello childhood trauma) but lets be honest, Four’s better at giving you a rock he found rather than buying you material gifts.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Mustard yellow, it’s warm and neutral. It makes him feel safe.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

He’s not big on pet names but he would definitely come up with a terrible nickname based off of your first name just to terrorize you with.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Reading, he doesn’t “look” like a big reader but Four enjoys the simple things.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Rain doesn’t really affect his work so most of the time he’s working. But on the off chance it’s a day off, he’s probably in the gym training.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Four tends to bottle everything up and then channel it into his workouts so he often finds himself overworking himself if he’s feeling down or remembering his childhood too much. He cheers others (honestly just you, he hasn’t got many friends) up with simple gestures, usually offering a shoulder to lean on or cracking situation appropriate jokes.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

He prefers to listen but with you he ends talking through his trauma because it helps him when he knows you understand why he acts the way he does. 

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Believe it or not, he is a sucker for a shoulder or back scratch. He doesn’t know what it is but holy jesus does he feel good after his back is freshly scratched. Maybe it’s the shivers that go down his spine afterwards, but it’s nice nonetheless.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

His skillset. He’s proud of how far he’s come from being just his father’s son. Four’s not too much of an arrogant guy but if there’s a chance for him to impress someone he likes, he’s taking it.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

I think he’d do something simple and ask before buying a ring. Maybe it’d be over dinner or when you’re walking through the abandoned city at night. Either way he’d say it so carefully as though expecting a no from the get-go.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Body - Mother Mother

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

He’s never really been in love (unless that childhood crush counts) so not really. But once he meets you, he’ll catch himself imagining a perfect life.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

Four would just adore a big dog, I know it. Something like an Alaskan Malamute or a Samoyed because they’re so soft and ferocious. Plus free cuddles!

[sasarahsunshine]

Oh well if we’re bringing werewolves in I obviously gotta bring in ABO verse with alpha Hotch and omega Reid. I don’t like infidelity so I have to imagine this in an AU where Hotch either never married or they split much earlier but I love the idea of Hotch wanting Reid when the omega first joins the BAU (it’s the smell, Reid smells like *his*). And just Alpha werewolf courting the sweet omega on his team (I’m picturing this consists of gifts, often of food to show he can provide for Spence and also stuff like scenting once he knows Reid is open to his courting attempts) but it totally ends in one of those mating run things that I’m such a sucker for where the Alpha has to catch his Omega mate and just ugh. Spencer would probably be a bit skittish but also excited. He’s not used to this kind of attention (he was kinda the runt of the Las Vegas pack and wasn’t fully accepted) but now there’s Hotch whose strong and amazing (and sometimes intimidating) but for whatever reason wants him 🥺

Anon, you're just *feeding* me today and I am living for it!! <333

Werewolves with a/b/o elements (or vise-versa) are my jam! I freaking love combining the ideas of scenting with more primal/feral urges that come with the werewolf genre, you know?

And soft!Hotch!!! Courting Reid ;u; My heart can't take this oh my god <3

He's always bringing Reid food while they're on cases, slipping sweets into Reid's bag, leaving a book or soft thing (scarves and sweaters) on his desk- things that he learns the Omega loves. And Reid feels so lucky and overwhelmed. Because out of *any* Omega in the whole world- the whole FBI (there are plenty beautiful ones around), Hotch wants him? So he kinda ignores the courting for a little bit, cause he's worried that Hotch will regret it later.

So it's just this little game of cat and mouse (LOL), where Hotch steadily increases his advances/courting techniques because he's not sure what he's doing wrong. Omega's like gifts, don't they? He doesn't want to play favorites when they're on cases, so he easily separates himself from Aaron into Agent Hotchner in order to keep himself in line, and treats Reid as if he's just another agent (because he is, after all). So maybe he needs to up his advances in the field?

Meanwhile, Reid is adamant that Hotch doesn't actually want him as *his* Omega. He's small and weak and definitely not as attractive as some of the other Omega's they run into while in the field. Plus his home pack has drilled it into him that no Alpha would ever want him, so why would Hotch, this super amazing, strong, attractive, and very sought-after Alpha want him? It's probably just... hormone related. Or something.

Thus leads to my favorite idiots-to-lovers trope where the entire freaking team can see them pining for each other even though Reid keeps running from his feelings and Hotch wonders if he's doing something wrong.

Eventually, we get the cute scene where Reid gets injured (like always, honestly), and Hotch goes somewhat feral on the unsub to protect *his* Omega. The reaction is so strong that Reid can't possibly excuse/ignore Hotch's feelings/courting anymore. And then we get kisses and cuddles and the courting is finished with the chase (once Reid is healed enough to participate!).

Frick now I want this right now.

----

Tagging a couple ppl who might like this: @goobzoop @ssa-noa @tobias-hankel @brillianthijinx (maybe, idk?) <3

[lovely-necromancy]

A Cure for Insomnia CH.6

You wake up sometime around one. Not too late in the day given your morning. With a decent amount of sleep under your belt you roll over and start striping your bed of its sheets. Then you make your way across your room, picking up stray clothes as you go to your hamper and dump your collection of dirty linens and clothes into it. You carry the hamper to the bathroom where you load half into the washer. There's no real point in separating the clothes from colored items and pastels or whites. You're only twenty-four and don't have your life totally figured out yet. You can be a little lazy with laundry.

Once your first load of laundry is being washed you go to do your weekly tidy of your home. The one good thing that came from the paranoia of your car's break in was you rearranged all the furniture of the home, thus cleaning as you went. So that means it's more of a quick wipe down of counters and sweeping today. Maybe you'd organize your art supplies while doing your laundry. It's an activity that wouldn't distract you too much and make you forget you had laundry in the wash.

You finish washing the dishes from this morning you begin wiping the counters and tabletop when you notice your fidget cube is still on the table where Toby left it earlier.

'Don't want to lose this. Back to the bookshelf where you belong.' When you get to the living room's bookshelf you notice one of your book's is missing. Ironically it's The Book Thief.

'Tobias probably picked it up and put it down somewhere.' you'd keep your eyes peeled for the book while you cleaned.

After wiping down bookshelves, tables, counters, even the mantel over the fire place you still hadn't found your missing book. You probably picked it right up and placed it right back down without even realizing. You'll just keep an eye out until you find it. You don't even reread books, you really just kept a copy to lend out to people when they ask what your favorite books are. It isn't a real big deal if you can't find it, plus there's bound to be a copy floating somewhere in a thrift shop or yard sale.

The washer chimes right as you grab the broom to sweep. Pausing this task to go retrieve your laundry and do the rest. You empty the dirty clothes left in the basket onto the floor and place the clean wet ones inside the basket. After starting the final load you carry the basket out back. As nice as this home is its still small and doesn't have a dryer, which early summer is fine but come fall and winter might be more cumbersome. Seeing as you have to hang the laundry out to dry outside. Maybe when it gets cold you'll just do smaller loads and hang them up in the bathroom or over the fire place. But that's a thought for future you. Right now current you is struggling yet again to get a fitted sheet to sit on the line. Fitted sheets are probably Satan himself in disguise.

When you finish stringing all the laundry up you take a moment to just enjoy the quiet and the peace that comes with the outside. It's nice out here, maybe after you finish the last few chores today you can come out and just draw, it'd be a good way to also keep an eye on this weather in case it turns. While it hasn't happened yet you're very aware of the risks you take by ignoring the existence of meteorologists. And by that you mean just not bothering to look up the weather for the day.

Heading back inside you restart your task of sweeping. Like you thought you've finished before the washer has even completed it's first cycle. The house isn't too big so it's easy to clean it from top to bottom within a day normally, but today you had even less to do thanks to this week's rearranging. So you move on to organizing your art supplies and separating all materials by medium.

Of course arranging materials is never easy, after all you end up staring at all your horded empty sketch books and note how your thumbnail notebooks are just covered in doodles and random scribbles but no real art or ideas. Maybe it's time to start kicking yourself into gear. You ran into a major period of burnout before moving and now with this fresh start you might be able to focus on progressing with art, even if you don't pursue it as a career. You've always loved the ability to draw and create images that make others happy. But right in this moment you just want to make yourself happy. Maybe you could start small just a few still lifes and see how you feel after that.

Hearing the chime of the washer you hurry to finish putting away the supplies in their newly assigned places. Just as before you transfer the wet and clean clothes into the awaiting basket and take them out to be hung to dry. You don't have another fitted sheet this go round so it goes by much faster than it previously had. Now with all of your washing for today hung you head back inside to grab a fresh sketchbook.

Having never been one for scenery, more of a portrait artist, you start off with small things. A few stills of a flower under the window, the old tire swing on the tree, and even the blue jay that dove for dinner right in front of you. Of course all of these were warm ups done in a few minutes, though you really wish you had more time on the blue jay one. You really need practice with things that aren't people.

The warm ups of course don't look very good, but you can still see what you'd been going for. The hatching and smudging you'd done, to increase depth and give the quick drawing more life, did help a little but it was clear this was an area where you weren't skilled. But that didn't deter you, after all you  needed more practice and wouldn't be getting better without it.

Deciding to draw the scene before you, a small open meadow surrounded by trees, in other words your backyard with your drying laundry. You start off slow and make sure to actually look and take in the yard in front of you, doing your best to not just make up the trees and their shapes as you go. Soon you are lost in the meditative muscle memory of drawing. The scratching of pencil scrapping across paper further lulling you into a trance like state as you etch out the scenery.

A harsh breeze blows through and the loud flapping of sheet hitting sheet knocks you loose from your trance. Checking to make sure none of your laundry was flying off, it hadn't the laundry was still secured to the line. Smiling you glance down to actually see what you've sketched out so far. It isn't too bad, though you aren't sure how long you've been working on it, the trees all have a distinct shape rather than your typical cartoon one size fits all attempts. Scanning the page your eyes catch onto something off, out in the tree line it looks like you'd drawn a figure hiding behind a tree.

Hearing the beating of your heart that's currently hammering against your chest you look around. Did your mind do that as a joke or had someone genuinely been watching you draw? Your mouth is dry as your eyes scan the tree line for any sign of what could've been mistaken for a person, but you saw nothing. No one was there. Had anyone ever really been there? Why would you draw that? Why wouldn't you remember doing it? You don't feel safe out here anymore. There are eyes watching you you can feel it. They may not physically be there but the phantom eyes that surround you and cause your skin to crawl make sure you know of their presence. You take that as a sign to head inside for the evening, one that doesn't need to be repeated.

You lock the door immediately behind you and check your phone. It's seven, and you have an email notification. Thanking whatever power for the distraction you slide down your back door and open the notification. It's from Hollis!

YN r u  coming to SND? It's that teen beach zombie movie u love. Y;know the awful D list one Blk and wht with the 50yos playing teenagers

Lemme know I'll save your seat.

Sent 6:47 P.M.

They're so sweet to remember you loved this awful D list zombie movie. Horrible subplots and main plot and all. But you're a little spooked right now and watching even that joke of a horror movie is probably too much for you. You doubt you'd feel better by the time ten rolls around to watch it. Not to mention your battery's still drained from Toby this morning. And knowing for a fact you'd probably stay late to talk till morning with Hollis, Jake, and Kirby you decide it's best to skip this week. Just not having the energy to handle Saturday Night Dead.

Nah, sorry man. Battery's dead from being social earlier. Thanks tho, I do appreciate you! ….....,.... lemme know what next week's movie is!

Sent 7:10 P.M.

It'd probably be a good time to make something for dinner, there's a box of mac n cheese in the pantry. Simple but always beloved. As you wait for Hollis to respond you start on boiling water. But you didn't have to wait too long since they'd answered near instantly.

Chill, don worry we'll catch ya next week

…..oooop

ot not...Kirb's said it's the start of watching the entire warren file collection

starting from the beginning

...well the first movie released, Insidious. LOL we probs won't ever see you again.

Sent 7:12 P.M.

How dare Kirby betray you like this. First off those movies are awful, and like not cheesy awful just awful awful. Not to mention he knows how you feel about the Warrens and their cases. You have a power point presentation ready for that dick the next time you see him. ...well not literally but you'd make one to prove a point!

Where's Kirby now? I just wanna talk, I just wanna talk is all.

Sent 7:18 P.M.

Already ran off toy vermont probably

will we get blessed with a ted talk nxt week?

Sent 7:20 P.M.

I can't tell if you're joking or not. If you aren't then yea I can make a power point and we'll play that instead of the movies. Every week until this town understands the severity of this.

Sent 7:21 P.M.

Ya just jkin.

Your passionate hate is funny tho, so could be good to do something mid warren marathon.

Sent 7:23 P.M.

Guess the dissertation on how horrendous the “exorcisms” were will have to wait. They'd just been joking. This is probably a good ending of the conversation anyway, it's hard to tell sometimes but you feel you'll just run in circles with the current topic or worse fall into a rant that they won't read all the way through because they'll have left with the rest of the stunt gang to get dinner before heading over to the Cryptonomica for Saturday Night Dead. Hollis is typically a real good sport about this kinda thing but you'd rather not bog down their night with your hate boner for the Warrens.

'I'll let them know later that I'll still come to Saturday Night Dead next week.' you think as you dump the pasta into the water that finally came to a boil. It's quiet as you cook your macaroni dinner. You'd normally not notice the lack of sound or life in your home before, but maybe having Connor and Toby over put things into perspective. Guests aren't really a thing you've ever had, you always feel rude if your social battery runs out before someone's stay is over. But maybe you're lonely, and it's put you on edge.

Though this week would've put anyone on edge, you have still been alone in this house for two months. That can't be healthy for your mental well being, humans are social creatures by nature after all. Maybe you could get a pet, something that'd make it's fair share of noise and give the home a bit more life than your normally hollow shell wondering the halls. Are you even sure you want a pet? Do you have time for one? You have the standard nine to five, but what about when you're off on a nightly trip because of your sleeplessness? What if you forgot about them? Hell your brain's been so foggy these last few months, it wouldn't be surprising.

Like a sign from the divine themselves, the pot of water boils over. Steam is rising as the sizzling is heard. Your head snaps twice to the right as you scramble to lower the heat and raise the pot off the eye. Putting it down on an unused eye you give it a quick stir and thankfully no pasta got burned to the bottom of the pan....this time. The pasta seems a little crunchy but a texture you'll eat so you kill the hot eye and start on the cheese portion of your mac n cheese.

As you eat you continue your original debate about getting a pet. Ultimately deciding that you just aren't ready for that kind of responsibility right now. Sure you'd had tons of pets in your parents' home but that was with a financial safety net and back when your mental health wasn't all over the place. Not to mention the pets were family pets and responsibility was split three ways.

There isn't much room in your home for you to have a roommate, and that presents a whole nother set of challenges. You could try to make friends through online forums again! It's hard to talk to people in general but you always get scared off before replying to a comment or post. Or overshare to the point people infantize you. Even better trying therapy out could help with your loneliness. Hah ok good one, even if you had money for it consistently you don't think you could trust someone knowing all your secrets but not knowing any of theirs. And while that in and of it self is an example of why you need it, you're rational enough to realize you aren't ready for that either.

After finishing your meal you put away the left overs and clean the dishes. You'll be happier tomorrow knowing they aren't your problem to deal with. You start to make your way to your bedroom but freeze just before the hall.

'You shouldn't stay here...you need to leave.'

A glance at the time tells you it's eight thirty-nine, if you left right now you could make it to Saturday Night Dead with time to spare. You don't need to fill the loneliness with new friends, just spend time with the ones you already have. Duh. Turning you grab your keys off the bookshelf and take one of the masks hanging from a hook by the door.

Checking your door was locked and locking your car once you were in, you're ready to drive. Knowing you're still overstimulated you forgo the music on this drive, hoping it will calm you down enough to enjoy the movie and some down time with friends. And that would help put a pin in your self isolating habits. It'd really be nice if you brought movie snacks over to surprise the gang. You're pretty sure the mini mart carries everything you need. Jake likes swedish fish, Hollis is addicted to those extreme sour airhead ropes, and Kirby's a weirdo with his love of red vines and surge. Hahaha that man will die before he's thirty-eight.

Still having the extra time you deiced to stop by the mini mart and grab the candy. What's the worse that can happen you have another panic attack in front of strangers. Plus you hadn't seen Magnolia the last few times and you'd hate for her to think you'd been ignoring her. Pulling into the empty mini mart parking lot you take a breath to steel your resolve before leaving your car.

Tim looks at the door when he hears the chime and stiffens when he sees you. Fuck you did have a panic attack in front of this guy last night, plus you really haven't formally met. But didn't Toby say his roommate was named Tim? And he and Brian were both here talking with Tim last night before you came in. That can't be coincidence.

“uh...hi?” you say awkwardly standing in the doorway, door closed behind you.

“um, hi?” perfect he's just as awkward in this situation as you are. You can work with this.

Moving through the first two isles you keep your eyes peeled for Magnolia, even though you can make this an in and out trip for candy, you do miss the little bodega cat.

“Wh- hey are you, are you even ok to be here?” Tim calls as he rounds the counter and makes his way to you.

“Huh? Oh...oh yea. I'm chill now.” you hear the bell before you see her. The little ting tin ting of her bell that comes with the grace only fluffy cats have.

“You literally collapsed on the floor last night after blacking out while driving.” his tone is very stern. He and Nate would probably get on like a house on fire. The grumpy old men who secretly care a lot duo.

“I don't remember collapsing...but I know I didn't drive.” well you don't know that but you do firmly believe that.

The man is just turning into the isle when you spot the floof sauntering just behind him. Magnolia didn't spare either of you a glance as she made her way to the counter. Probably going to her bed, an old shipping box for apples, you'd just meet her over there then. With no warning to the man you squeeze past him and and follow the cat. Agitated footsteps following after you in your quest to pet the cat.

Magnolia perks up upon seeing you, the flicking of her tail letting you know she's anticipating her pets. The huffing Tim hovering behind you isn't as pleased with your actions as the cat is. The man is radiating negativity, annoyance maybe or is it concern that breeds frustrated anger? The second he starts to clear his throat, as if to remind you of his hovering, you roll your eyes.

Looking back at him over your shoulder you see him in all his grumpy man glory.  His brow was furrowed so hard his thick eyebrows nearly covered his eyes. But with the way his lips emoted the man before you looked more like a pouting muppet. It would be funny if it weren't for the foreboding feeling of the moments before being reprimanded by a teacher.

When you straighten up you take note that your eyes meet perfectly. He's the same height as you that's surprising, you thought he'd be taller than 5'7. His eyes widen slightly at seeing your full height, it must've thrown him off since the first time he saw you, you'd actively been trying, and had succeeded at looking smaller.

“What are you doing here?” well he doesn't get thrown off for long.

Running a hand through Magnolia's fur a few more times as you respond, “Petting Magnolia.” you really are a little shit sometimes.

“No...no, why are you out? Toby had to take you home last night, you shouldn't just be waltzing around town after that.” maybe it was frustrated concern.

“Oh I'm fine now.”

Magnolia at this point has jumped up on the counter and is headbutting you for more attention. Chuckling you turn your attention back to her. Meanwhile Tim behind you is at a loss for words.

“Fine?? You don't just...bounce back from a panic attack.”there's personal experience behind those words.

“I just rationalize things fast.” Hearing the trill of the clock on the wall reminds you that you need to grab those snacks and head over to the Cryptonomica for movie night.

Going to the candy isle you grab one of each of the gang's favorites, you snag a bag of white cheddar popcorn on the way to the counter and place your items there. Tim doesn't get a word out before you rush off to the cooler near the back that is in all honesty pretty sketch. Like who even makes  Fruitopia anymore? That stuff got discontinued in the early 2000s. The cooler even has Hi-C Ecto Coolers...you might actually check if they're in date and grab a few.

Rummaging around the cooler you finally spot the weird tech green and black splattered can proudly stating SURGE. It has no date...questionable at best. But hey it's only Kirby drinking it, and it's been well established that man will die well before middle age.   Grabbing a can to check the Ecto Coolers, luck is on your side! These cans are from the re-release that happened as a promotion for the Ghostbusters revival a few years back, they'll be good for another two years! For now you'll just take one so you won't have to worry about lugging cans around for the movie.

Once your new items are placed on the counter the expression on Tim's face cannot even be described. The questions of the surge are probably the ones easiest to read...or they're just the most predictable.

“Kirby likes red vines and surge, sickening right?” Maybe a little joke will break the ice.

“...Like that little round pink...thing?”  What?

The laughter is coming out before you can stop it, the image of said pink Kirby consuming red vines and surge only to accessorize as your friend comes to mind. It's adorable and cursed at the same time. Adorably cursed. You'll have to draw that and print a few copies to hang around the Cryptonomica.

“No,” you're choking on giggles at this point, “Kirby, the owner of the Cryptonomica.” catching your breath and regaining your composure, “It's that tourist trap just across from the RV park.”

“Oh.” normally such a short cold reply would make you shut down the conversation. But This is Toby's roommate, and if you want to be friends with Toby, you'll probably run into him a lot more. Plus if he's a new night shift cashier it wouldn't hurt to be on good terms with him for when you're out on adventures.

“Yea, hey Toby mentioned you three just came to town, so you might not have known but the Cryptonomica does a weekly movie night on Saturdays. Saturday Night Dead. Normally it's awful old horror movies but next week they're starting a Warren Case files “arch”.” Tim doesn't take the conversation bait at the pause.

“It's a great way to meet other locals, you guys should check it out if you get the chance. It starts at ten and runs till one or so on most weeks.” Olive branch has been extended.

Tim relaxes for the first time since you got here tonight. The sheepish look on his face and twitchy pupils give the impression he's thinking it over. He sighs and nods before saying, “Yea, that sounds...nice.”

Olive branch skeptically taken! You'll count this one as a win in your book. With the mood lightened Tim breaks the ice a bit further.

“Surge and red vines can not be good for you.”

“Right! If living off mountain dew and pizza rolls doesn't kill him, this for sure will.” you both have a small laugh at that. It's nice to finally have cleared up the mix up from the beginning of the week. Which reminds you.

“Oh...um...I'm YN by the way. It's nice to meet you...sorry for the two,” your neck tics to the side, “previous nights.” you finish.

“Tim...and it,uh happens sometimes...'s fine.” Score awkward acknowledgment of previous meetings and you can now erase those from your nightly anxieties.

Tim finishes ringing and bagging your items and you pay. Giving another pet to the curled up kitty on the counter you nod farewell to Tim.

A trill rings out from the clock on the wall. It's ten.

Two heads snap to look at the wall. You take a second glance at your phone while Tim checks his watch. Both say the clock on the wall is correct. But it just turned nine not even ten minutes ago. Right? You can brush off yourself loosing track of time but when you involve another person that just doesn't make sense. Tim looks just as concerned as you. Only Magnolia lays unaffected by the lost fifty minutes.

“I should go.” Tim nods numbly to you as you exit the store.

You won't be able to make it to the movie, well you could but you'd disturb someone if you walked in mid movie. Choosing to go home instead you drive, once again without music. Entering your home you hang your mask back on the hook. Putting away the drinks and snacks for next weekend, you make your way to your bedroom. Once again freezing just before the hallway. Turning to your living room you can see a book in the middle of your coffee table. You definitely don't remember the book being there, and doubt you'd miss it out in the open. But as you got closer you could confirm, even in the dark, that it was The Book Thief.

[infinityactual]

-cracks knuckle- Okay. Before I get into this, please read the tags.

That being said.

Tobias Buckell, I have a huge fossilized bone to pick with you.

In the book Envoy, it's mentioned that a HAVOK thermonuclear device has been repurposed by colonists to power their settlement, and is then repurposed again to power an EMP. I haven't read the book, and the synopsis on the Wiki was sparse, so apologies if I got the details wrong; it won't affect what I'm gonna say.

Things to know: Fission is the splitting of atoms by a neutron. Fusion is when atoms combine. Both release a lot of energy, but fusion is by and far away the more powerful of the two.

Firstly, nuclear weapons emit an emp without being repurposed. It's just what they do.

Secondly, while the fuel of a nuclear device can be used to power a reactor, you CANNOT just crack open a nuke, however carefully, and plonk the uranium or plutonium (or both, depending on the device) into a reactor. It is SO much more complicated than that.

Firstly: Reactor fuel, while enriched, is nowhere NEAR as enriched as weapon fuel. Also, enrichment refers to the concentration if a specific isotope of U or Pu, not how elementally pure it is. ²³⁵U and ²³⁹Pu are the isotopes found in weapons grade fuel, with the uranium being 93% ²³⁵U. Reactor grade fuels are composed mostly of ²³⁸U (about 80%, with approx. 20% being ²³⁵U) and Pu of a variety of mixed isotopes.

And like...I don't think most people know just how ungodly goddamn terrifyingly dangerous weapons-grade fuel is. These metals are ACTIVELY TRYING TO KILL YOU by this point. Plutonium can fucking spontaneously fission or, yknow, just. Catch fire. For no reason. Once a mass of Pu or U gets to a certain point, neutrons can't escape and the fission becomes self sustaining. This is the tipping point, or Critical Mass.

Even the SHAPE of the fuel matters A LOT. Yes, there are Bad Shapes when dealing with weapons-grade fuel, ESPECIALLY Pu. Bar? Billet? Ring? Yes, good. You can have a critical mass in these shapes and not kill yourself. Sphere? Better be a fucking small one. And even then, if you so much as drop something on a softball-sized sphere of Pu, you will die. 3 scientists found this out the hard way while conducting experiments on the infamous Demon Core.

Shit, even Pu IN SOLUTION can and HAS killed simply because some poor sod turned on a mixing kettle, and the vortex created pushed enough Pu solution close enough together that Cecil Kelly died a very, very bad death after only thirty-four hours. By contrast, the victims of the Demon Core lasted days and weeks, and people present at Chernobyl lasted weeks, even YEARS after exposure. These events are called criticalities, or, in a reactor, a power excursion.

On to mechanisms. Weapons first.

A thermonuclear device actually uses two phases, both fission, to set off the fusion reaction.

The implosion type fission explosive puts pressure on another fission device that contains the fusion fuel. Boom. Micro-star.

For reactors, the fuel is compressed into pellets, and then loaded into tubes called fuel rods. These rods are then loaded into a reactor core, where they generate heat that boils water and the steam turns turbines.

As Chernobyl (and SL-1) show, a reactor is capable of a devastating explosion. However, by weapon standards, the explosion is considered a 'fizzle'. This is because of the low enrichment of the fuel pellets compared to weapon fuel. Also, the mechanism of explosion is different in a reactor, depending on the type (Light Water, Pressurized Water, and Liquid Metal reactors). PWR reactors, the most common type, the aformentioned explosions, while differing in some details (core size, condition of the core, and core status at the time of the excursion) were both caused by some, or multiple, jackasses removing control rods from the core. This meant that (and I'm summarizing in the case of the Chernobyl RBMK reactor) the fission became self-sustaining, which flash boiled water, which then caused a steam explosion. (Fun fact: the SL-1 reactor experienced an excursion that peaked at TEN MI L L I O N PERCENT above what the reactor was designed to produce. The wiki article is WILD.)

All down to operator error.

Now, LMFR reactors (Liquid Metal Fast Reactors) use molten metals as the coolant. They have higher power density, are very compact, and actually in use aboard nuclear subs and aircraft carriers. They use the same fuel as a BWR.

Next: Megatons To Megawatts and Breeder Reactors (I see you kinky bastards, you sit the fuck down.)

So, theoretically, yes, weapons fuel can be turned into reactor fuel. If you know what the fuck you're doing and have all the correct, highly specialized equipment. Weapons-grade fuel has to be downblended, or mixed with natural uranium to the 20/80 ratio of ²³⁵U/²³⁸U. And reactor fuel can be used in weapons. This is where breeder reactors come in (SIT. DOWN.) A breeder reactor makes more fuel than it consumes by reacting Uranium into reactor-grade Pu, which is a mixture of isotopes. This can be used in weapons, but the yield is. Paltry, with a high chance of a fizzle.

So. Unless these fucking colonists were a bunch of nuclear goddamn physicists and  nuclear engineers who just HAPPENED to have the parts for a LMFR just lying the fuck around, AND the equipment, materials and know-how to downblend AND THE  RE-FUCKING ENRICH the original weapon fuel (Both of which, by the way, can take FUCKING MONTHS) there is no way in all seven goddamn circles of H E L L that a HAVOK could be used to power a city.

Tobias Buckell, I am going to put so much pudding in your underwear.

So many legos on your floor.

I am going to haunt the living AND dead shit out of you.

...

The kinky bastards may now stand.

[chosenimagines]

You and me?! (Gryffinclaw)

Universe: Harry Potter

Summary: Tobias and Anabella can’t stand each other! But a fight on the Quidditch field gets them into a difficult situation

Used Prompts: -

Warnings: Enemies to Lover, soft swearing, mentioning of fights and wounds

Language: English

Request: yes/no (by Anon) could i make a request for an enemies to lovers gryffindor x ravenclaw short story if u have time? thanks in advance! <3

Requests [Open]

A/N: This one shot/imagine can be found as well on my wattpad^^

My requests are open on wattpad and tumblr^^

🖊️    🖊️    🖊️   🖊️

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The bass filled the Great Hall like it had never been before. The school year was finally over and to the students’ delight the end of the year was brought forward. But how it had come to this was a different story. Now Hogwarts celebrated! The party showed the relief of the student body. The classes were over and the O.W.Ls as well! The only thing which was left was the last Quidditch game of the year. But this was only the grand final for the school year! The year couldn’t end any better. Only Toby who wanted to go back to his room had no luck at the party!

Linda was close on his heels and didn’t let go of him. He could do what he wanted to it didn’t work! No matter if he was nice or he was mean to her Toby couldn’t make clear for her that he was not interested in her. Especially not in a romantic point of view! He would rather with Ana- Quick he discarded that thought. It was as silly as Linda’s flirt attempts! Worse was that she didn’t care about the rejection he gave her. She ignored it the facts which Toby told her over and over again. Linda made approaches to Toby even though it was the last thing Toby wanted in the entire world. Okay, it was time for plan B! That would make clear for Linda that he didn’t want her no matter how hard and insensitive that may seem. A glare into the crowd and the idea for a plan B was born! Admittedly Toby needed he worst (and only) enemy but for his peace he had to bite the bullet. “That means nothing, Whitlock!”, Toby warned her when turned the Ravenclawgirl he hated towards himself. Before Anabella could react, Toby had pressed his lips onto Anabella’s mouth. The despair which led to this action was testable on the tip of her tongue while she stood infront of him dead still. She was way too shocked to move. What was that stupid Gryffindor doing?! “You have a girlfriend? Toby, who could you not tell me that you have a girlfriend?”, Linda who was behind Toby squealed. But he stepped up his game! He put his hands on Anabella’s waist and pressed her against himself the moment he intensified the kiss. Toby noticed the annoyed sigh from Linda and how the Gryffindorgirl left. Relieved from the moment Toby broke away from Anabella. He finally got rid of Linda! In the next moment Toby’s face flicked to the side. A burning pain prickled on his left cheek. As if it was a reflex, he put his hand on his cheek. He had not expected a different reaction! How could it be different when they rivaled with each other to the death for six years now. Anabella raised a warning finger. “Do not ever touch me again without my consent, Samson or I will chase you with an unforgivable curse before you could say ‘Sorry’!” After the threat she left fast.

“The last game of the year! Gryffindor against Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw against Gryffindor. And we have a tie! Even though the stunning-” A cough led to a crackling sound. Professor McGonagall probably cocked her ear -as always as Lee Jordan commented the games. Poor commentator! “I’m sorry, Professor!”, Lee mumbled sheepishly. But everybody -including the experienced teacher- knew it was always half the truth. “But back to the game! Things are getting lively on the field. The suspense is excruciating! Even the fans can’t stay on their seats anymore. But the tension on our beloved Quidditch was worse than on the stands. Especially the tension between Gryffindor’s 6 and Ravenclaw’s 3 was tangible! But we don’t know it differently, guys. Whitlock and Samson fight day and night just as today! But Whitlock is out to get her opponent more than usual- Au! That hit home, Toby. But our chaser isn’t easy to bring down with a buldger. Wait a minute! WAIT- PROFESSOR! Professor, that isn’t about to end week!” Lee was about to be right! Toby and Anabella had completely lost the game out of sight! Instead of focusing on the game they fought up in the air on their brooms. Cuts, bruises, scratches… Their faces and torsos were cluttered with wounds and blood which didn’t keep the 6th graders from fighting each other. Before a teacher could interfere, Anabella lost her balance and fell into the deep. Only a few meters parted her from hitting the ground. But it didn’t happen! Without thinking Tobias followed the falling girl and saved her from death by catching her. He could feel her body which was shaking out of death fear against his chest. But now she was safe! Through the shock Anabella managed to say a word. “Why?” Of course Toby understood instantly what Anabella wanted to know. “I don’t like you but that doesn’t mean that I’ll watch you fall into death.”

“In 38 years at this school I have never seen something this irresponsible! You will have detention during the holidays and your parents will be informed about this outrageous incident. Beside that Professor Flitwick and I are thinking about taking you two out of your teams until you graduated. Do you understand me?” With tilted heads the still wounded students answered: “Yes, Professor…” The teacher nodded and left the hospital wing along with her colleague. As if Minerva McGonagall’s lecture hadn’t been enough more raged scolding flew through the window. Problems over problems! The flow of them didn’t want to stop… They suffer in silence with pulled up shoulders, teeth-gnashing and almost closed eyelids while listening to the howler. But Toby was faster through the torture than Anabella. Anabella suffered longer! The voice of her mother filled the hospital wing. “NOT ONLY, THAT YOU HAVE BRING SHAME ON OUR FAMILY’S NAME WITH THAT DISGUSTING ROWDY-BEHAVIOUR OF YOURS WHICH I CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH! YOU HAVE BEEN SIX YEARS ON THAT SCHOOL AND YOU ARE HARDLY ABLE TO FIND A WIZARD THAT CAN STAND YOUR COMPANY. YOU NEED A MAN BY YOUR SIDE, ANABELLA! YOU NEED A STRONG MAN WITH MANARES ON YOUR SIDE LIKE ALL WHITLOCK-WOMEN BEFORE YOU. IF YOU DON’T GET A MAN WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR YOUR FATHER AND I WILL TAKE OVER THIS TASK FOR YOU!” After these harsh words the message destroyed itself. Tears filled the eyes of the Ravenclaw. But not one rolled over her cheeks. She would not cry infront of Samson. She would never be weak infront of Tobias Samson! Never. In the same seconde the same thought crossed the mind of the students. He/She has the same fate as I do… Immediately they forget about that. To be similar to each other in any way would be horror for both of them! After all there was nobody to them that was more disgusting than the other one. But the hate got less (on both sides) since the situation on the Quidditch field. Then Toby had an idea! Anabella’s mother gave him the idea. They both were born in a good house… It was so silly that it was genius and for both of them it was practical. “Hey Whitlock-” “Bloody hell, Samson! What do you want?”, Anabella hissed. No weakness, no weakness, no weakness, no weakness… It went through her mind again and again as if her life would depend on her mantra. Her life not, but her dignity. To show any weakness to Tobias had never been an option! “You and me have the same problem, Whitlock! So calm down. I know a solution.” Silent Anabella waited for the explanation. She crossed her hurting arms. “Your parents want to force you into a marriage if you don’t find the right guy and mine want to do the same thing. And I have Linda’s on my heels-” “State your point, Samson!”, Anabella interrupted the Gryffindor impatiently. She had no nerves to listen to long talks! Why did he talk so much? “Calm down, Whitlock! There are advantages for you as well. I suggest that you and I have a relationship. Fake of course! And we get rid of all of our problems.” The Ravenclawgirl laughed out loud. The thought was just stupid! “You and I? You are crazy!” “Don’t let it get to your head! I am not into you but the status of your family is exactly what my parents want for me and I am convinced your parents think the same way. Besides I am the perfect son in law!” “Don’t over work it, Gryffindor.”, Anabella answered dryly. “So what do you say! You and I and a fake relationship? Just until the next year ends.” Toby stopped for a moment. “Or until I found a girl I want to have a real relationship with. Until then we both don’t have to get married!” An annoyed sigh and an eyeroll were the comment to the previous words. “So what do you say, Whitlock?” “Deal! I am in.” Anabella took his hand and the deal has been sealed.