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slippinmickeys · 8 days ago

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The Unseelie Court (2/16)

Something about the mouth of the woods struck Mulder as they entered it—a kind of lonesome chill—and he reached out for Scully’s hand, something he normally would never have done on a case, particularly with local law enforcement loitering around.

She looked at his hand for a moment, considering, and then reached forward to grasp it, her eyes flicking up to his. If you could lay your thoughts bare with only your eyes, he did so, trying to convey an earnest sense of the psychic dissonance he felt when he peered into the darkness of the forest opening. Scully nodded and squeezed his hand and they crossed the threshold between beach and forest, and then they were inside of it.

The quiet struck Mulder first. There was no birdsong nor breath of wind; the space had the underwater feeling of a head cold. He looked up toward the canopy, expecting to see the tops of the trees waving against a matte gray sky, but saw neither—there was no sky at all to speak of, the tops of the trees interlocking as tightly as their fingers, so that all you could see when you looked up was a solid, green stillness.

The vegetation that had lined the beach was all cedar and shoreline undergrowth, but in the cavern of the woods were more stately trees: beeches and hemlock, and at its center, one large, wooly willow tree, the yellow-green whips of its branches hanging down to brush the ground like some great shaggy head.

“This doesn’t look quite right,” Scully said, the heat of her hand warming Mulder’s palm.

“It doesn’t feel right, either,” he said, and for once Scully didn’t press him.

The copse gave the impression of Atlantis sinking, of some verging, malevolent decline. It was dark where it should have been light: a penultimate place, somewhere you could only go once.

“What are we looking for?” Scully asked, stopping to look around the cloistered space.

“Evidence?” Mulder asked, for lack of a better answer. He wasn’t exactly sure.

“The footprints don’t extend into here,” Scully pointed out, looking at the ground. She loosened her grip as she turned to inspect more of the forest floor, but he squeezed her hand tightly, overtaken by an irrational, unnamed fear.

“I don’t know why,” he said, “but I feel like we shouldn’t let go.”

Scully gave him a long look. “That’s going to make doing the autopsy a little awkward,” she finally said, “but I’ll humor you for now.”

They walked a slow, concentric circle, looking for footprints or anything else out of place, but found nothing, eventually finding themselves back near the mouth of the forest. Then, from their right, just outside their periphery, there was a sharp glint of bright green light, like a camera flash, but when they both turned to look for the source, there was nothing there. As Mulder turned to Scully, he was suddenly struck by a memory of the night before, when he’d held both of her hands over her head, their fingers linked like they were now, her gasping into his mouth.

From Scully’s sharp inhale of breath, she was maybe remembering the same thing.

“Mulder, what—”

Another bright glint, and Scully swallowed her words as Mulder led them both toward where he thought it had originated. There, just outside the border of the hanging willow, was a single golden coin. Keeping his grip on Scully’s hand, Mulder kneeled down to pick it up.

“Wait,” Scully said, and Mulder paused. She stood and he crouched, their hands fused together, as awkward as Chang and Eng, and from her pocket, she shook out a small evidence bag. Mulder grabbed it with his free hand, turning it inside out so that he could pick up the coin with the bag before sealing it and standing.

“Let’s get out of here,” Mulder said. Scully offered no argument, and they ducked through the bracken and out onto the shore. To their right, the lake rippled like fish scales; the rain had stopped.

Up ahead, around where the body had been laying, there was a tent set up, and there were three Tyvek-suited techs kneeling amongst the sand, surrounded by a string grid. One looked up as they approached. They hastily let go of each other’s hands.

Scully checked her step once, mid-stride, but then resumed walking.

“You the FBI agents?” the man asked.

Mulder nodded, held up his badge.

“Where’s the body?” Scully asked, a hint of accusation in her voice.

“It’s been processed and wrapped, ma’am,” the tech said, annoyed. “It’s waiting for you at the morgue.”

Mulder and Scully exchanged a look. They’d only been in the woods, fifteen, maybe twenty minutes.

Mulder glanced up toward the road, expecting to see the swarm of deputies, but only the fleet sedan and the CSI van remained, the rest of the roadside chewed up by tire tracks and rain, empty as fairgrounds in the fall.

“But—” Scully started, then stopped, looking off-put.

Mulder shot his left wrist through his cuff and looked at his watch. If they were missing time, he had no way of knowing. He hadn’t been paying attention to the clock.

“Guess they work fast around these parts,” he said, uneasy in his own right. Then he handed over the coin they’d found in the woods and filled out the chain of custody form, using Scully’s back as a writing surface. He returned the pen to the tech and they both turned to go.

The ground as they walked was damp, but firm, and when they approached his car, there were several bright green maple leaves on the ground by the driver’s side door, as if the rain had knocked them from their tree’s limb. Mulder slid into the car, turning to Scully when she closed her own door.

“I’m thinking I can drop you off at the morgue and I can get us checked into a local hotel. You have your overnight bag?”

Scully nodded, distracted, looking out her window at the crime scene techs.

“How’d they get the grid set up so fast?” she asked, watching the team work.

Mulder considered his next words carefully. He’d wondered that himself. He was thinking ley lines, wormholes—odd, warped pockets of space-time. They had a victim who’d disappeared 26 years ago and appeared not to have aged at all. And then there were the peculiar coins in the man’s pocket; the iron. Of all the things he believed in, fairies weren’t really at the top of the list, but he was not one to discount anything, and one thing he and Scully had always agreed on was the adage: follow the evidence. That said, he could tell Scully was in a vulnerable place and it couldn’t hurt to ease their way in.

“Maybe we were in there longer than we thought,” he finally suggested.

Scully turned to him, her look puzzled. “I guess,” she said.

“So,” he hedged, then pointed at her. “Morgue?” He turned his finger on himself. “Hotel?”

Scully pressed her lips together and nodded.

#the x-files #fanfic #my fic #msr #the unseelie court #NOT a WIP

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dmsr-art · 6 months ago

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my husband spent all day at work in a tyvek suit spraying plants in the field and the first thing he said to me when he got home was "alright im a nasty boy come get a whiff" with his arms outstretched ive never felt so seen or heard before

#about mr vee #vee talks

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julieverne · 1 year ago

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The new Medical Examiner stayed in the basement. When she went out on a scene, she was covered head to foot in tyvek, a floppy hat on her head, an umbrella held over her.

"Cause of death?"

"Impossible to determine at this stage," Doctor Maura Isles said, despite the gaping wound in the torso. Jane sighed and shook her head, shifting the umbrella she held for the doctor, who fixed her in place with a stare.

"I burn very easily," Maura reminded her.

"Yeah, you said," Jane said, rolling her eyes. She held the umbrella still, though, looking down at the other woman. Pale, pale skin, the kind that would burn easily. Dark clothes - although Jane was also in dark clothes the didn't seem to contrast so starkly against her tanned skin. Red, red lips. Maura looked up again, and Jane looked away quickly, swallowing. She saw Maura's nostrils flare, a little smile on those taunting lips.

---

In the morgue, Maura seemed even smaller and paler, the bright lights flooding her out, making her blue veins visible. Jane paced nervously, but Maura didn't seem to mind. She seemed to welcome the company. The blinds were closed, and the evening was rolling in.

Jane paused as Maura drew some blood, watching the way Maura licked her lips as she did so. Maura looked up, startled, then put the vials on the lab tray.

"He's missing half his torso, what is his blood going to tell you?"

"You'd be surprised," Maura said, taking them into the lab. Jane stared down into the ragged hole where internal organs should be. Maura came back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before sliding her glove back on.

The autopsy was short, mostly because there were no organs to retrieve or examine. Jane helped Maura slide the body into cold storage, as much forensic evidence as they could retrieve already stored in the lab. Jane followed Maura in, taking off her gown and leaving it in the receptacle. Maura followed suit, removing her gloves too. There was a smudge of blood where Maura had wiped her mouth, and there was a test tube missing.

That wouldn't be suspicious if there hadn't been a spate of drained bodies around the city.

Jane looked away quickly as Maura washed her hands.

"I'm done."

"Do you want to grab some dinner?"

"I had a snack earlier, I'm fine."

"A drink, then?"

Maura eyed Jane with curiousity. Then she nodded.

"Sure. Why not?"

---

Jane had thought of the new ME as a quiet, serious woman, but after a drink or two she relaxed. Her smile came more readily. She had two little teeth that were very cute, a little sharp, a little pointed.

"I live right around the corner," Jane said, when the bar closed down. Maura nodded and followed her. She paused in the doorway, peering in, her nose scrunched as she took in the hockey sticks and trophy case.

"Come in, come in," Jane said impatiently. She staggered over to the kitchen cabinet. "Anything to drink? I have, like, green tea. And coffee."

"Coffee?"

"Powdered." Jane's nose scrunched, and Maura chuckled, closing the door behind her. Her hazel eyes flashed with mischief as she closed in on Jane.

"I think we both know I'm not here for something to drink," Maura said, her voice low and husky. Her hands closed around Jane's hips, gripping them tight as she tilted her head back to look up into Jane's face. "But I am very, very thirsty. Seeing you swagger around with all your long limbs all day. The way you bite your lip when you look at me. The way I can see your abs though your shirt." Maura bit her own lip, her elongated eye teeth catching and pulling at the plush, plump flesh. "Tell me I'm wrong?"

"You're not wrong," Jane rasped, her voice caught in her chest. She couldn't quite close the gap between them, but Maura didn't hesitate, brushing her lips against Jane's with a satisfied exhale that slipped past Jane's open lips and lodged in her chest. She found her own hands grasping Maura, pulling her closer, those teeth retracting when they scraped her lips. Their height difference meant Maura had easy access to Jane's throat, which she pressed her lips to, scraping her teeth lightly against Jane's jugular, making Jane shudder and remember the little spot of red she'd seen on Maura's lips as she came back from the lab, the reddish brown stain Mara had washed from her hand where she'd wiped it. Jane led Maura into the bedroom, but Maura baulked at the door.

Jane had a cross over the bed. Maura hissed, eyeing it with distaste. Her teeth seemed longer now, somehow. Jane quirked an eyebrow at Maura's reaction.

"I'm really only lapsed Catholic," Jane told Maura. "My mother insisted. I think she thought it would keep me from premarital sex. If it bothers you I'll take it down." Jane plucked it from the wall and shoved it in a drawer. She went to touch Maura, but the other woman pulled away with another hiss.

"We should wash our hands, if we're going to continue. We've been out in a bar, and there are places I'd like to touch you without introducing foreign bacteria."

Jane rolled her eyes but complied easily, not even having second thoughts about her first time with a woman. Maura kissed the back of her neck as she washed up, and then washed her own hands, dragging Jane back to the bedroom.

---

Jane woke with Maura's head on her chest. The light was filtering in through Jane's net curtains, and she sighed contentedly. The light struck Maura's bare shoulder, and her skin started to simmer, as though it was a steak on a griddle. Jane covered the shoulder with a sheet, not worried at all.

Maura woke, flinching from the sunlight.

"So. You're a vampire, huh?"

"What gave it away?" Maura asked breezily, not worried about having her cover blown.

"I had to invite you in. The cross scared you. Your skin smokes in sunlight."

"You're remarkably calm."

"You know what Hoyt did to me. This doesn't come close. Besides, only someone like me could have survived him."

"I knew you smelled of something. What are you?"

"Succubus, obviously."

"That explains a lot. You didn't have to seduce me. You could have just asked if I was a vampire. I'd have told you. I trust you, against my better judgement."

"I didn't use any of my seduction on you, and I didn't feed off you. And you didn't bite me. I think that makes our working relationship promising."

"I work in the morgue because I can't feed off live people," Maura mumbled against Jane's collarbone, as though she was ashamed of her inability to harm humans.

"And I work with homicide, but I make sure I feed off the sex criminals that come through the station. Not - not like that. Ugh, no. Not like - not like how we were last night. That was just for - just because. I didn't use anything to make you want me, and I didn't feed off you either. But I'm sure, if you're ever unable to get fresh blood, you could probably use me. If you wanted to."

"That's a very generous offer, but I don't want to hurt you."

Jane closed her arms tighter around Maura, a happy smirk on her face.

"As a detective, I do have to ask if you know anything about these bodies showing up without any blood. Friends of yours?"

"Hardly. My - my biological family. I was adopted, and they raised me vegan, which I appreciate. But it looks like my biological family has found me and is hunting me down." Maura nuzzled in closer to Jane, her tongue flicking for a moment over the pulse in Jane's throat, her lips and teeth pressed against it as Jane pressed against her with a moan. Aware the mood had shifted drastically, Maura moved away reluctantly. "I'm scared, Jane. I don't want to be like them. I like solving murders. I like working alone. I don't like to be around people in case I hurt them. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You wouldn't," Jane said tenderly, stroking Maura's hair. "We can find them first. I'm a detective. You're a doctor. We can find them, and make sure they leave town, if that's what you want." Jane looked uncertain about wanting to kill or banish Maura's relatives, and Maura kissed her again for her sweetness.

"We?" she asked shyly, aware that there was a bond between them. It wasn't often two supernatural species consummated, but when they did, the imprint was strong and usually bonded them for life. She'd made her choice last night, not quite sure what Jane was but knowing from her scent that she wasn't entirely human. She'd trusted Jane, and it felt like for once she'd made the right choice.

"We," Jane agreed, kissing Maura slowly and tenderly. "Right after I get some proper blackout curtains."

Maura snuggled back into the only true comfort offered her, Jane's body warm and alive against her own cool skin.

"Okay," Maura said shyly, accepting Jane as one of her pack.

---

I do not read or write supernatural stuff in this vein but this was fun.

#rizzoli and isles #rizzoli & isles #maura isles #rizzles #jane rizzoli #rizzles fanfic #vampire #halloween

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noodyl-blasstal · 9 months ago

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number 9 or 19 for the prompt list for taakitz if you're feeling inspired? :)

Thank you so much for this prompt which is from this list (I’m still open to requests.) Sorry the reply itself is un-prompt (I spiralled), but hopefully you'll forgive me!

Read below or on Ao3.

Man, that’s going to stain…How’s it going?/ Well, haha, (doesn’t answer)

–

Kavitz screws all his courage to his sticking point and opens his eyes. He looks at the cake. He looks at his hands. He looks at the kitchen counter. They’re all still the same; bright red, unpleasantly sticky, and mocking him. The ‘icing’ could have at least had the decency to dry slightly in the air by now, but no, he’s made some kind of sugar based slime that is intent on eating everything - especially Taako’s worktops.

Taako’s worktops… Taako definitely absolutely loves these worktops more than Kravitz. Kravitz knows this, everyone knows this, so why on earth had he decided to try his hand at baking at Taako’s house instead of his own? Maybe it was because he spent more of his non-death crime battling time here than anywhere else, he hadn’t spent a non-work night on the Astral Plane since well… hmm… and all his stuff was here, so it made sense, perfect sense. Or it would, if he hadn’t just committed a crime against baking, nature, and kitchens in general, there was no way Taako wasn’t going to notice.

He’s stuck, is the problem. He can’t operate his phone with his sugary murder hands even though it will absolutely be worth Sloane laughing at him if she can save him from this. Sadly it’s not like he can just go over there… although, no, actually, it’s exactly like he can just go over there! Kravitz reaches out his hand, and only winces slightly at the wet sound his scythe makes as it zoops into it. It’s fine. It’ll clean, and if not he can just tell people it’s blood and they’ll think he’s extra fearsome probably definitely maybe.

He cuts a very careful rift, if he can place it just right then… Kravitz leans his face gingerly into the rift and uses his nose to press the doorbell. He learned very quickly after Sloane and Hurley started dating that it was important to rift outside and wait for someone to answer the door. Sloane tugs said door open as he’s reaching his nose out to press the bell for a second time.

“Kravitz? What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck?” She folds her arms and gives him a look which means he’s definitely never going to hear the end of this.

“I need some help.”

Sloane raises her eyebrows.

“It’s a cake problem.”

“You didn’t!?”

“I…”

“Kravitz! After last time? And the time before… and…”

“I thought it might be different.”

“Because?”

“Taako’s good at baking.”

“And you figured cake osmosis was a thing?” Sloane’s lack of sympathy would be hurtful if she wasn’t entirely correct.

“On reflection, it wasn’t the best idea I’ve had in my life.” An understatement, but he doesn’t have time to properly catalogue this error right now. It can haunt him when he’s lying awake at 3am for the rest of his life instead.

“How bad is it?”

“It’s not sentient.” He’s remaining optimistic.

“Yet…” She mutters.

“I gave it a bit and it seems fine.”

“Uh huh.”

“I know that’s what I said last time, but I really think it’s okay.”

“If I had a gold piece for every time…” Sloane begins.

“Please just help.” Kravitz must sound pathetic enough because Sloane just rolls her eyes, and smiles fondly.

“Okay, are you coming to me or am I coming to you?”

Kravitz holds up his non-scythed hand.

“I’m coming to you,okay. Gimme a minute and a me-sized rift?”

“Thank you.” Kravitz nods and splices.

–

There’s a shuffling noise and Sloane opens the door again.

“Why do you even have a hazmat suit?” Kravitz tries not to feel offended, he doesn’t succeed.

“It’s not a hazmat, that would be overkill, it’s a tyvek.”

“And you have it because?”

“Do you wanna know?” The distinct edge to her question tells him he definitely doesn’t.

“Is it for work?”

“Yes.”

“The flower shop job?”

“Nope, and you said you don’t wanna know anything that you could be compelled to give up in a court of law so…”

“So I won’t ask any further questions and should instead be grateful that you’re coming to help save me and Taako’s worktops?”

“You got it on Taako’s worktops? Kravitz! I’m going to miss you.”

“I don’t know if he can kill me.”

“Here lies Kravitz…” Says Sloane as she steps through the rift. “... The bestest friend a gal could ask for. I’ll miss his ability to transport me without paying bus fare most of all.”

“Thanks Sloane, you always know how to make me feel better.” Kravitz says dryly.

“So you sure fucked this up, yeah?” Sloane looks around at the general devastation.

“The cake might be nice?” Kravitz points with a sticky hand.

“Mmhmm.” Says Sloane like she wants to believe him but can’t.

“But… it’s just… yeah…” He trails off.

“Have you tried anything yet?”

“Er…”

“Water?”

“I can’t touch the tap.” Kravitz brandishes his free-hand. Tries for a second time to banish his scythe, fails. Maybe he doesn’t need to mention that specific issue to Sloane yet. “It’s really sticky.”

“Right. I’ll try water first. Do you have sponges you don’t care about?”

“As opposed to the sponges I do care about?”

“Hey, Kravitz, do you remember who you live with? The man who cares about nothing more than his kitchen and nearly broke up with you when you scrubbed the cast iron? You think he doesn’t have opinions about your sponges?”

She has a point. “There’s some in the garage.” He starts to move towards the door.

“No!” Sloane grabs the back of his suit and pulls. “You stay here, we need to keep the crime scene secured. By which I mean you specifically. Don’t move.

It’s a good point. Kravitz is going to stay so still. “I can’t quite remember where they…”

Sloane’s gone before he can finish and back too quickly for him to think about in depth. There’s definitely no reason for that which relates to her ability to case a joint.

“I’m going to try cold water first in case hot water makes it harden… or, you know, go on fire.”

“That was one time!”

“One time too many, Kravitz. One time too many.”

He opens his mouth and shuts it firmly again. The ‘gift to science’ defence doesn’t really work when he still doesn’t know how he did it.

Sloane dabs gingerly at the very edge of the worktop spatter. They both lean away in anticipation. Nothing happens. “No explosions is a good start.” She says cheerfully, as she walks back to the sink. “I’ll test hot now.” She repeats the leaning, runs the hot tap directly onto the red spot on the sponge.

“Is it helping?”

“Nope.”

“Soap?”

She tries. “Nope.”

“How hard do you think it is to replace an entire kitchen and also me in… er…” Kravitz glances at the clock. “2 hours?”

“If anyone can do it’s Magnus. Well… maybe not you. You could ring your Mum?”

“She’s not my Mum.”

“Then why did I have to get my parents to call her before I was allowed to come play and why did I have to call her Mrs The Raven Queen when I came to visit?”

“That’s manners.”

“So anyway, call your Mum.”

“I’m not calling my Mum… I mean. Fuck. Sloane! Stop laughing! Can you help me ring Magnus?”

“Why can’t you…” Kravitz brandishes his hand again. “Ah. Fine. Where’s your phone?”

Kravitz swings a hip towards her.

“Nope.”

“Sloane!”

She rolls her eyes. Hard. “It’s a good job I love you, you know that?”

“Like I haven’t earned this.”

“Hey, I’ve never…”

“Don’t make me bring up The Plantcident.” Kravitz side eyes her as she reaches for his phone.

“Urgh, you’ll never let me forget that, will you? I maintain it could have happened to anyone.”

“But instead it happened to you and I had to talk the bank manager down so he didn’t press charges.”

“It’s a good thing you’re so clean cut and know all the fancy words. Now, sssh... “Sloane holds his phone up to his ear.” … it’s ringing.”

“Wait, how did you know my code?”

Sloane doesn’t answer, she just smiles unnervingly instead. Kravitz worries sometimes about how much and how little he knows her all at once.

Magnus picks up before Kravitz can ask any more ill-advised questions (because he definitely doesn’t want to know the answers to them.)

“Hello Magnus, I just had a quick…. Yes? Oh… yes… No of course I think he’s a very clever boy… No, it’s okay, you don’t have to put me on to hi… Hello Johann. Magnus says you did a very good job today. Well done… Magnus? … Magnus?... Johann, can you get Magnus?... …. … MAGNUS?” Sloane winces. Kravitz mouths a quick sorry her way. “Great! Magnus, I… No, don’t hang up, I rang because I had a question, you know the kitchen worktops? … Mmmhm, yeah, they’re incredible, how long did they take you to make?... Oh? A week? Wow… And that was quick?” Kravitz widens his eyes at Sloane, her face doesn’t give anything away. “... and if it was a rush order? Oh… it was? Wow. Yeah. Lots of intricate bits…. Mmm… yes, you’re right, it is a funny shape in here. Good point… okay, so if someone had say, for example, stained them, how would one go about getting that stain out?... No it’s not a sex thing!... Magnus!... Do you really want to know the answer to that?... I didn’t think so… Look, it’s a hypothetical question which I need the answer to please?... Yes, haha, you’re right it is a good thing it’s hypothetical, Taako would be really upset yes, but if you could just tell me… you know, for the thought exercise, yes, right… It would depend on the stain? So if something was sticky and had food dye?... Magnus please, you have to focus… Okay… Yep… Water… nail polish remover… baking powder and vinegar… toothpaste… yes we’ll try that… yes of course hypothetically… no, please don’t tell him… Because nothing has happened. Everything’s fine. Sloane can tell you.”

Kravitz gives Sloane a pleading look and she retracts the phone to speak to Magnus herself. “Hey Magnus, yep, all fine here… Ha, yeah, just playing a fun hypothetical game, you know how we do that… give my love to Julia and Johann... Yeah, thanks from both of us… Bye!”

“So water didn’t work, but we can try the nail polish remover and the toothpaste, and I’m fairly sure Taako has the baking powder and vinegar.

“Be right back.” Sloane’s gone before Kravitz can tell her where anything is.

He tries to un-summon his scythe again while he waits. Nothing happens. He tries again, double hard, it tries to leave, there’s a second where it might, but no. Stuck fast. The door creaks open slowly before he can try a third time.

“I didn’t even know it was possible to get magic stuck to you.” He sighs.

Sloane doesn’t reply.

“Sloane?”

There’s a skittering noise. No. Oh fuck no.

“SLOANE!” Kravitz yells, hoping she’ll hear him before whichever one of them it is can get themselves stuck too.

“Pss pss pss pss pss.” He keeps his arms well out of reach, and moves slowly towards the door.

It’s Tiny Taco, of course it’s Tiny Taco.

“Hello there, why don’t you go back out into the hall? You can play with your toys and your friends. It’ll be so nice out there in the rest of the house, in literally any room but this room.”

Tiny Taco struts confidently forward and rubs his head fondly against Kravitz’s legs. This is the most affection he has ever shown him. Kravitz fights the impulse to lean into it, it’s all part of the ploy. Maybe if he slowly shuffles towards the door?

“You yelled?” Sloane asks from the doorway?

Kravitz turns to look at her. It’s all the distraction Tiny Taco needs and he makes a break for it.

“No no no no no no no!” Kravitz tries to block him with his body, Taco dodges. “Sloane can you…?”

She tries, she does. She moves fast. It’s not fast enough.

Kravitz reaches out and grabs him.

“Kravitz!” Sloane thwacks her palm against her head. “You had one job and it was standing still.”

Taco’s already squirming in his hand, this is going to get ugly fast.

“Shout at me later. Help, please?”

Sloane sighs unnecessarily loudly. “I’m taking a photo.”

“What? Sloane, no.”

“Do you want my help or not?”

Kravitz knows better than to try and bargain with her. “Fine.”

“Smile!”

Kravitz is not going to smile.

“Smile or I’m not helping.”

Kravitz smiles.

“Okay, what goes best with cat? Toothpaste?”

Taco wriggles again and digs his claws sharply into Kravitz’s arm.

“Ouch! Anything, just try.”

Sloane shrugs and brandishes the Aquafresh. “Brace yourself.”

It works, eventually. Kravitz has fresh scratches, but Taco has been pasted (and slightly snipped) clean and returned to the ‘anywhere but the kitchen’ exclusionary zone with enough Dreamies to buy his silence.

“One down. Shall we try it on the worktop or your hands first?”

“The worktop’s more important.”

“Oh wait, your phone’s going.”

“Who is it?”

Sloane checks. “Taako. There’s a few missed calls too.”

Kravitz smiles as endearingly as he can manage. Surely Sloane wouldn’t stand in the way of speaking to his boyfriend, not after how much he helped when she was worried about telling Hurley. “Would you mind?”

“Fine.” Sloane holds the phone to his ear.

“Hello Taako! It’s so nice to hear from you, love, how’s your day going? … mmhm… incredible… I hope you told him off… Maybe not the words I would have used, but as you say, it’s your school… Another award? Congratulations! Very much deserved as far as I’m concerned… How am I? Oh you know, fine… My day? Nothing much, just missing you… You can’t fireball me through a phone dearest… No, actually I don’t think you should try, if anyone can it’s you..”

Sloane prods him hard and makes a ‘wind it up’ gesture.

“Ow… I mean… How is your afternoon looking?... Wonderful… Anyway, I should let you go. I know you’re busy… No no, honestly… I’ll see you later, I know you have so much on… Love you… Goodbye, Taako!”

“Gross.” Says Sloane loudly.

“Shut up, you love your girlfriend.” She doesn’t have a leg to stand on as far as Kravitz is concerned.

“Yeah, you’re not wrong… I was actually thinking of… Wait, now’s super not the time. Let’s try and fix… you know, all of this?” Sloane gestures to the whole of everything.

Kravitz nods.

The layer of toothpaste doesn’t have the same effect on the counter as it did on Taco.

“Nail polish remover?” Sloane asks.

“Yes, whatever you think.” Kravitz eyes the clock warily.

It doesn’t work either, although it does remove the toothpaste effectively.

“Vinegar explosion?” Sloane sounds more excited than he’d like her to about this option.

“Did Magnus say how much to use?”

“Nope!” She says, happily, shaking powder across the worktop.

“Maybe you should start with a test patch?”

“Uh huh.” Sloane looks him dead in the eyes as she pours vinegar over it all.

The fizzing is far more dramatic than it would be on a small scale, he’ll give her that. Especially when it turns red.

It’s unfortunate that it’s still going when they hear the door open.

“Home, I’m honey!” Taako shouts from the entrance hall.

“Hi Honey, I’m Kravitz.” Yells Kravitz, automatically.

Sloane stops watching the fizzening long enough to pretend to puke. Kravitz glares at her. He can be gross in his own home. Taako’s own home. He doesn’t live here. Obviously.

“Where are you, Kraveroo? … Oh, hey there hi hello, Taco, most precious baby angel, how’re you doing this fine d… KRAVITZ!”

“Fuck.” Say Kravitz and Sloane in tandem.

“I can’t believe he told, we gave him so many treats!” Sloane shakes her head.

“He hates me.” Says Kravitz, mournfully. “We should never have trusted him.”

“Kravitz? Where are you and why have you given the cat a shit haircut?” Taako’s voice is hovering somewhere between pissed off and amused and Kravitz would love to be able to tip it over into the latter category. He can’t deal with being in any more trouble right now.

He widens his eyes at Sloane, sadly she’s doing the same right back.

“I feel like we’ve gotta let it fizz? That’s what’s doing the cleaning, right?” Sloane hisses.

“Yes. That sounds logical, but how do I?” Kravitz holds his free hand up.

“You could poke your head out through the door?”

“What?”

“He can’t see your hands if you’re just a head at the kitchen door.”

“Of course, thanks Sloane.” Kravitz makes it all the way to the door before realising his error. “Er…”

Sloane sighs heavily and dashes over to crack the door open before retreating to the counter.

“Hello my love.” Kravitz shouts, head poking into the hall and foot firmly wedged to stop the door opening any further.

Taako careens round the corner. “Why’re you in the kitchen?” His eyes narrow dangerously.

“I’m just doing something. A surprise.”

Taako doesn’t look any less suspicious. “What’s that smell?”

“Surprise smell.” Kravitz smiles his most reassuring smile.

Apparently it’s less reassuring than he thinks because Taako disappears, and, if the “what the fuck?” From behind him is anything to go by, blinks into the kitchen.

“It’s not what it looks like!” Sloane’s hands are in the air and her head’s swivelling frantically, looking for escape.

“Cha’boy hasn’t a clue what it looks like… what the actual fuck is going on in here?”

“There may have been a slight incident.” Kravitz decides that there’s not many routes other than honesty left at this point.

“Slight?” Taako raises a single, reproachful eyebrow.

“It’s not all of the things. Just some of them.” Kravitz tries not to sound sulky, he does.

“Why’re you holding your scythe?”

“Uh…”

“Why’re you red?”

“Er…”

“Did you try to bake?”

“No.” Kravitz replies before he can remember his plan to the tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. “I mean, yes. I did bake! The baking wasn’t the bit that went wrong. Look!” Kravitz points triumphantly at the cake.

Taako’s eyes soften for the barest moment. “It’s heart shaped.”

“It’s for you!”

“And the red stuff?”

“I had to ice it.”

“With?”

“Icing.”

“That you made from…?”

“I’m not actually entirely sure I remember.”

“Okay. Well first things first, Krav, Kraverino, beloved… you’re a skeleton. You, my guy, are made of bones. Meat you isn’t real.”

“Meat you isn’t real!” Sloane repeats. “I forgot.”

“Oh.” Kravitz unravels himself immediately and feels his scythe release into the ether, thank goodness. Not that he didn’t love it, but it’s a pain in the arse to lug around all the time, plus the drama of the reveal is always fun. “Thank you Taako.”

“Is this why you chopped Taco?”

“There was an incident.” Says Sloane. “But I toothpasted him out.”

“And he only bit me twice!” Kravitz adds.

“See, cha’boy said you he was coming round to you!” Taako sounds genuinely delighted. To be fair, it is an improvement.

“So that’s one down.” Sloane says. “Just… this to go.”

“Have you tried, you know, magic?”

“Er…” There’s a long pause. A very long pause.

“I rifted to Sloane.”

Taako pinches his fingers at the bridge of his nose. “So just to clarify, neither of you, including you, handsome man, literally made of magic. tried any kind of mending, purifying,…” he lowers his hand to glance at the mess again. “... banishing?”

“Well…” Sloane starts, as if there’s any way to get them out of this.

“We rang Magnus!” Says Kravitz quickly. He can’t leave it all to Sloane.

“Ah, well if you rang Magnus, notoriously magical Magnus! Of course he would have thought to suggest all of the best wizardly crafts, he’s always casting spells, punch, chop, harder punch, Magical Magnus, we all call him.”

“Can you get rid of it?I think the fizzing has stopped now.” Sloane points at the still definitely-more-red-than-it-should-be counter.

“Can Taako get rid of it? This lowly idiot wizard? I suppose I can maybe see my way to trying, but what good could cha’boy possibly do against something so fearsome as icing?” Taako waves his hands dramatically.

The red gets redder.

“Did… have you just made it stronger?” Sloane asks in disbelief.

“I meant to do that. It was just a warm up. Natch.” Taako’s voice doesn’t waver.

Kravitz tries very hard not to feel too smug.

“Abraca-fuck-off!”

A small chunk disappears, but the rest remains just as vibrant.

“Fuck. That was high level too. Uh. Cha’boy’s out of ideas, have you called your Bird Mom, Krav?”

“She’s not my Mu…”

Taako gives him a hard look. “Because, cha’boy’s just saying, these worktops, they’re good worktops, and it’d be a real shame if anything were to irreversibly stain them.”

“Taako, I can’t contact the god who oversees the natural order of life and death and ask her to take some time out to come fix… this.”

Taako raises an eyebrow.

Sloane gives him a look.

Kravitz snatches his phone back from her with his now blissfully un-gunked bone hands. “Fine, but I’m not communing, I’m texting.”

“She always rings you straight back anyway.” Taako says.

“Classic Mum behaviour.” Sloane adds.

Kravitz needs to spend less time with both of them, he refuses to be bullied like this.

His phone rings. “Hello M…y queen.” Kravitz glares at them both as they snicker. “We’re experiencing some issues with an, er, substance… No, not like that… No, we wouldn’t take anything that’s bad for us or the people around us… Thank you… Do you think there’s anything you can… yes. Yes, I know… I promise, this is the last time… I thought that maybe I’d be better… not just proximity… yes, okay, yes. Proximity… Thank you… I promise I won’t… I know I did, but this time I really mean it… Thank you very much… I love-you-too-bye.”

“What did your Mum say?” They chorus wearing their most pointed smiles.

“She’s going to have a look at it.” All of the fight has gone out of him. Kravitz has accepted his fate.

The counter shakes violently. Nothing happens.

It shakes again.

Nothing.

Kravitz’s phone rings.

He doesn’t want to answer. Less than anything does he want to answer, but he cannot ignore direct summons.

“Hello… yes… No… I can’t remember… I’m sorry… I don’t think… Okay. Yes. I’ll ask him…” Kravitz turns to Taako. “How attached are you to your kitchen?”

Taako narrows his eyes. “Very.”

“How would you feel if the counters had to be banished into a secure dimension?”

Taako’s mouth forms into a tight line.

“It may also not really be a question of whether you’re happy for it to happen or not because Raven checked with Istus and there’s a strand of fate which needs to be snipped right now…”

“So what you’re saying is that cha’boy’s losing a chunk of the kitchen he spent what feels like a century planning? That his best friend in the world hand crafted for him?” Taako presses his hand to his forehead and pretends to faint.

Kravitz opens his mouth and shuts it again. Guilt gnaws at him. He wants more than anything to fix this, but he doesn’t know how.

“Shall I tell Magnus you said he was your best friend?” Sloane asks.

“Take the counter.” Taako replies immediately.

“Taako, I’m so sorry.”

Taako smiles and waves his hand. “Honestly, Taako was bored of them.”

“But…”

“Magnus hasn’t really been challenged lately. I think he needs this. We’ll do it as a favour to him.”

“Are you…?”

“Honestly, Taako made the kitchen with himself in mind, but it’s not just cha’boy living here anymore, is it?” Taako waves his hand flippantly.

Kravitz pauses. “I… Taako.”

“Tell her to do it now.”

His tone leaves absolutely no room for disagreement, Kravitz gives the answer.

There’s a brief moment of nothing, enough time for Kravitz to chance a tentative look at Taako. He meets Kravitz’s eyes confidently, doesn’t even flinch as reality twists around them and there’s a gentle pop. Kravitz doesn’t need to check to know the counter is gone.

Taako smiles at him.

“I’m gonna head out. Kravitz could you…?” Sloane asks.

He cuts the rift without looking at her. “Thank you for helping.”

It seals behind her.

“I’m sorry.” Kravitz says again, because he is.

“You made me a cake.” Taako says again.

“Yes.” Kravitz replies, because he did. Regardless of everything else, he did.

“Because you wanted to fuck my kitchen up?”

“No! I, look, you made the me the pastries.”

“The date ones?”

“Yes. The ones from home. You spent weeks working at it and you didn’t even have a recipe, just me trying to explain a taste I can barely remember.”

“And cha’boy nailed it.” Taako grins smugly and Kravitz loves him in all his brash confidence.

“You did. You really did.”

“So you decided I needed cake too?”

“No one ever bakes for you.” Kravitz says quietly.

“Ango did that one time.”

“Yes, that’s true. But it’s been ages and they got set on fire, and no one else does. You deserve it. You deserve to be taken care of right back.”

“Hey, Krav. Quick question, just a teensy smidgey one. Who got the shoe organiser after cha’boy kept falling over them?”

Kravitz tilts his head, uncertain what this has to do with anything.

“Go on, don’t get shy on me, who did that?”

“Me.” Says Kravitz. He’d been sick of worrying that Taako was going to fall over and get lost in a shoe pile and need help when he wasn’t there to give it.

“And who actually puts the shoes on the shoe organiser when cha’boy forgets?”

“Me?” It’s not like he does it all the time, just now and again.

“And who got the cats those extra perches to go round the walls because I was worried they were bored?” Taako doesn’t wait for an answer. “Oh, yeah, that was you too.”

“But…”

“Bones, you care for Taako in so many different ways, so leave the baking to the professionals because so help me fantasy Jesus if you wreck any more of our house.”

“Our house?”

“Yeah. Now shut up and tell me what your perfect kitchen looks like so I can fix it.”

#Sloane and Kravitz are friends and I refuse to hear any different #Sloane #Kravitz #Taakitz #Taako #Background Magnus because nothing brings me more joy than one sided phone conversations with him #Can you guess which line made me laugh so hard I choked on my drink?#This went off piste and I had a great time #The adventure zone #TAZ #Taz balance #Tiny Taco is my favourite villain

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