#unless the idea is that he can extend kindness and grace to OTHERS but not HIMSELF

[qpjianghu]

 “It’s not that you don’t forgive others... it’s that you refuse to forgive yourself.”

Li Xiangyi / Li Lianhua - Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Ep. 40

[isan0rt]

Back on my 'being sad about Xehanort' bullshit again while I should be going to sleep but thinking about how Eraqus in kh3 is able to succeed where Hoder failed (at coming back from the dead to talk Xehanort down) because it is the first time in Xehanort's actual entire life that he has ever been offered what he perceives to be unconditional love.

Like going back to 'my guess is nobody's ever loved you' like we the player as an objective third party now know that's not true and people did genuinely love him but like... Does Xehanort know that? His whole life is characterized by abandonment and the subtle implication that he will be rejected if he fails to live up to expectations.

Like. His very first chronological experience on screen is being given up by his mother. When he's only like five years old he asks if he can see her again if he can be strong enough at resisting darkness - even at that age, he feels that being able to meet HIS MOTHER!! is conditional on his performance. He describes the Dandelions as 'seeming like they all like each other' and asks if that's what having friends is like because he's not allowed to have friends, unless he's good and strong enough.

Player loves him but they love him for being Ephemer's blood. They put so much pressure on Xehanort about being the child of destiny, how can Xehanort interpret that in any way except that if he fails at that, he's not worthy of Player's love? Then Player dies too and it's not even clear how long Xehanort was TOTALLY ALONE on that island before Ansem sent him on his way, but what does that isolation do to him? No wonder he hates Destiny Islands so much??

And then in Scala he finally has friends but there's this undercurrent that any relationship in Scala is conditional on agreeing with the dogma about the light. Xehanort kind of tentatively floats the idea a few times that it's more complicated than that but he ALWAYS pulls it back when Eraqus has a serious negative reaction to the idea - and then he sees what happens to fucking Baldr, where Hoder rejects him right in front of Xehanort for falling to darkness, and he loses everyone but Eraqus, the one he cares about the most but also the one most likely to judge him and find him lacking. Of course he ends up feeling isolated, and like he can't confide in Eraqus?? Just like Baldr, he can't feel safe talking to his closest person about his feelings, because for him, love has always been conditional, and remains conditional throughout his entire life. Of course he gives up on it, and decides to just burn the whole place down, if that's the thing that's expected of him. The only thing that makes him worthwhile.

Until... The end of kh3. When Eraqus, who realized his mistake with Terra was also his mistake with Xehanort, extends the same grace to Xehanort that he learned to with Terra. When he says 'I know what you've done, but it doesn't change that I love you and want you to turn back.' It is the first time anyone has ever told Xehanort in literally his ENTIRE LIFE that they're not going to abandon him regardless of what he does.

Like not to have turned into a big ol Xehanort Apologist but it genuinely just makes me so sad. His life is so lonely. We have all dragged Woody because Xehanort had friends but Woody is right; no one has ever loved him at that point in his life in the way he needed. If they had, he probably would not have turned out Like That.

(Edit to clarify when it's not midnight: this is about Xehanort's perceptions of how the people in his life love him and not necessarily how his parents/parental figures actually felt. Yes Xehanort was an empath but not a mind reader and there was no way for him to know that the love he felt wouldn't be revoked if he didn't live up to the expectations on him, given his track record of repeatedly losing almost everyone who loved him.)

[feyredarlinq]

“azriel feels entitled to elain / azriel only wants elain because she’s the third archeron sister” (don’t even get me started on the whole “he only wants her for s3x”, i’ve already discussed it here) as if azriel stared to care for her, understand her, have feelings for her, fall in love with her towards the end of a court of silver flames - because this is when both feysand and nessian are official together, and that makes elain the third/last/spare sister or whatever - but that’s not what happened at all, unless you want to ignore everything that happened before acosf (*coughs* four books* coughs*) i mean, just to make a few examples: 

azriel / elriel in acomaf

a faint smile bloomed upon azriel’s mouth as he noticed elain’s fingers white-knuckled on that fork, but he kept silent (chapter 24)

elain said, “it’s all very disorienting.” “i can imagine,” azriel said. cassian flashed him a glare. but azriel’s attention was on my sister, a polite, bland smile on his face. her shoulders loosened a bit. (chapter 24)

rhys chuckled, cassian’s wrath slipping enough that he grinned, and elain, noticing azriel’s ease as proof that things weren’t indeed about to go badly, offered one of her own as well. (chapter 24)

“and i think elain—elain would like it, too. though she’d probably cling to azriel, just to have some peace and quiet.” i smiled at the thought—at how handsome they would be together. if the warrior ever stopped quietly loving mor. (chapter 49)

azriel / elriel in acowar 

azriel smiled faintly. “would you like me to show you the garden?” she seemed so small before him, so fragile compared to the scales of his fighting leathers, the breadth of his shoulders. the wings peeking over them. but elain did not balk from him, did not shy away as she nodded—just once. azriel, graceful as any courtier, offered her an arm. i couldn’t tell if she was looking at his blue siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, “beautiful.” color bloomed high on azriel’s golden-brown cheeks, but he inclined his head in thanks and led my sister toward the back doors into the garden, sunlight bathing them. (chapter 24)

“why not make them mates?” i mused. “why lucien?” (chapter 24)

“what if”—i jerked my chin toward the window, to my sister and the shadowsinger in the garden— “that is what she needs? is there no free will? what if lucien wishes the union but she doesn’t?” (chapter 24)

the two illyrians paused their inspection of me long enough to note my sisters finishing up breakfast, nesta in a pale gray gown that brought out the steel in her eyes, elain in dusty pink. both males went a bit still. (chapter 30)

i dragged a hand over my face before going to elain and touching her too-bony shoulder. “can i set you up in the garden? the herbs you planted are coming in nicely.” “i can help her,” said azriel, stepping to the table as elain silently rose. no shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing his fingers as he extended a hand. nesta monitored him like a hawk, but kept silent as elain took his hand, and out they went. (chapter 30)

lucien murmured to me, eye still fixed on elain, “should we—does she need …?” “she doesn’t need anything,” azriel answered without so much as looking at lucien. elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly. “we’re the ones who need …” azriel trailed off. “a seer,” he said, more to himself than us. “the cauldron made you a seer.” (chapter 32)

it made sense, i supposed, that azriel alone had listened to her. the male who heard things others could not … perhaps he, too, had suffered as elain had before he understood what gift he possessed. (chapter 33)

from the shadows near the entrance to the tent, azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “i’m getting her back.” nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. nesta said, “then you will die.” azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “i’m getting her back.” (chapter 64)

azriel gently removed the gag from her mouth. “are you hurt?” she shook her head, devouring the sight of him as if not quite believing it. “you came for me.” (chapter 65)

azriel still cradling elain to his chest. he dripped blood behind him the entire time—a trickle compared to the torrent that should be leaking out.” (...) rhys lunged for azriel, taking elain from him and gently setting my sister down. azriel rasped, swaying on his feet, “we need helion to get these chains off her.” (...) yet elain didn’t seem to notice them as she rose up on her toes and kissed the shadowsinger’s cheek. (chapter 65)

elain’s eyes widened at the obsidian-hilted blade in azriel’s scarred hand. the runes on the dark scabbard. “it has never failed me once,” the shadowsinger said, the midday sun devoured by the dark blade. “some people say it is magic and will always strike true.” he gently took her hand and pressed the hilt of the legendary blade into it. “it will serve you well.” (...) “never,” rhys said from where he finished buckling on his own weapons against the side of the wagon. “i have never once seen azriel let another person touch that knife.” (chapter 69)

azriel / elriel in acofas

i don’t make a point of looking after his movements. “why?” not a flicker of emotion. “he is elain’s mate.” i waited. “it would be an invasion of her privacy to track him. to know when and if lucien sought her out. what they did together. “you sure about that?” i asked quietly. azriel’s siphons guttered, the stones turning as dark and foreboding as the deepest sea. (chapter 7)

“do you think he can handle being around graysen?” az’s expressionless face was precisely the reason he’d never lost to us at cards. “why should I be the judge of that?” “you mean to tell me that you weren’t bluffing when you said you didn’t track lucien’s every movement?” nothing. absolutely nothing on that face, on his scent. the shadows, whatever the hell they were, hid too well. too much. (...) azriel only said coldly, “if lucien kills graysen, then good riddance.” (chapter 7)

azriel an a hand through his dark hair. “are we …” unusual for him to stumble with words. “are we supposed to get the sisters presents?” “no,” I said, and meant it. azriel eemed to loose a sigh of relief. seemed to, since all but a breath of air passed from his lips.” (chapter 7)

azriel emerged from the sitting room, a glass of wine in hand and wings tucked back to reveal his fine, yet simple black jacket and pants. i felt, more than saw, my sister go still as he approached. her throat bobbed. (chapter 12)

“pick on someone your own size,” cassian said to amren, shoveling roast chicken into his mouth. “i’d feel bad for the mice,” azriel muttered. mor and cassian howled, earning a blush from azriel and a grateful smile from elain—and no shortage of scowling from amren. but something in me eased at that laughter, at the light that returned to elain’s eyes. (chapter 12)

azriel strode to the lone window at the end of the room and peered into the garden below. “i’ve never stayed in this room.” his midnight voice filled the space (chapter 16)

“i had madja make it for me,” (...) elain bit her lip and then smiled sheepishly. “it’s for the headaches everyone always gives you. since you rub your temples so often.” silence again. then azriel tipped his head back and laughed. i’d never heard such a sound, deep and joyous. (chapter 20)

elain smiled again, ducking her head. azriel mastered himself enough to say, “thank you.” i’d never seen his hazel eyes so bright, the hues of green amid the brown and gray like veins of emerald. “this will be invaluable.” (chapter 20)

azriel and elain remained in the sitting room, my sister showing him the plans she’d sketched to expand the garden in the back of the town house, using the seeds and tools my family had given her tonight. whether he cared about such things, i had no idea, but i sent him a silent prayer of thanks for his kindness before rhys and i slipped upstairs. (chapter 22)

[melanielocke]

Lost in the Shadows - Chapter 22

AO3

Taglist: @nott-the-best @foxglove-airmid @alastair-esfandiyar-carstairs1 @justanormaldemon @styxdrawings @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised

@alastair-appreciation-month

Previous Chapter: Chapter 21

Next Chapter: Chapter 23

Songs mentioned or quoted are Atlas, Rise by Metallica and Red Cold River by Breaking Benjamin

‘What about the opening above us?’ Cordelia asked. ‘If the water level rises enough, we can escape. I can cut through the bars with cortana.’

‘Are you sure it’s not just another magic barrier cortana won’t help us with?’

The water reached Cordelia’s neck now, and soon she wouldn’t be able to stand in it. The rising of the water level was becoming faster and faster. There was probably a puzzle down there somewhere, but it was too dark underwater, and quite possibly too late. The only way out was up.

‘No I’m not, but unless you think of anything else, it’s the best we’ve got.’

The water rose higher and Cordelia could no longer reach the floor. She was thankful that Lucie had taken her swimming in the past days and she knew how to keep her head above the water. Alastair was struggling a bit more with the change in level.

‘Make sure to keep your head above the water,’ Cordelia said, clutching cortana with both hands.

‘Genius, Cordelia,’ Alastair bit back. ‘Whatever would I do without your advice? It would never have occurred to me to keep my head above the water.’

Cordelia took his sarcasm as a good sign. Drowning people couldn’t speak. It wasn’t like in the movies where people yelled and waved.

When the water level was high enough to reach the bars, she started hacking at them. Parts of the bars fell beside her into the water. One hit her shoulder. She yelped in pain, but she could still move it. Nothing broken. It would probably bruise, but that was all.

She continued hacking at the bars until she was sure the opening was big enough, and turned cortana back into her necklace so she would have her hands free. The water had stopped rising about a foot beneath the surface. She grabbed what remained of the bars and pulled herself up, climbing out of the hole. When she was out, she extended her hand to Alastair and helped pull him out. Strands of his hair had gotten wet, but he’d gone a pretty good job at keeping his head above the water. The rest of him was soaked to the bone. As was Cordelia, including most of her hair. She was shivering and the air was cold as ever in the land in between. She felt like she would never get warm again. Alastair was shivering too, his arms wrapped around his body.

‘Do you have any idea how to get back to the ruins?’ Cordelia asked.

They were in the middle of the woods.

‘I just need to align directions underground with directions here. Give me a moment.’

Alastair sat down, and closed his eyes, going through his memory to navigate. Cordelia had never considered the use of his ability for navigation, but without it she would never have found her way through the maze.

‘Alright, I’ve got it. We have to go that way.’

Cordelia followed her brother quietly, until he stopped, holding his hand out to stop her from moving forward.

‘Do you hear that?’

Cordelia frowned, tried to focus on her hearing. Nothing. ‘Hear what?’

‘The siren’s song. Grace is here and we don’t have her skin yet. If we come any closer, we’ll be under her spell.’

Focused, Cordelia could make out something that sounded like singing, but it could just as easily be the wind. Alastair’s hearing had always been a bit sharper than hers. Sounds were often much louder when she was in his memory, and he tended to avoid loud noises. Except for his favorite music, which for some reason tended to be very loud.

‘So we have to get the key back to the dungeon with Grace’ skin and avoid hearing the song,’ Cordelia concluded. ‘How do we do that?’

Alastair took his phone out of his pocket. Even with careful use of the flashlight it still had a decent battery, whereas Cordelia’s phone was almost dead. He then took out a pair of unusually clean earbuds, and handed them to her, while at the same thing doing something with his phone, his long fingers carefully moving over the display.

Cordelia stared at the earbuds but didn’t do anything with them.

‘I cleaned them yesterday and haven’t used them since.’

‘I know they’re clean. But I don’t think this is enough to block out Grace’ voice. They’re not exactly noise cancelling headphones.’

Alastair used to have those at home, but they’d broken. Much later Alastair had told her Father had broken them while he was drunk. Cordelia wasn’t sure if it had been on purpose, but she knew it must have hurt. Alastair had an odd attachment to his belongings and was extremely careful with everything he owned, something everyone in the family knew about. Something Father knew. Cordelia wasn’t completely sure if their father broke things on purpose or by accident when he was drunk, but it was never father’s belongings that mysteriously broke.

‘It’s not, but it would be with some music on.’

Cordelia put the buds in her ears and Alastair put on a playlist on his phone. She realized he’d been making a playlist for her, probably with the loudest songs he could think of. Noise filled her ears, and Cordelia thought if she put the volume any louder she’d get hearing damage. How Alastair could listen to this, she had no idea.

She could see Alastair’s lips move, but couldn’t make out what she was saying. She pulled out one earbud.

‘What?’

‘You couldn’t hear me.’

‘No, not over that horrible noise you call music.’

‘Excuse me, that is Atlas Rise by Metallica. It’s a very good song.’

‘It’s just loud drums and guitars,’ Cordelia protested.

‘But it works,’ Alastair said. ‘If you couldn’t hear me, you won’t hear her song. I’ll wait here, I only have one pair of earbuds and if she controls me I’ll probably be a danger to you.’

‘What if the entrance is also flooded?’ Cordelia asked. ‘I mean, I can swim, but I don’t think your phone will survive that.’

‘It won’t,’ Alastair agreed. ‘And if you’re really unlucky you might get yourself electrocuted.’

‘I think that only happens when a charging phone falls into the water,’ Cordelia said. ‘But no amount of rice will be able to resurrect your phone if I take it into the water.’

‘So if you have to go into the water, try to just put down the phone somewhere I can find it later, and be quick about it. I think down there you won’t hear Grace either, we could only hear Thomas when he was shouting into the entrance. And if you end up losing or breaking my phone… Well, it was old anyway.’

It was very unlike Alastair to be alright with her losing or breaking his things, but she guessed he understood this was an emergency.

‘Don’t die, Layla,’ he said. ‘You get that skin.’

Cordelia put the earbuds back in, and she wondered why Alastair liked this so much. She broke into a run, she could see the ruins from here. She could see Tatiana and Grace, walking toward the ruins, and toward Lucie and Thomas. She had to get there first.

She couldn’t hear anything but Alastair’s music, and she had to admit it was working. This probably blocked out Grace better than Taylor Swift did. There’s not a thing I cannot make you do, Grace had said. But her magic didn’t work if Cordelia couldn’t hear her.

Die as you suffer in vain, own all the grief and the pain

Cordelia began to get an idea why Alastair was drawn to music like this, even if she couldn’t understand why he found it so soothing. He usually couldn’t stand loud noises and he used to wear his noise cancelling headphones whenever their mother was using the vacuum cleaner because he found it too loud.

By the time Cordelia reached the ruins, Tatiana and Grace had already reached Lucie and Thomas. There was a woman with them, a woman who greatly resembled Tatiana. Cordelia hid behind a tree, it was better if Tatiana didn’t see her until she could make a run for the skin.

The unfamiliar woman looked at Tatiana, distraught, and said something to her. Cordelia couldn’t hear a thing over Alastair’s music. Tatiana sneered something at the woman. Did they know each other? Cordelia didn’t think they were on good terms. Tatiana turned to Grace and said something to her. Grace rolled her eyes before responding. Tatiana muttered something before turning her attention back to the other woman, who said something that clearly distraught Tatiana.

Cordelia couldn’t hear a thing though. I can’t feel anything at all, this love has led me to the end, was all she heard, mixed with try to find a reason to live. Alastair’s music really was angsty.

The woman appeared gentle, caring even towards Tatiana, but Tatiana accepted none of her kindness, instead yelling something at her.

‘If you did, if you were really a mother, you’d understand I’d do anything for my son.’ She yelled loud enough that Cordelia could make out her words.

Tatiana was distracted, and Cordelia took her chance. She sprinted towards the trap door.

‘Stop her!’ Tatiana yelled, and she saw Thomas and Lucie come for her from the corner of her eye.

Cordelia was faster though. She reached the trap door, and realized the hall was indeed flooded. She removed the earbuds and dropped Alastair’s phone. She would buy him a new one if it broke, she decided. Hopefully she could find the money somewhere. Hopefully it wasn’t broken. She dived into the water, and underneath Grace’s voice was too distorted, too far away. She felt a hand around her ankle, grabbing her. The hand was big and firm, Thomas? Cordelia struggled against the grip, kicking back with her free foot. She hit someone’s chest, several times until the person had no choice but to let go.

Cordelia swum into the deep. She could barely see anything and realized there was no air in here. If she didn’t get to the skin before she was out of breath she was doomed. She would drown in here.

Her lungs began to burn for air, but Cordelia gripped the key tightly, and pushed it into where the door had been. The magic barrier lifted and the key broke just like all the other keys she’d found. It made no sense, but that didn’t matter. She could enter. Cordelia swum through, and grabbed the skin. Now to get back up. She turned around, and desperately swam up. She could see the light, and that’s where she needed to go. She gasped for air as soon as she was up, and now she could finally hear Grace’ singing. It was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard, certainly more beautiful than Alastair’s music.

Cordelia would do anything for her, but there was nothing Grace asked for right now. Cordelia climbed out of the trap hole, holding the skin in front of her. She would do anything for the siren, and she knew there was nothing Grace wanted more then the skin Cordelia was holding.

‘Grace! I have brought you what you asked for.’

Grace turned to look at her, and noticed the skin. She stopped singing.

‘What are you doing?’ Tatiana yelled.

Grace ran to Cordelia, and took hold of her skin, draping it around her shoulders like a cloak. Here she would be unable to turn into a seal, or at the very least it would be unpractical, but she was in control again.

‘You cannot control me anymore, Tatiana,’ Grace said.

Tatiana looked scared. She hesitated for a moment, but before Grace could do anything to stop her, Tatiana disappeared into a cloud of darkness. When had she learnt such magic? It must have been part of the deal she’d made with the thief of souls.

Lucie and Thomas broke free of the spell, and a few moments later Alastair appeared from behind the trees, still soaked to the bone and teeth clattering.

‘I came as soon as I heard she stopped singing. Is no one hurt?’

‘What happened to you?’ Thomas asked. ‘I saw the place flood, was there another exit?’

‘The key was a trap,’ Alastair said. ‘The room locked us in and then flooded, but there was a barred opening at the top. Cordelia cut through it with cortana so we could get out.’

‘How were you immune to my song?’ Grace asked Cordelia. ‘I kept trying to get you to stop. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you didn’t listen. But I don’t understand how you did it.’

Cordelia grinned. ‘I couldn’t hear you. My brother’s music taste is loud and heavy and I was listening to some music on his phone.’

Alastair looked around and picked up his phone and earbuds from next to the trap door. Cordelia desperately hoped she hadn’t broken anything.

Grace nodded. ‘I presume that is the modern version of putting wax in one’s ears.’

‘You will be returning to the sea, I guess?’ Cordelia asked.

‘As soon as I can. I’m glad to see the witch unlocked some of her potential. And I suspected that strange memory ability would be useful in navigating the puzzles to my skin. The rules of this land say there must be a solution to the puzzle, so Tatiana just made it as complicated as she could in the time she had. Be glad she’s been so busy, or it would have been twice as big.’

‘I think that was plenty,’ Alastair said.

‘But you solved it.’

‘Now that you’re free, can you tell us what Tatiana is up to?’

‘I cannot tell you everything, because I do not know all she is up to. I know her main goal is to resurrect Jesse, I know it cost her much to bring back his ghost and it will cost more to bring him to life. She has been an assassin of sorts for the thief of souls, collecting souls he deems interesting. My help made that a lot easier, she forced me to use my powers to make people kill themselves. I know eventually Thomas will die if she is not stopped, to replace Jesse, but only once he lives.’

‘Is there any way to help both Thomas and Jesse?’ Lucie asked.

‘Not unless you destroy the thief of souls himself,’ Grace said.

‘What is he, exactly?’ Lucie asked.

‘From what I’ve heard, he was once a mortal man who sought eternal life. He found a gateway to another realm where he could live forever and gather power through collecting souls. It’s not where the dead are supposed to go, but he takes them. Once he could draw people in at will, it depends on how strong the seal is. Now he only gets them when he makes deals with humans in exchanges for souls he finds interesting. I think it makes a difference if the soul is offered by someone closely connected to them, because he likes to ask for family members, loved ones. I think that when you offer a soul not related by blood, you have to kill them, but when you offer a soul related by blood, the thief can use the connection to find them himself. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but that’s why he needed Tatiana to be an assassin whereas he killed Jesse himself.

He can give magic away. Magic similar to what Lucie can do, that’s why Tatiana can see Jesse, and why she allowed me to see Jesse, so I could help her watch him. But his magic can also create sickness, cause people to disappear, the kind of thing Tatiana’s father did to his rivals. He doesn’t usually reach into our world without a blood connection, that’s why he can’t just kill at random.’

‘He created my sickness, didn’t he?’ Thomas asked.

‘I think it is not uncommon for those promised to him to develop a sickness,’ Grace said. ‘What happened to you and Jesse is a bit less common, I think, because he waited so long to collect. I think it’s because he suspected Tatiana could become useful to him, and he wanted to see just how far she’d go for him when he was sick. As for you, I think there was much he could learn about your family as well by keeping you sick. It was a good way to weigh which boy would to choose. Which soul would be more valuable, but also whose parents might deal with him. It became obvious Tatiana would go very far for her child with no care for who else got hurt, and so he chose Jesse. Because he knew she would do everything to bring him back.’

‘Just like you thought,’ Thomas said to Alastair.

‘Souls are the price of his game,’ Alastair said and Cordelia could tell he was thinking of something, but couldn’t tell what.

‘But they don’t know about me?’ Lucie asked.

‘Not yet,’ Grace said. ‘But it’s only a matter of time until they find out.’

‘Do you know why the thief of souls collects souls?’ Alastair asked. ‘Do they have a use for him?’

‘I think the more souls he collects, the more powerful he becomes,’ Grace said. ‘I’m not sure why it matters who. Of course, there will always be souls more interesting than others. I think the four or you would be more interesting than a hundred boring average people. And the connection to the people who offer the souls matter too. I think he draws power from bonds of family, or love.’

‘But how much love can there be if you’re willing to sacrifice someone for power,’ Alastair wondered.

Cordelia had to agree, if someone was willing to sacrifice a relative or a spouse for power, they couldn’t love them very much, could they? But perhaps it wasn’t so much about love as it was about the connection. Besides, love lay close to hate, much closer than people thought. Cordelia had learnt that indifference was the real opposite of love.

‘I wouldn’t know,’ Grace said. ‘The thief of souls only takes humans. My kind doesn’t have souls. Instead, when we die we turn into sea foam.’

That sounded rather horrifying. Wasn’t that what happened in the original little mermaid?

‘Do all mermaids, or selkies, know about this?’ Cordelia asked. ‘Or did you find out from Tatiana?’

‘We know stories, rumors,’ Grace said. ‘But with Tatiana I realized it was real. Even if she never told me anything, I learnt plenty by being around her.’

‘How long were you with her, exactly?’ Thomas asked.

‘Three years,’ Grace said. ‘She often pretended I was her daughter, and made me do the work the thief of souls asked of her. I haven’t been to the sea in all this time.’

‘And your skin was here for three years?’ Cordelia asked.

‘No, she only did that when she came here,’ Grace said. ‘Before, she kept it with her, but here she suspected you might steal it if you found out what it was. She didn’t realize I could still escape when she hadn’t given me specific instructions.’

‘If the thief of souls can do all these things, why does he not take over our world, kill at random?’ Alastair asked.

‘As I said, he needs a blood connection to operate in our world, and the promises form humans he works with. According to Tatiana, he has been sealed away by a witch a long time ago. But here’s where it gets interesting. Apparently, somewhere in the Victorian era he’d grown so powerful he could leave his realm, kill people without a deal. He had a daughter too at that time. A witch called Theresa Gray. She was the one who sealed him away. I think, considering how old he is, it must have been done before, but I don’t know how or when. The seal will break again, although I have no idea how long that will take.’

Lucie frowned. ‘Theresa Gray, that’s my mother’s name. Well, she usually goes by Tessa.’

Grace stared at Lucie. ‘I heard the thief speak of her. He never expected her betrayal, and couldn’t defeat her or stop her from sealing him. But he could take her memory. Weakened from the battle, she fell asleep in the land in between and only woke up a 130 years later with false memories of her childhood in time she woke up in. He took her power away while she slept, since she was in the land in between he could still do that. He does not believe she is a threat to him anymore, and thinks that with enough interesting or powerful souls, he’ll break free for good.’

‘Meaning this woman would live in the modern age, with no idea who she was?’ Alastair asked. ‘Lucie, it could really be your mother. The timeline adds up. And if she was the thief’s daughter, that would explain your why your power is so connected to his.’

‘Everyone in my mother’s family died,’ Lucie mused, ‘All when my mother was very young. My only family are on the Herondale side. It could be her. And although she doesn’t have the sight, it was very easy for my father to get her to see and believe, something that has always surprised him. But then she would have been the same witch Jessamine knew. Wouldn’t Jessamine have recognized her?’

‘I don’t know, it has been a very long time and Jessamine didn’t know her that well,’ Cordelia said. ‘Could easily be that Jessamine forgot her face.’

‘I could talk to your mother,’ Alastair said. ‘See if I can restore her memory. If she lived a different life than she remembers, the real memories are still there somewhere.’

‘Have you done anything like that before?’ Lucie asked.

‘Not as extreme as an entire life someone forgot,’ Alastair said. ‘But I have restored missing memories, yes. Most of the time, there isn’t much of a point to it though. Not everyone wants to remember.’

Cordelia knew what Alastair was talking about. It was something he’d told her about not long ago, after learning about their father’s alcoholism. He’d tried to restore their father’s memories from when he was too drunk to remember, hoping that if he knew how much he was hurting Alastair, he would stop. Nothing had changed though.

‘What is Tatiana planning next?’ Alastair asked Grace. ‘How much time do we have left?’

‘She didn’t tell me,’ Grace said. ‘She comes here to communicate with him, I think that was her intention today. But she wants you out of the way too. Ultimately, Thomas must die so Jesse can live, but I think she will try to kill all of you when she can, especially when she find out what Lucie can do. The thief lost track of witches, and they’re very uncommon nowadays.’

‘Are all witches his children?’ Lucie asked.

‘I’m not sure,’ Grace said. ‘In his current state, he would be unable to leave his realm and have a child, but he used to be able to. I don’t think he’d try again if he could though, not after his daughter turned on him. But they could be descendants, generations away. I’m not sure how the magic inherits.’

Some of the stones shifted, the ruins became a little more like a castle.

‘I think we need to get out of here,’ Cordelia said.

She was still soaking wet, as was Alastair, and getting colder. She longed for a hot shower and some clean clothes. Lucie opened a separate gateway for Grace, and they walked into the light that brought them back to the forest.

Lucie stared into the distance for a moment. ‘She’s become transparent again. Show yourself, Barbara.’

The woman Cordelia had seen before appeared. Who was she? Another ghost, but somehow Lucie had pulled her back into this world.

‘You’ve taken a soul away from him,’ Grace said. ‘You really are powerful. But he’s going to be very mad.’

‘What else was I supposed to do? I’m not sending her back,’ Lucie said crossly.

‘Fine with me, but you should know what you’re doing,’ Grace said. ‘You’re making a powerful enemy.’

‘He was always my enemy,’ Lucie said determinedly.

Cordelia feared what would happen though. Would the thief of souls realize how powerful Lucie was? Would he come for her, out of fear that Lucie would finish what Tessa had started?

Grace nodded. ‘Alright then. I will be going my own way. I need to return to the sea. Perhaps you can come visit me some day on the Isle of Skye.’

Grace then walked into the woods, and disappeared. Did she intend to walk all the way to the coast? Cordelia wanted to call after her, but she was long gone.

[surveillance-0011]

TBOI Headcanons: Horsemen

Death

He/him

He’s...nice. Not a good person by any means but he’s the most polite of the bunch. Kind of strange though. Creepily calm, a bit sarcastic, and he has a pretty morbid view on the world.

Reserved and usually grumpy. He can be rather chipper off-duty, though. Putting up with the others takes a lot of energy from him.

Tired....

A bit neurotic but good at coming off as a down-to-earth guy.

He’s the most book-smart of the bunch and he’s fairly wise. A bit emotionally stunted, but he tries his best to be mature and make the right choices.

Death is more than a bit nihilistic and pessimistic. He has a hard time just... caring, mostly about himself.

Not to say he’s completely apathetic, he can be pretty empathetic but he tries not to act on that too much because if he did his job would have broken him by now.

He likes to think he’s got it all under control, but he does not. He’s more prone to pettiness and stupid decisions than he’d like to admit.

That being said he’s been pretty good with like. Growing and maturing though. He’s changed more than he realizes in just in the past.... decade or so ago. A bit of a late start for an immortal but hey at least he’s slightly less of a scumbag.

It’s usually not easy to anger him unless he’s really tired or something’s already set him off. When something does piss him off badly he’s a bit prone to freaking out. He’s not very good at handling his emotions. 

Sees his own job as a necessary evil, because hey, someone’s gotta do it.

Interested in botany/gardening, as well as literature.

Genuinely nice- or at least polite- to the kids when he’s not supposed to be murdering them. He sees no reason to go out of his way to do so, especially since unwarranted cruelty towards others has only bit him in the ass.

Famine’s older brother. The two have always had each other’s backs.

Diligent, and always considers the logistics to things instead of acting on emotion alone.

Protective of the other horsemen.

Pretty short tbh

His horse’s name is Chili.

Famine

She/he (bigender). You can use both interchangeably or only use one set, she doesn’t care. Fine with they/them too but it’s never really clicked w/ him enough to be preferred.

Usually prefers more masculine terms (brother, sir, mr...) but fine with anything.

.Flips between bouncing off the walls and having no energy whatsoever.

Impulsive, she’s got terrible judgement and has the most idiotic of ideas sometimes.

Fairly easygoing, tries to forgive and forget and doesn’t let little transgressions get to her

Actually pretty damn sad. Needs some self care but never looks after herself.

I mean she’s optimistic and usually happy but like. There’s always just a bit of sadness, you know? He’s dealt with a lot and it’s definitely taken its toll on him.

Disaster Lesbian

Tries to be a graceful loser but she can get a bit more competitive than she’d like to admit.

Has a hard time relating to others and considering how they feel, at least when it comes to anything more complex than “bad thing happened now I’m sad/mad” He’s a drifter by nature, always onto the next big thing for a quick thrill.

Eats a lot. It’s never enough.

Plants and a good deal of food will decay if she touches them, or even gets too close to them.

Like his brother he has some interest in nature. Famine is more on the adventurous side, though. She’s tried to live off the land a few times with varying success.

Named her horse Frisk

Pestilence

He/him

Calm, quiet, but also a pessimistic jackass.

Always in a bad mood. I mean, he’s permanently sick with just about everything contagious and deadly. You’d be grumpy, too!

Surprisingly high pain tolerance. A good deal of his nerves have probably just.. shut down or something. Or maybe he’s just numb to everything after a lifetime of pain.

Sleeps a lot

Dislikes his situation a lot, but doesn’t mind the company of the others.

Lazarus is terrified of this dude. The other kids are mostly grossed out or annoyed by him.

Likes to be alone.

Fairly smart, but comes off as absent minded bc he’s pretty much too sick to function. He slips up a lot and he’s pretty damn clumsy

Probably the most rational of the bunch, when he’s not in airplane mode. 

He’s also got a fairly strong moral compass. He doesn’t really like fighting the kids unlike War and Famine. Or just having to go up against people in general. Hell he hates the fact people get sick because of him. At the very least Pest has higher standards and is fairly transparent

But that isn’t to say he’s a good person. Yeah he doesn’t go out of his way to hurt others for shits and giggles and He’s Not Conquest but he doesn’t ever object to any of the shit the kids are put through and well. Yknow he still does kill them. He will also encourage some of War’s antics when it’s against someone he dislikes.

Tries to be as supportive as he can for the others. He knows he can’t do too much without overexerting so he tries to be encouraging and comforting as he can.

This compassion usually isn’t extended to humans, though.

Not very emotive, the only emotions he ever really expresses would be disdain and mild concern.

Not very fond of Conquest but they don’t hate each other. They actually work together well, too.

Friends with Mahalath. They’re pretty close!

His horse’s name is Moses.

War

He/it

He’s not very friendly, he’s pretty defensive and always on edge.

Out of all the horsemen, he’s probably the one closest with the Beast.

Lots of scars n injuries, it’s practically stitched together

One gold tooth

Impulsive, prefers solving issues through violence than through reason.

He can be fairly clever, though.

Intentionally angers/upsets others, likes causing problems and ruining things for people.

Desires wealth and power

Gets burnt out pretty quickly.

Emotional, insecure, and sensitive, and he hates this part of him. Definitely overcompensates for it.

Explosive temper, quite literally. Catches fire when upset and explodes if it’s more intense. Damage done to him also makes it happen. It’s not entirely voluntary but can be held off, and his “sobbing” sprite is him doing exactly that (but he’s probably also trying not to cry lmao). In the Ultra War fight, however...

Its daily routine leaves a lot to be desired. It wakes up, goes to work, then it goes home and just. Sits and rots.

Also, his diet is god awful. Please just eat a fruit or vegetable for once maybe you’d feel better goddamn.

He cannot remember if his horse is actually a horse or not but uhh he named her Bellum.

Conquest

He/they.

High and mighty sort of attitude. Can be very selfish. Stubborn, set in his ways. Gets defensive if you call him out or tell him he’s wrong.

Gay + nonbinary but in the closet (and denial) about both of those things. They’re trying to unlearn years’ worth of internalized bigotry.

Used to be worse, now trying to unlearn his toxic behaviors. But he’s still awful.

Doesn’t remember anything before their death. However they’ve held very strong Christian (specifically Catholic) beliefs all their life and they have a pretty black and white way of thinking.

Very cold and clinical. He has a bit of a temper but there’s a sort of calmness to everything he does even when he’s pissed.

Just as argumentative and aggressive as War but like more of a threat.

The others call him Connie sometimes, especially Death, who practically almost always calls him by this nickname.

Doesn’t harbor ill will towards Pestilence. They might have been overshadowed, but it’s not Pestilence’s own fault. If anything, being out of the spotlight has been good for Conquest, even if they do miss the attention sometimes. The only reason the two dislike each other is because their personalities clash.

Now if there’s anyone he hates that would be the Headless Horseman. Fuck that guy amiright

Very protective of Death. The two are close, Death is probably the only person who is consistently nice to him.

Utterly terrified of needles (hypodermic, not sewing needles, though he’s not good with sharp objects tbh) and medical stuff makes him anxious

Seems very... off. Just weird vibes but no one can pin point what about him is wrong.

Oh uh and his horse’s name is Josephine.

[ddarker-dreams]

Icebreaker. Giorno x F Reader 🎀

a/n: i wanted to show more of SR reader’s personality here! i had a lot of fun playing around with this scene, i really just wanted to show her she goes about talking with the others. reader and giorno try to understand people in different ways. :’) 

[Scarlet Ribbons description]

There’s only so many times you can count the birds overhead before it becomes a dull affair. 

Still six of them, you think. Fugo had caught onto your fascination of the sky a few minutes prior. He offered some knowledge on the creatures, which admittedly, was rather enlightening. Should you ever be quizzed on random trivia involving birds, you’ll do better than most. Fugo’s wide array of knowledge on various topics never failed to impress you. 

“That brings me to seagulls, which black-tailed gulls are often mistaken for. Seagulls are one of the few animals capable of drinking seawater, possessing special glands that filter out excess salt.” 

You furrowed your eyebrows at the revelation. “We really got handed the short end of the evolution stick.” 

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Fugo sighed, and placed a hand on his hip. “What even goes on in that head of yours?”

“Too much or nothing at all. There’s no in between.”

Truth be told, it’s not really birds that you’re mulling over. 

As subtle as you can manage to, your eyes shift to the latest recruit Bucciarati brought in. Giorno Giovanna. He is currently standing farthest away from the group. Not that you can entirely blame him, as Abbacchio has made a point of shooting him dirty glances on occasion. 

When you had been introduced to the others, you were immediately able to mentally place them. Bruno was someone who commanded respect. Fugo was rough around the edges yet meant well. Narancia brought lots of energy with him. Abbacchio felt prickly, but wouldn’t be antagonistic unless provoked. Mista… well, Mista was just an easy going guy. Within minutes of meeting him you were talking and laughing like old friends. 

So what does that make Giorno? 

You honestly have no idea, and it’s bothering you. He felt like a walking contradiction. There was no getting a read on him, no understanding what he’s thinking. In theory it should be easy enough for you to talk to him. Giorno’s very polite, and doesn’t give the same standoffish vibe you used to get when speaking to Abbacchio. All the methods you utilized to befriend the others feel like they won’t work with him. You're of the inclination that even if your attempts at conversation bothered him, he’d never voice it, for the sole sake of remaining courteous. 

Sitting here and worrying about it won’t do me good, you decide, standing from your seat. Now might be the best time to try and understand Giorno better. Everyone is spaced out on the yacht, doing their own thing. Maybe he’ll feel more inclined to speak his mind without the others lurking around. You find yourself walking towards where he stands, peering over the Tyrrhenian Sea, golden hair illuminated by sunlight. There’s no plan in your mind. Your improvisation rate has at least an 80% success rate, far higher than Mista’s. Hearing your approaching footsteps, Giorno turns, greeting you with a nod of his head.

You stand by his side, looking in the same direction he was. “Are you a fan of the sea, Giorno?” 

“It has its draws,” Giorno responds. He then pauses, as if deliberating for a moment, and poses you the same question. “Do you like it?”

“To be honest, it’s a little nerve wracking. I’ve seen those videos of waves taller than buildings crashing down onto boats before, and I’ve never looked at the ocean the same,” you admit with a shiver. Giorno blinks, and you realize your comment is akin to talking about a plane crashing when you’re on a plane. Whoops. “Not that I think that’ll happen. We’re not far out enough.” 

“That’s a relief.” He replies. 

You’re grateful for the grace he extends to you. “Anyways… I wouldn’t mind seeing the faraglioni while we’re out here. I’ve heard it's quite a sight.” 

An idea had popped into your head. A small benchmark, to get a better understanding of Giorno’s character. You placed the incorrect emphasis on the end of faraglioni. Instead of finishing the word with the short vowel ə, you ended it with the long vowel i: to see if he’d point it out like Fugo or Bucciarati would. The latter in a far more considerate manner. 

Giorno doesn’t acknowledge it, choosing to overlook the minor error. “I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve heard tourists enjoy it.” 

That small interaction gives you a better feel for who he is as a person. Giorno is a person who is considerate of others. Whether it be for maintaining peace or some other goal, you’re still uncertain, but it feels better having at least some understanding now. For good measure, you place a finger to your cheek in thought. Giorno watches your actions with curiosity. 

“Say, Giorno, did I pronounce that right...?” You wonder aloud in a pensive whisper. 

“It was very close,” he clears his throat. Giorno thinks for a moment, before continuing. “Faraglioni.”

Giorno ends the word with the proper long vowel. His correction is as well-mannered as he is. You nod your head, pleased with this knowledge on the new recruit. Repeating the word as he did, you let it roll off your tongue with ease. Not one of the more difficult Italian words you’ve had to wrestle with, in all honesty. 

He’s trying to get a read on you the same way you are with him. The inquisitive side of you wonders what conclusions he’s drawn from speaking to you, in comparison to the others. Well, at least you’re not as standoffish as they are. It must be a guy thing, you decide. I’ll ask Fugo about it later.

The two of you return to looking over the sea in a comfortable silence, basking in the sight of never-ending blue. Every now and then you’ll throw in a comment, to which he’ll respond in kind, if not a little stiff. It’s still an improvement over earlier. 

You have a gut feeling that you’ll get along with Giorno quite well. 

[bluenet13]

Hay Amor en Todas Partes (Part 2/2)

Written for @badthingshappenbingo

Fandom: 9-1-1: Lone Star

Characters: T.K. Strand, Carlos Reyes, Firehouse 126 Crew (basically everyone is here)

Prompt: Losing Their Temper

Summary: After a night out, Carlos and TK encounter two men with nothing good to say. When tempers flare, punches fly, chaos ensues, and two become six, leaving Carlos and TK at their mercy.

Chapter 1

Links: ff.net - AO3

Judd and Grace were tangled together on the couch watching a movie when Judd's phone rang. Frowning, he grabbed it and looked at Grace in confusion, showing her the name on the screen. Confusion on both their faces, because sure, both Judd and Grace were friends with the officer but he rarely called them.

"Reyes?" Judd said, instantly putting the call on speaker. "Carlos, you there? TK?"

A grunt could be heard from the other end and the couple shared a puzzled look. "Is this some kind of joke?" Judd asked, managing to sound only mildly exasperated.

"Should we call TK?" Grace inquired, moving to her phone already.

Hearing another groan, and shuffling on the other side, Judd's features twisted to mild disgust. "Do you think they… are they-?" Judd cut himself short, shaking his head, not even wanting to think about what he could be hearing, and moved to end the call.

"Judson, wait," Grace directed, her hand coming to rest over his. "Turn the volume all the way up. I don't think this is an accidental call." And never one to question his wife, Judd did as directed.

While Judd spent his days saving lives in the physical world, Grace spent hers helping people through a phone, and nobody was better at her job than her. So now, she closed her eyes and listened. Opening them again and looking at her husband with horror in her eyes as soon as they both recognized the distinct sound of fists and feet connecting with a body, and various accompanying pained gasps and grunts.

"Carlos what the hell is going on? Where are you? We're coming to help," Judd screamed into the phone, but no response came. Then a gruff voice softly spoke, but it sounded far away so they could only make out the word 'alley'.

"Grace, call 9-1-1. Then call the crew, I want to stay on the line with Carlos," Judd directed, turning to his wife, even as he ran to their room to get a jacket and some shoes. "And don't bother calling TK, I'm sure whatever is happening they're together."

When Judd came back to the living room, Grace was already standing by the door, dressed and ready to go, keys already in her hand and phone pressed to her ear.

"Where do you think you're going?" Judd breathed out.

"To help. TK might be your teammate, but he and Carlos are my friends too. Let's go," Grace left no room for argument, and opened the door, not waiting for Judd to follow, just knowing that he would.

And so he did.

-x-x-x-

Carlos Reyes has always known he would die alone. It was a fact he had accepted the very day he enrolled in the police academy. And he had made peace with that notion, even if he wasn't fond of the idea. But right now, he cursed inwardly, because he had much rather die alone than face the possibility of TK dying alongside him, or even worse, instead of him.

TK Strand had almost died more than a few times, and long ago he had already questioned and accepted his own mortality, but he had never made peace with the idea of losing people close to him. And there was no one he wanted to lose less than Carlos Reyes, so right now, he stilled his nerves and told himself he would welcome death like an old friend, hoping destiny would see it as an invitation and chose to take him instead.

When the shot ran out, TK and Carlos both flinched. Hands unclasping as they both waited for the pain. Eyes going simultaneously wide as they reached the same conclusion when none came. Both, cop and paramedic, were too scared to turn around to their boyfriend and what they would find there, so instead they just closed their eyes and waited. Until the sounds of sirens gave them the little push they needed to continue being brave and turn to each other.

Simultaneous smiles reached their lips as they saw the other one was okay, and Carlos and TK collapsed in an embrace. Holding each other up, both hanging on for dear life.

Footsteps coming close broke the hug, and Carlos and TK fumbled and stumbled as they both tried to push the other behind. Neither sure of the upcoming threat, just focused on protecting their boyfriend. But the attempt was unnecessary because they were finally safe.

Aaron laid on the ground in front of them, blood pouring out from a sniper round to his head, and the other five men had disappeared, but most likely were currently being rounded by APD, if the blinking red and blue lights in every direction were any indication.

"Are you guys okay?" Marjan asked first.

"What the hell happened?" Judd added not a second later.

"Paramedics are on route," Grace directed, phone still pressed to her ear.

"Come on let us help you," Paul offered, holding out his hand.

"You both look like hell," Mateo said, because he just couldn't help himself.

TK and Carlos looked up and away from Aaron's body, to see their friends, their family, surrounding them. Everyone was there, Judd, Grace, Paul, Marjan, Mateo, even Nancy. All looking nervous and sounding more than a little bit breathless.

"What? Uh? How?" TK fumbled with the words, staring at the group with wide and still slightly frantic green eyes. "How did you find us?" He finally managed to whisper.

"You have to thank your boy over there," Judd drawled, his hands closed into fists at his sides.

Turning to Carlos, TK raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

"When, when they were focused on you, I took out my phone and tried to contact Judd. I couldn't send a message so I just left the call open. I thought of calling 9-1-1 but you never know who's going to get that call and if they're going to take something like this seriously. Besides, I already knew where the best operator in town was," Carlos explained, smiling shyly at Grace. "But I wasn't sure it had even worked. Sean was standing over me and I couldn't see the screen well," Carlos finished with a breathy laugh, one of pure relief.

"It worked, alright," Judd said proudly, "but what the hell happened?"

Both Carlos and TK deflated at that, neither wanting to relive the experience. But their friends deserved to know, especially because they had all paused their lives to be here, so they took turns telling the story. From the moment they left the bar until just now when the 126 rescued them from almost certain death.

"Bastards," Paul hissed, eyes darkened.

"I would kill him myself if he wasn't already dead," Judd mumbled, staring at Aaron's lifeless body, and only managed to look slightly regretful when Grace whispered a stern 'Judson'.

"I hope the other five rot in prison," Nancy said under her breath, and everyone else nodded.

"Damn, that sucks, dude. That's why you shouldn't go out without adult supervision," Mateo teased lightly.

"Not that you are that much of an adult, probie. But you're right. No more bars or nightclubs unless the crew is there," Marjan added with finality.

Still shaken and in pain, Carlos and TK couldn't help but laugh because their friends were truly something. But they wouldn't have it any other way.

"Can we go home, baby?" TK asked after a moment of silence, turning to his boyfriend.

"Yeah, we can," Carlos whispered, pushing TK's hair back and kissing him on the forehead, where a bruise was already forming.

"Uh no, you're both going to the hospital," Judd interjected.

"But -" Both TK and Carlos tried to say.

"No buts, if it was only one of you that was hurt, we all know the other one wouldn't have it any other way. So no arguing now, and just do as we say," Paul said, leaving no room for argument.

TK just pouted and tried to give the team his best puppy eyes but they were seemingly immune to his charm by now because they all shook their heads and turned around.

"Come on, Ty. We can make a date out of it," Carlos offered, groaning as he lifted himself from the ground and extended his hand to TK.

Taking it, TK kissed Carlos' bruised knuckles and mouthed a silent 'thank you'. Then let himself be pulled off the ground as they walked to the waiting ambulance, their weight supported in between Judd and Paul, the rest of the crew instinctively moving to surround them from all sides, enclosing the couple in a protective circle.

-x-x-x-

The next few hours were spent in the ER, both TK and Carlos going for countless x-rays, and scans. But in the end, their injuries were deemed to be painful and bothersome, but not life threatening. So when it was nearing 5 in the morning, they were finally discharged with clear instructions to take it easy, rest for the next few days, and come back if any of their symptoms or injuries worsened.

"Ready to go home?" Carlos asked TK as he helped him close the bottoms on his shirt. Thankful the team had brought them clean clothes so they didn't have to wear the bloody and dirty ones.

"I have never been more ready," TK said sincerely, pushing Carlos' hand away. "But, I'm not the one with three cracked ribs, I can dress myself."

"Yeah, but you're the one with two broken fingers, and a sprained wrist," Carlos said matter-of-factly.

"Can we stop comparing scars and get the hell out of here?" Paul deadpanned from the door, then turned around to shout something towards the waiting room. "They're decent guys, you're good to come in."

Carlos blushed and TK rolled his eyes, parting his lips to say something, but his attempt was interrupted as the rest of the 126 came into the room. Conversation flowing easily as if they had all been together in the room for the past few hours.

"Besides, I think we can all agree you both look like hell," Marjan added helpfully, the rest of the team nodding their agreement. Their words teasing, but their eyes betraying the concern and anger they were all feeling.

"What are you guys still doing here?" TK asked, ignoring their jokes, because he had already looked at himself in the mirror, and knew exactly how he looked.

"It's been hours, you should have gone home," Carlos agreed.

"Did you guys really think we would leave you alone after what happened?" Paul asked incredulously.

"Yes?" TK shrugged, but smiled at them anyways. "There's these helpful apps called Uber or Lyft if you guys didn't know, we would have called one."

"Dude, what's the point of having friends if you have to rideshare home from the hospital?" Mateo said softly, then looked uncomfortable when all eyes turned to him.

"Probie is right," Marjan said with a smile, clapping Mateo on the shoulder, "you guys are family and family don't let each other take an Uber from the hospital."

"Much less after getting the crap beat out of you by racist and homophobic assholes," Paul added under his breath, looking ready to murder someone if he could get his hands on any of the six men who attacked his friends.

"What's taking so long?" Judd popped his head inside the room, cutting all conversation short. "Come on, let's go. Tommy and Owen will meet us at your house."

Hearing his dad's name TK groaned and silently wondered if it was too late to ask his doctor to admit him for the night. Carlos picked up on his anxiety, and took his hand and squeezed softly.

"Did you really have to call him?" TK couldn't help but ask, "tonight, I mean. Couldn't you have waited until tomorrow?" He amended after everyone glared at him.

"Of course we had, we didn't all want to lose our jobs," Marjan said with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably. Everyone was rattled, and no one was doing a good job of hiding it.

"At least this time it really wasn't your fault that you got hurt, so maybe Cap will take it better," Mateo offered, but even he sounded like he didn't believe his words.

"Or he might just finally decide to bubble wrap TK so he stops getting hurt," Nancy proposed, "I know Tommy and I were talking about it after the whole kidnapping incident."

"That actually sounds like a great idea," Carlos perked up at that.

"Shut up, Reyes, you're in the hospital too," TK mumbled.

"Behave boys," Grace said softly, in her best 9-1-1 dispatcher tone, calm and collected but firm in her opinion. "You know Captain Strand worries about you, TK. We waited to call him and Tommy after we knew more of what was happening, but we did after the doctor spoke to us. If it was the other way around and Owen was hurt, you would have wanted us to call you too."

"Thanks, Grace," Carlos breathed out, while TK only nodded, "actually, thank you all. We don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up with half the cops in the city." He did know, but he didn't want to voice those words. Instead choosing to end with his attempt at a joke.

"No need to thank us," Nancy said, stepping from the back of the room for the first time, "took me long enough to break Strand in after the last fiasco and parade of potential paramedics. I just can't deal with a new partner. And I'm sure your partner feels the same, Reyes."

Everyone laughed at that, but it never reached their eyes. T.K. and Carlos were okay now, but the events of the night would remain with them for some time. For now, the crew would just be there for their friends in whatever way they needed, and hope their love was enough to chase away any memories of what Aaron and his men had said and done.

-x-x-x-

Reaching their house a half hour later, Carlos and TK stepped out of Marjan's car with a groan, awkwardly leaning against the door and each other as they tried to steady themselves. Quickly getting out of his truck and the Camaro, respectively, Judd, and Paul ran to their friends, each setting one of their arms over their shoulders as they helped them to the front door.

Reaching the porch, Carlos smiled and TK groaned as Tommy, Owen, Gabriel and Andrea came into view, all of them instantly crowding the boys, fussing over them, asking questions, and offering to help. But thankfully, Paul took pity on them and respectfully pushed everyone away, sharing the doctor's words and reminding all their friends and family that Carlos and TK needed to rest.

As soon as they made it inside their home, they collapsed on the couch, both in pain but content to be in each other's arms and surrounded by their families and best friends. Once they were all settled around the living room, Owen handed them their prescriptions with two bottles of water, staying in front of them for an extra second as he looked them up and down. Seemingly satisfied with what he found, Owen nodded, squeezed both Carlos and TK's shoulders and stepped away. But visual confirmation wasn't enough for Tommy and Nancy as they insisted on checking the boys over, for their own benefit and mental peace. Gabriel and Andrea, for their part, went straight to the kitchen, setting bags on the counter and containers on the fridge. When they came back into the room, Carlos thanked his parents and hugged them both, silently wondering when his mother even had time to cook all that or if maybe she just had a stack of comfort food lying around on the fridge ready to go next time disaster struck.

Everyone then shared some small talk before they all left the house an hour later. The crew promising to be back on their next day off so they could play some video games or board games, while Owen and Andrea offered to return the next morning to make sure they were alright and help them around the house, and Gabriel vowed to get the Rangers on the case so these men could never attack or harass anyone ever again.

-x-x-x-

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked eventually, once they were finally alone in their bedroom, both just wearing boxers and a towel over their shoulders as they continued to air dry their damp bodies.

"Not really," TK said honestly, head tilting sideways as he looked at Carlos thoughtfully. The shower had helped, but it hadn't been enough to erase all the fears and worries after the night they just had. "But I will be. What about you?"

"Pretty much the same, but mostly just worried about you," Carlos admitted softly, fingers carding through TK's hair as Carlos stepped in between his legs, while TK sat on the bed.

"Why? I didn't go through this alone. It didn't just happen to me," TK explained, moving his hands to Carlos' hips and pulling him closer.

"Yeah, but I feel like it's my job to protect you. And I failed at it," Carlos said simply, eyes darkening as he felt the plastic splint on TK's wrist brush against his skin.

"Why, because you're a cop?" TK wondered.

"Because I'm your boyfriend."

"And I'm yours," TK said easily, "so that means we protect each other."

Carlos nodded, but still looked unconvinced.

"I'm a big boy, Carlos. I can handle some homophobic and racist assholes," TK tried next.

"But you shouldn't have to," Carlos whispered. His fingers now softly running over the bruise on TK's temple.

"And you shouldn't either. No one deserves something like this. But, sadly, these things happen," TK said with a shrug. "And I know that doesn't make it better, but it's just the way it is."

"It sucks." Carlos sighed, because it did and there was nothing else to say.

"It sure does. But we will be okay. We just need to go about this like we do everything else, we handle it together and move forward as a team. No need for you to take the weight of the world on your shoulders alone. Not when you have someone to bear it with you." TK moved his hands from Carlos' hips to his back, softly running his fingers over the tense spots and knots around his boyfriend's shoulder blades. It was a bit awkward with broken fingers and a splint, but like everything, they made it work.

Carlos hummed his agreement and closed his eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the comfort his boyfriend was so graciously gifting him, even when he was hurt too. After a few minutes, Carlos opened his eyes again, instantly getting lost in the green of TK's gaze, and his body naturally leaned forward. TK easily met him in the middle, their lips connecting in a sweet kiss.

TK's hands left Carlos' back to wrap around his body, pulling him closer as they slowly deepened the kiss. Lips parting in simultaneous invitations, but the moment was short lived as TK hugged a little too hard and Carlos groaned against his lips. His injured ribs protesting the movement even when his heart leaped in his chest.

"You're hurt," TK breathed out, stepping out of his boyfriend's space and limping to the bathroom, a smile gracing his face after hearing Carlos' little whimper at the loss of contact. "Lie down," he directed when he returned a minute later, supplies in hand.

Carlos raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I would love nothing more but I think we're in no physical condition for that."

"Ha, ha." TK waved the bottle of 'Arnicare' in his hand, before pointing to the bed.

Carlos nodded and carefully sat on the bed. Then took a few steadying breaths before he fell back on the mattress. Barely suppressed grunts and a wince escaping as the movement pulled at his tired and sore muscles.

Moving forward TK put some of the cream on Carlos' abdomen and began rubbing softly, mindful of the broken ribs and bruises that were already visible on his skin. "Just relax," TK said softly, feeling Carlos tense under his touch. "I won't hurt you."

"I know," Carlos said honestly. TK could never, would never. But the memories of what happened at the bar were still fresh on his mind. So, he moved his hand to TK and set his palm over his thigh. And only then could he really relax. His heart needing the physical connection as much as the sight of his boyfriend standing in front of him.

When TK finished with the cream, he wiped his hands on the towel and left the room. Returning soon after with two ice packs, one which he set over the worst of the purple coloring his boyfriend's skin, and the other one over his own temple. He then turned off the lights and climbed into his side of the bed.

Wordlessly, Carlos shuffled closer and set his hand over his boyfriend's chest, letting the steady beat of TK's heart ground him and calm his own. "Thank you," he whispered eventually, hoping the simple message conveyed more than just gratitude. He wanted it to mean 'I love you', 'if I had to go through this I'm glad it is with you', 'I'm sorry you had to hear those things and get hurt', and so much more. But his words were failing him tonight, so he settled for the two words that would always be true.

"Anytime," TK mumbled, voice laced with sleep. "But Carlos, promise me one thing?"

"Anything," Carlos offered easily.

"Next time this happens, because we both know it likely will," he began, but quickly backtracked, "I hope not the beating part, but the insults. Promise me that when, if, it happens again, you won't try to defend my honor." His words were serious, but Carlos sensed the smile that was on his lips. "You looked damn hot when you punched the bastard on the face, but -"

Carlos chuckled at that, knowing that losing his temper had only made things worse, even when he had done his best to keep TK under control. But still, he promised nothing. Because as certain as he was that something like that could happen again, he was also confident that he would always defend TK. From homophobic and racist men, or anything else that threatened his boyfriend. And TK seemed to know and understand because he didn't press the issue any further. Mostly because he would do the same thing. Anytime and any day.

"But thank you," TK did say, his hand seeking Carlos' and intertwining their fingers together, before he moved it to his lips and pressed a kiss over his knuckles.

"Anytime, and always," Carlos echoed his boyfriend, before ending on a promise of his own. Then he inhaled a deep breath, taking it all in. "I love you, Ty." The words flowing more easily this time.

"Love you, too."

The previous night might not have gone like they expected, but they had made it through. And now Carlos and TK simply continued to bask in their love. Because love could take many shapes and forms, and it sometimes happened in bed after a night of dancing at the bar, but other times it just entailed taking care of one another, and shared bruise cream and ice packs.

Snuggled against each other, and content, TK and Carlos eventually fell asleep. Because even when the world was at its darkest, the actions of their friends, families and each other had shown them that there was still love everywhere around them. Most people just had to look hard enough to find it, but for Carlos and TK finding it would always be the easy part. Since their love was a simple fact, a constant, and a reality that was as true as breathing.

[thiswasinevitableid]

Hey! For your monster prompts, maybe Fae indruck? Either nsfw or sfw is cool ✌🏻💕✨

Here you go! I went with NSFW

When the sun sets over the Monongahela, Lake Greenbriar becomes a sky burning with stars. The woven crowns, strung through ash leaves for men or rowan leaves for women, each bear four small candles which flicker in the twilight as they bob on the water. If they sink, their owners will return home alone. If they make it to another part of the shore, the one who picks them up and the one who set them afloat are meant to be together. 

By the time darkness cloaks the trees, all but one of the crowns is sunk or retrieved. Duck Newton sits on the shore, skipping stones across the black water. 

This happens every. Goddamn. Year.

He makes his crown, he sets it on the lake, and it floats aimlessly until the candles go out. It doesn’t sink, and no one ever picks it up. Two years ago, when he was allowed to weave ash leaves instead of rowan into it, he thought that might fix the issue. No such luck. 

It’s not that Duck is hoping to find his true love; every one knows that the Festival of Floating Light is an excuse to hook-up in the woods with no repercussions. Kepler is strange like that. Sex is private, unless there’s a an ancient ritual involving boning down in public, in which case it must be observed every year.

That’s not the only strange thing about his home, far from it, but as moans and cries of pleasure punctuate the darkness it’s the one on his mind. 

He’s contemplating whether to go home when his crown changes course, floating purposefully to a point diagonal from him. Lo and behold, a figure picks it up, and there’s a flash of silver as they lift it. But instead of moving towards him, they turn into the woods.

“Man, what the fuck?” He grumbles, getting to his feet and running towards the dimming candles, staying on the shore to avoid tripping over an amorous couple hidden in the trees. Duck catches up to the mysterious figure just as they pass into a clearing, moonlight spilling onto the grass around them.

“Y’know, real rude to turn your back on your true love.” He teases.

A rustle of fabric as the figure turns and Duck bites back a frustrated groan. Standing before him is a man with silver hair, faintly glowing red eyes and, god help him, short, feathery antennae. He smiles wide, showing teeth just sharp enough to be worrying. 

Six years of waiting, and the first person to get his crown is a fucking fae. 

“That seems rather forward.” The fae cocks his head, “I was of the understanding this night was for more, ah, casual activities.”

“I was, uh, just goofin around. Sorry.”

“There is no need to apologize for such a jest. Here” tan arms offer the crown back to him, “I came to observe, not participate. I was running late at that, and thus thought I would see the lake empty. Only this remained and when it came to me I assumed it’s owner had long since given up.”

“Uh, thanks.” He blows out the candles, not wanting to start a forest fire, “yeah. This same thing happens to me every year. Don’t stop me from waitin until the last moment, hopin it’ll be different.”

The fae looks at Duck’s feet, gaze slowly moving up his body with an unreadable smile. 

“I know many consider this festival a mere game, rather than true magic, and you are the proof” red eyes lock onto his face, “Such a handsome man is left floating year after year? No decent magic would allow that.”

Duck knows that fae flirt with humans all the time, that people come back with stories of being bewitched until the member of the Unseen Court had their fill. But this one seems too earnest for that.

No sooner does he think this then the fae steps back, “Oh, ah, apologies, I did not mean to alarm you with my compliment. You need not fear trickery from me, Duck Newton, I promise.”

“Uh, my, my name ain’t, uh, fuck, my names really Way-, no, no uh. Fuck.”

“Do not worry. I am a seer, and thus learned your name by following your futures. But magic has odd ways about it; because I can learn others' names with ease, I cannot use them for any sort of spell or binding.”

“Thank fuck.”

The fae snickers, then bows, “Indeed. You may call me Indrid,”

“Indrid. Right. Uh, well, been nice meetin you Indrid, but I’m gonna head back into town.”

“You wish to return to a lonely bed and a night of disgruntled dreams?” Indrid raises an eyebrow.

“N-ye-uh, fuck, I mean, what else am I gonna do?”

“You could stay with me awhile. I would offer a meal, but I foresee you being wary of it and, honestly, that speaks to prudence on your part. Fae are fae, after all. What else do you like doing at night?” He sounds excited, as if he wants nothing more than to indulge Duck’s most mundane fantasies. 

“I like stargazin.” Duck mumbles, certain the fae will leave rather than stay and listen to him babble. 

A wave of the hand and a thick, green blanket covers the ground. The fae sits down with less grace than expected, flopping onto his back with a sigh. Cautiously, Duck joins him. As he lays back, a pillow forms to cushion his head. 

Crickets call near their heads. Duck likes silence, but a growing part of him wants to talk more with Indrid. He points to a cluster of stars, “There’s the Great Ship. Always did like that one.”

“You know, we call that The Pine. But now that you say it, I can see the ship as well.” Indrid’s finger traces lines through the air.

“Huh, never occurred to me y’all would see different things. What about...that one. Cygnus.”

“It seems we both saw something avian. To me, that is The Crane.”

The trade constellations for a time, then move on to their experiences in the woods. Their conversation chases away Duck’s nerves, and soon they’re shoulder to shoulder, the human pointing out a particularly notable Spruce. When he lowers his arm, the backs of their hands bump together. Duck turns his hand, an offering to the stranger direction the night is taking. Cool fingers link with his, and he swears Indrid purrs at the contact. 

“Can’t wait to write a friend of mine about this. He’s jealous that I live somewhere so fuckin weird.”

“I take it ‘weird’ is not something you enjoy?”

“I mean, there’s nothin wrong with it. But things like spells and prophecies, magical destinies, leylines, Unseen Courts, they ain’t something I want to stick my finger into. But uh” he squeezes Indrid’s hand, afraid he’ll get the wrong idea, “there are some parts of it I don’t mind.”

The conversation turns towards fate and Indrid’s misadventures trying to get people to heed his visions. A lull hangs between them just as a moan curls towards them from far off in the woods. 

“Jesus, thought folks’d be done by now.”

“Perhaps they got a second wind. Or are making use of the darkness to do things they would not otherwise have the courage to ask for.”

Another moan and Duck shifts, uncomfortable with the fact the noises turn him on. He wants to focus on Indrid, not on his low-level, frustrated boner.

“It appeals to you, doesn’t it? These dalliances in the trees?”

“I mean yeah. Some of us like to touch as well as look, mister just-here-to-observe.”

Indrid lightly whacks Ducks’ thigh, “I told you, I came to see the lights on the lake. They sound captivating. That being said, I am not opposed to doing the, ah, traditional activity with you. But my visions suggest that would be too much.”

“It would, at least so soon after meetin you.” It’s the safest option, and he hates it. 

Indrid drums his fingers on the blanket, “Ah ha! What about kissing?”

“Hell yeah” Duck rolls onto his side, Indrid mirroring him. The fae strokes his cheek, but does nothing else, waiting for Duck to initiate. He’s glad to, leaning in to press an exploratory kiss to cool lips. Indrid chirps softly as he returns the gesture, and Duck moves his hand to caress his cheek and play with the starfall silver of his hair. Curves his fingers down Indrid’s neck, chuckling when the fae teases his lower lip with concentrated kisses.

“AHhnnnnrrrrrrr” It’s half chirp and half purr.

“Fuck, sorry, thought you just had a scarf on.” Duck starts pulling his hand away from the ruff of dark feathers around Indrid’s neck, only for the fae to grab his hand and press it deeper.

“NoOoo” he wiggles closer, hooking an ankle over Ducks calf, “that is divine, please, touch it as much as you like.”

“It’s so fuckin soft” He pets the down, gets that same chirp followed by a flurry of kisses on the cheek. 

“My k-kind come in many form. Mine is uncommon, some would even say offputting due to it’s commonalities with moths.”

“Bullshit. Wait, does this mean you have win--HOLY fuck, I thought that was a cloak!” He lays there, stunned, as Indrid sits up and extends two night skies from his back. The wings, pitch black, dusted with hundreds of small, pearlescent spots are the most beautiful sight Duck’s ever seen. 

“A common mistake. Do you like their coloration? It is very handy if I wish to go for a night flight to clear my mind.”

“It’s incredible Indrid. Can I touch them?”

A playful smile, “Why, Duck Newton, first you come to me professing to be my true love and then ask to touch my wings. You move far too fast for a shy fae like myself.”

“Ohhh, is it a sex thing?”

“To a degree. Perhaps in the future I will permit you to touch them. Speaking of which” he lays back on his side, waves a hand in the air above Duck’s bound chest, ‘am I correct that you want me to steer clear of this part of you.”

“Uh huh. Wish you could touch a little more of me, but the damn things are hard to get rid of.”

“Of course. In that case” his hand skates over Duck’s side, pushing on his lower back to bring them closer, “I shall explore all the other parts of you that you will allow.”

Duck stays on the blanket until dawn peers over the horizon. In that time they trade touches of gentle desire and kisses that grow more fiery with each hour. At times they stop to lay in each others’ arms, Duck explaining how, if he had his way, he’d be like the fae forest stewards, watching over the woods and helping them grow. It’s with reluctance and his fingers carding through Indrid’s ruff that he says it’s time for him to go unless he wants a search party from Kepler to come looking for him. 

Indrid stands, helping Duck up but not letting go of his hand, “I foresee my court duties requiring a great deal of time for the next few months but when I do have time, ah, if you are amenable, I would like to meet with you again.”

Duck brings his hand to his lips, kissing it, “I’ll see you then, ‘Drid.”

----------------------------------------------------------------

What nobody tells you about magic rituals is that there’s a fuck-ton of waiting. Duck’s been on his back on this fucking stone slab for at least a half hour and, depending on the whims of the Unseen Court, could be here even longer. 

At the exact midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice sits the Green Marriage Ceremony. The belief is that the ceremony not only ensures bountiful fields, but ongoing peace between humans and fae. Any residents of Kepler who are of age and unmarried put their names into a bowl, and one is selected to fulfill the human side of consummating the “marriage.” In the old days it was mandatory to accept if selected, but the fae now insist that the participant be willing. This year, Duck was the chosen one.

He accepted for two reasons: one was that, once you’re selected, your name is taken out of the running in the future, and why not get the weirdness over with when he can. The other was that he hopes whoever the fae send will be willing to take a message back to Indrid to let him know Duck still wants to see him. 

So here he is, in a white shirt and loose, green shorts, at the center of a stone slab the size of a wealthy mans bed. White curtains form a tent around the slab, flowers strewn about and an unlit lantern hanging from the center of the ceiling.  Juno helped him get the required flowers into his hair, (“gotta help you out how I can because Duck, I love ya, but I ain’t gonna hang around and listen to you get fucked”).

He’s not nervous. It’s not an actual marriage, just a symbolic one. The fact that he’s supposed to spend from now until sunset enacting a wedding night with a fae sounds exhausting, but assuming the fae isn’t a dick it should at least be fun. He’s heard horror stories about the human participant disappearing at the end, but that hasn’t happened since his grandfather was young.

The whispers outside the tent change, more earnest than idle, which means the fae have arrived. He has no idea how many come along with their chosen participant; like Juno he’d rather not hang around while someone he knows gets fucked for eight hours, no matter how great the food and games at the festival are. 

A swoosh of fabric has him sitting up on his elbows to see who his partner will be.

“Oh” sighs a familiar voice, “I did so hope I was in this timeline.”

“Indrid” He sits up all the way. His fae is draped in flowing silver robes, which he doffs to reveal an outfit that matches Duck’s.There’s no hesitation as he joins him on the “bed,” waving his hand so the stone disappears beneath a thick, moss-colored blanket. 

“My, my, they left me the most handsome husband imaginable. Lucky me.” He purrs, straddling Duck and leaning down to kiss his cheeks. 

“H-how’d you end up with this gig?”

“The same way you did; pure chance. I saw you in most futures, though in some you decided to withdraw at the last moment. I am glad you did not.”

“No fuckin kiddin.” Duck grabs his head with both hands, pulling him into a kiss that spins sparks up and down his spine. When they part Indrid sits back, studying him. 

“That is still not how you wish it to be?” He tips his head, indicating Duck’s chest. Duck shakes his head. Then he bolts upright, ripping his shirt up and off to stare at the newly flat space. 

“‘Drid, you, did you just-”

“If that is not what you wanted I can fix-”

“No, no it’s fuckin great! I, I never asked a fae for that kind of help because, well, the whole bargains bein’ tricky thing.”

“Of course. Though I must warn you, I had selfish motives. I wanted to be able to touch all of you.” He pulls Duck into his lap, kisses him as he glides his hands over his chest. When he plays with his nipples the human gasps and the fae grins, “oh yes, I am going to have fun with you, sweet one.”

Duck tilts his head back with a groan, lets Indrid guide them down so he’s on his back once again “Fuck that’s good.”

“Very. But I suggest we start consummating the marriage in the traditional way soon; the futures show everyone getting antsy should we delay.”

“Way ahead of you.” Duck tosses his pants away, stares as Indrid does the same before undoing the tie that helps his shirt accommodate his wings. The feathers of his ruff continue down his shoulders, turning to a light dusting by the time they reach his elbows and collarbone. Duck runs his fingers through and over them as Indrid positions himself between his legs. 

“This does not need altering for you to be comfortable doing this with me?” His fingers rub Duck’s inner thighs. 

“N-not right now. I mean, if you wanna whip me up a bigger dick later I might be ready for that.”

“Noted. My, you are quite aroused already.”

“I around you, it ain’t hard.”

“On the contrary, it is very hard.” He rubs the head of his cock across his folds, grinning. 

Duck giggles, “Christ that was awfulAHHHhhnnnfuck’Drid.” The fae sinks into him with tender determination.

“Nonsense, I learned how to ‘goof’ from the best.” He kisses his nose, purrs, “mmmmm, you fit me perfectly, sweet one.”

“Did-didn’t know fae were on the uh, the bigger siIIiide.” He moans as something catches the tip of his cock.

“Ah yes, that ridged ring at the base is always popular with humans. It seems you are no exception.”

“Nuhuh.” Duck wraps his arms around feathered shoulders as Indrid rocks his hips, “fuck ‘Drid, want it more, want you.”

“Here I am.” Indrid kisses him and the world dissolves. As their lips trace over each other, he dips his tongue into Indrid’s mouth, the hints of sharp teeth making him shiver. In the warm, soft light of the tent, Indrid’s body moving in time with his own, it’s all too easy to see the marriage bed as it could be. A cozy house full of light, nestled in the trees, with a big, soft bed where his beloved fae could comfortably sprawl his wings open as they spent each night tangled together.

A short, high chirp brings him back to earth, Indrid raising up onto his palms and snapping his hips purposefully. 

“Oh, oh yes, Duck, sweet one, yesss.” He thrusts deep, wings abruptly opening halfway, and cums with a charming trill. 

When he pulls out Duck opens his mouth to protest, only for the fae to reverse their positions. Dizzy, Duck puts out his hands to steady himself. They land in Indrid’s wings, close to his body.

“AHfuck, goodness that’s wonderful keep them right there while you ride me.” He guides Duck down onto his cock; if every fae is this quick to recover, Duck’s pretty sure he knows who set the length of the ceremony all those years ago.

The feathers in these sections of the wings are a mixture, some long and satiny, others the downy tufts Duck is growing used to. He sets a slow pace to match the drag of his fingers through the inky heaven of Indrid’s wings. The fae purrs constantly, bucking his hips now and then but otherwise letting Duck lead. That is, until his orgasm starts to build and he grinds down harder.

“AHhhnnn, yes, good little human, so good, please, sweet one, my antenna are sensitive too please touch them.”

Duck gropes fistfuls of wing, “Thought you wanted me to pay attention to these. Make up your mind darlin.”

Indrid growls, yanks one hand up to his head, sending Duck down with an amused yelp. The instant he toys with the base of one, feathery antenna Indrid moans louder, gripping his ass with sharp nails and driving up into him. The ridge on his cock catches just right over and over, sending Duck over the crest of his climax as he pours a groan down Indrids throat.

The fae, still hard inside him, holds him tight and sits up, keeping Duck in his lap. Starry wings encircle them. It’s so intimate, a world that is theirs alone, and being surrounded by those sumptuous wings has Duck bouncing on his cock even as his own body grows sensitive.

“That’s it sweet one, goodness, the way your ass moves when you do that is delicious, I will have to find all the ways to make it bounce and, ahnn, and tremble laterrrr” he breaks off into another trill, gathering Duck even closer as he spills into him. The human rests his check on the feathered part of his chest, sighing happily as Indrid plays with his hair. 

“Since I see you asking, yes, we can try some different things if that part of you needs a rest.”

He makes sure Duck is laying comfortably on his back, then straddles him so his cock drips pre-cum at the center of his chest.

“Use your hand, sweet one, and I will use mine.”

“To do whaAAAfuck, ohfuckyeah.” He hurriedly strokes the cock before him as Indrid cups his chest, pinching and teasing his nipples. They’re sensitive, having gone untouched for years, and that combined with the fact that they’re exactly how he wants them to be makes Duck whimper and eagerly work his cock. 

“Mmmmm, you turn such lovely colors when I play with you like this. Would you--ahhhnn, yes, use your thumb like that--like me to get you some jewelry for them.”

Duck whines, nodding his head as the image of Indrid affixing a god chain to each one floods his mind. 

“I could even make ones that connect chains from here to your wrists or neck; that way I could play with them no matter what direction I took you fromOH, oh, oh, oh” he smirks as cum spatters up Duck’s neck and chin, “you do like that idea. Here I thought it was idle dirty talk.”

“Nope, fuck, darlin, I wanna do so many goddamn things with you, wanna do every filthy thing two folks can do.”

“Is that so? In that case” he crawls a few inches, sets the shiny head of his cock on Duck’s lips, “open.”

Duck obeys, loses himself in the sensation of Indrid ravishing his throat as he tells him how’d he leave him tied on a bed and fuck him every hour. He uses his foresight to keep from pushing to far. All the same, by the time cum drips down to his stomach his jaw is sore and his lips swollen. 

Over the next few hours Indrid fucks him a half-dozen ways, from kneeling on the ground to suck his dick to working his cock into his ass in increments as he coos praise into his ear. 

By late afternoon, Duck is exhausted and Indrid is close to joining him. The fae stays on top of him, fucking him so lazily that at times they barely move. In place of their earlier ardor are whispered confessions and languid kisses, even a few jokes. Duck takes advantage of the lull to groom Indrid’s feathers into order, the fae humming happily under his touch.

Twilight approaches and lamps flicker to life outside the tent. Indrid reaches up, turning on the lamp above them.

“We have about twenty minutes until they call the ceremony to an end. And the new arrangement of light means they can see our shadows.”

In spite of himself, Duck moans.

“Does my sweet husband like being watched?”

“Only with the tent up. Fuck, ‘Drid, the idea of them knowin’ I’m yours. Knowin’ what you do to me…”

A wicked smile flashes into view and then Indrid maneuvers him onto his hands and knees. This time, he thrusts in hard and sets a rough pace, Duck crying out in pleased surprise when he does. 

“I think they deserve a little show. Deserve to see how lucky I am, and how eager you are.” His fingers dig into Duck’s hips as fucks him harder. Duck tries to stifle his next moan, the sound broken and desperate, and Indrid tuts, “None of that. I want them all to hear you. I want them to know how, even after a day of spreading your legs for me, you are still pleading for your husband to fill you again.”

“Holy fuck, ‘Drid, yes.”

Cool fingers run down his right thigh, through the still-wet lines of cum, “Just look at this. This sinful body of yours is practically covered in my spend, and yet you want more.”

“Yeah, fuck, yes I want it ‘Drid, want you, want you forevermmmph!” Cum-streaked fingers shove into his mouth, don’t leave until he sucks them clean.”

“You do not mean that, that is just these needy holes of yours talking” he gives a sharper thrust for emphasis. 

“No it ain’t, ‘Drid, pleaseplease.” It comes out as a sob and the fae stops, leaning down to hiss in his ear. Outside sounds of townspeople taking themselves in hand or bending each other over just out of sight fill the air, but Indrid’s voice drowns them out. 

“Do you really mean it? Do you wish to be with me?”

“Yes, ‘Drid, for fucks sake, you know I can’t lie. I fuckin hated bein away from you, thought about you everyday. Please I, I think I’m in love with you and if I ain’t, pretty goddamn certain I’ll get there.”

Indrid pushes him down to his elbows, “I feel the same. Now, listen carefully…”

-----------------------------------------------

The last few minutes of Green Wedding are the most vigorous anyone has seen in years. As the sun sets and the tent goes dark the onlookers agree that the Newton boy won’t be able to walk for days. 

What they are not expecting is to open the tent and find it empty. The fact that the fae guards are equally surprised could suggest genuine spontaneity, some strange agreement between the “grooms.” Or maybe it is simply part of the act. After all, fae are fae. 

[plaguedprincesss]

Ending Loneliness - Sirius Black X Snape |Smut|

After he was cleared of all charges Sirius had been allowed to teach at Hogwarts under the condition that Snape monitor him. Sirius was obviously not happy about this, however he wanted to be closer to Harry and to give Harry the family he had long since been deprived. So, he dealt with the bat watching him watching, however he began to notice things as he was forced to see snape more and more.

For starters, the bat seemed to constantly disappear during the day, unless Sirius were to see him lurking in the shadows. Watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake so he could report him to Dumbledore and get him fired or better yet sent to Azkaban. Sirius would notice that Snape never seemed to eat during the meals in the Great Hall. The delectable feast in front of him yet he didn’t so much as touch a morsel. Meanwhile Sirius would try to shovel in as much as possible, making up for the terrible scraps he was served in Azkaban. The only thing Snape seemed to do at the table was stare, at Sirius. It made him feel so uncomfortable, the way Snape looked at him hungrily as if he was a steak. He felt the coolness of Snapes gaze, it was how he learnt to sense if Snape was watching him. Those cold dark eyes staring, but never saying anything.

Snape would always hurry out of the Great Hall after Dinners, a pained angry look gracing his features. His cloak flying out behind him as he left the hall wafting a strange smell that only keen noses and a trained Animagus could smell. A mix of vanilla, lavender and warmth. Just a taste of the smell was intoxicating. Sirius would never admit that it made him crave Snapes presence more, he would never admit that he was beginning to enjoy being watched. The fact that he was never really alone anymore. The fact that the sheer presence of Snape took him back to his youth, to the marauders to the times where James was alive.

As the year passed by Sirius and Snape barely exchanged but a few words. But they were always together even when Sirius didn’t know it. Neither would admit that they had grown close. Whilst never actually interacting with one another. But that would all soon change.

It all happened that one night, The Yule Ball. Sirius and Snape were chaperones to hordes of teenagers, their hormones dancing around the hall. The air thick with tension. Dumbledore assigned the two of them to monitor the carriages. That’s usually where most of the students try to get away from the watchful eyes of the Hogwarts staff and have some fun in the moment. They stood near one another, Snape glaring at the students as they walked past as if daring them to make a move out of line. Sirius however indulged the students laughing at them and whistling as they walked by. He loved young love it reminded him of James and Lilly.

Eventually it grew to cold outside, and the two grown men were stood alone, the air was thick with unsaid words and tension. Sirius wished Snape would just talk to him, just call him out on nonsense but he just stood there. Eventually Sirius had enough.

“Sniv… Snape why don’t you ever say anything.”

Snape took a deep breath and slowly turned to look at Sirius, a pained expression gracing his features.

“I have no idea what you mean Black” replied Snape.

“You always stand there Snape; you never speak you just stand their glaring at me.do you hate me?” Sirius asked turning to Snape.

It was only then Sirius noticed how the moon shone of Snapes eyes, how they appeared dark and hungry almost. As if Snape hungered for something.

“Listen Black” Growled Snape, “I’m watching you as I was assigned to, I don’t talk to you because I don’t want to, I don’t watch you by choice …. I despise your presence” his voice wavered at the end.

Sirius knew that Snape was lying, he could tell that there was something that he wasn’t tell him. He wanted answers, Snape owed him that much at least. He broke the distance between him and Snape and got his wand out his jacket.

“Listen Snape, I just want an answer, what is up with you” Asked Sirius in an angered tone.

Snape just glared at him, coldly replying “I don’t owe you anything Black.”

Sirius had enough, and pointed his wand to snapes throat, Snape looked down at the wand intended to cut off his breathing. Sirius then spoke …… “tell me or, I’ll make you tell me… I’m not the man I was before Azkaban Snape. I learned things from the Ministry, from Azkaban. I can make you talk; I just don’t want to have to do it.”

Snape slowly looked up from Sirius’ wand to his eyes and deeply inhaled. God the smell was intoxicating. He needed to do something, He quickly grabbed Sirius and Apparated the two of them to his chambers, where he quickly pinned Sirius to the wall.

“Wh…what are you doing” Asked Sirius, his breath racing, he was so close to getting his answer, what went wrong.

“I’m showing you rather than telling you Black” replied Snape as he knocked Sirius wand away and leaned in closer. He inhaled and groaned. “Black you don’t know how much restraint I’ve been having to show, you smell so good.”

Sirius gasped and took a deep breath, unfortunately breathing in the sweet scent that he kept only just getting a taste of this time getting a mouthful and then it hit him where he had smelt that kind of smell before. He gazed up at Snape with glazed eyes.

“When….”

“After protecting Harry and Hermione from Lupin, I went through the dark woods and was attacked. When I woke up, I realized what had happened” replied Snape.

“does Dumbledore know?” asked Sirius.

“No, he just thinks the stress has got to me or at least that’s what he wants me to think, you know how the old fool behaves” replied Snape.

Sirius laughed and accidentally leaned forwards, brushing his body against Snape. His face flushing as he realized what he’d just done. Snape groaned.

“Sirius, every sense in my body is heightened do you know what that does to me? what I want to do. It’s so bloody hard to fight this when you want something that you can’t have.”

Sirius looked down and his eyes widened.

“You…. you want me?” asked Sirius.

“Why do you think I have been watching you, making sure nothing happens to you Sirius, Dumbledore may have asked me to watch you, but you and me both know I don’t do anything I don’t want to do” Replied Snape “you call to me Sirius, your blood sings to me. The pain I feel being within an inch of you and yet I can’t do anything.”

Snape gripped Sirius’ arms and leaned in, inhaling “I want to drink you black; I want to fuck you I want to take you all in and break you.”

Sirius looked up at Snape and leaned inwards looking into Snapes eyes,

“What if I want you to break me Snape, what if I’m tired of being alone, what if I’ve realized that this is something that we both want.”

“you know that if I do this, I won’t be able to stop. I haven’t fed on a person in months. I’ve been brewing a potion like I did for lupin to satiate my cravings, but it only does so much” moaned Snape.

“Break me and Mate me Snape, I want this, “cried Sirius.

Without hesitation Snape crushed his lips against Sirius, a dance of wills and tongues fighting for dominance. Sirius despite his charade of dominancy, submitting to Snapes dominance and will. His lips being crushed against the Man’s dry chapped lips, as if his only source of hydration was from Sirius himself.

Snape bit down on Sirius lip, Sirius yelping in surprise as Snape gripped his arms tighter, whilst Sirius rubbed his arms up and down Snapes back trying to ground himself in the moment. The men moaned in passion their kissing lasting what felt like a lifetime, because for them they had waited so long to feel the comfort and passion of another individual appreciating their darkness and loneliness.

The two men broke apart drool parting from their mouths as Snape loosened his grip on Sirius, Sirius’ body sagged against the wall slightly his arousal growing by the minute. In moment it was if the world stood still nothing mattered between the two of them apart from each other. Sirius looked at Snape with hooded eyes as snape eyed him hungrily planning, no anticipating what he could do next.

Sirius suddenly gripped Sirius’ dress robes and smirked ripping them away from the man’s body as if they were paper. Sirius gasped as the cold air from the potion masters’ quarters hit his chest, he was exposed. His scars, his weaknesses, his soul. He would bare them to this man for he was the man who had chosen to end his loneliness. Snape leaned forwards and began to plan kisses along Sirius’ chest gentle at first until he reached Sirius’ nipples. He then began to tease him by biting them soft at first but progressively getting harder and more animalistic.

Sirius began to yelp; he couldn’t take it. He moaned in pleasure and pain. He began clawing at Snape desperate to ground himself, yet he found he couldn’t. Sirius grabbed onto snapes robes but all he that did was tear the robes away from the man. He felt his hands shifting, losing control of the animal side of himself. his nails extending into claws. He took advantage of this newfound grip however and began to claw at Snapes back. Snape threw his head back in pleasure and pain. Sirius’ claws bringing him his much-needed fix. He knew he was getting close however and he knew he needed more.

He leaned forward and whispered into Sirius’ ear “blow me mutt.”

Sirius gasped as Snape suddenly let go of him and pushed him onto his knees. He eagerly undid Snap’s belt and smirked. No boxers because he wasn’t surprised, however he was surprised at Snapes length. 9 inches, he hoped …. No, he knew he could take it. Snape was done waiting, “what are you waiting for mutt SPIT”. Sirius spat onto Snapes penis, took a deep breath, lowered his head and wrapped his mouth over Snapes tip. A low groan could be heard from Snapes lips as he dug his hands into Sirius’ curly hair.

Sirius smirked knowing how hard Snape was for him and how in that one moment he had all of the control, he began to suck on Snapes length slowly, bobbing his head down teasing him, caressing and appreciating every inch of Snape. Taking him in, but not enough for Snape to be satisfied. Just enough to tease him. Sirius knew what he was doing and how he was driving Snape crazy, and he loved it. Snape was desperate for more, desperate for Sirius to take more of him and in an act of desperation thrust forwards. Sirius had hoped he would do this, his gag reflex came into play and as each length inched downwards, he felt himself grow fuller and fuller until finally Snapes dick was buried to the hilt in Sirius’ throat.

Sirius looked up at Snape and in that moment, Snape looked at him with a look he had never seen before. Pure adoration

“you… were made for me. Look at you my little mutt. your perfectly made to take all of me in” said Snape as he gripped Sirius’ hair tighter. The image purely pornographic. Sirius moaned onto Snapes dick which only drove him crazier. Sirius contained to slowly suck on Snapes dick. Occasionally applying gentle kisses which earned delicate mewls from Snape.

Snape suddenly yanked his hair and pulled him away.

“Stop, I want to cum in you.”

Sirius almost came just hearing those words.

“Strip Mutt” ordered Sirius.

Sirius got up off the floor and hastily removed what was left of his clothing. He was now stood exposed in front of Snape.

“you have no idea how much I want to bite you Sirius, you look delicious. I have wanted this for so long” exclaimed snape.

“Then take what you want Snape, take me and take my blood. Take all of me. I am yours.”

Snape nearly creamed right there,

“Hands on the wall NOW”, Sirius quickly placed his hands on the wall. Whilst Snape quickly slipped out of his trousers. Himself now naked too.

“you will not touch yourself Sirius, I will make you come. No one else”

“Yes Snape “replied Sirius.

Snape didn’t want to hurt Sirius, but he couldn’t wait any longer, he grabbed some Lubes Mortencia from the shelf next to him and poured it onto his hand and he worked it into his fingers. He wanted to distract Sirius from the pain to come so he began to pepper kisses up Sirius neck. Sirius began to moan and lean into Snapes kisses. Snape then slowly pressed a finger into Sirius’ hole, Sirius moaned in pleasure as Snape worked him open, the feeling of discomfort slowly departing. Snape could not wait any more and removed his finger, he then applied some more lubes onto his erect member and lined it up with Sirius’ Hole.

Slowly sliding his penis onto Sirius hole, until he was buried to the hilt. Sirius moaned in both pleasure and pain.

“Merlin that hurts Snape” cried Sirius nearly in tears.

“Don’t worry mutt, ill make you soon cry in pleasure.”

Snape then began to thrust into Sirius, slowly at first which only saw Sirius begin to claw at the wall.

“Snape please,” cried Sirius.

Snape listened and began to thrust faster, his balls slapping against Sirius ass. Sirius moaned as Snape began to lose control. Snape began to lightly suck on Sirius’ neck peppering him with hickeys, he couldn’t take it much longer.

He was so close,

“Snape I’m so close,” cried Sirius.

Sirius breaths became more ragged as Snape continued to pump him; Snape was on the edge of coming.

“Sirius please tell me to stop otherwise I’ll bite you, there’s no going back if I do” cried snape.

Sirius craned his head around to meet Snapes hungry eyes.

“Bite me, Sirius I want this I want you.”

That was all Snape needed to hear, his thrusts got more ragged as he was getting closer and closer to the edge. He ran his nails down Sirius’ back leaving marks, he noted he would have to heal those later to avoid questions.

Snape then brought his mouth up towards Sirius’ neck and allowed his fangs to appear, his warm tongue licking a long strip across Sirius’ neck. Sirius shivered in pleasure as he anticipated what was to come. Snape continued to thrust as he opened his mouth. Then he bit down on Sirius’ neck.

Sirius felt the prick of the fangs against the soft tissue of his jugular, at first, he gasped in pain. But then the pain subsided and all that was left was pleasure. He groaned against Snapes mouth.

Hearing that groan reassured Snape that this was the right thing and so he slowly began to drink Sirius’ blood. One of his hangs cupping Sirius neck in order to keep him in one position. Snape groaned against Sirius’ neck, the feeling was euphoric and incomparable to anything he had ever felt in his life. Whereas from Sirius’ side he felt full to the brim. He had Snapes member and his fangs inside of him. He felt so warm and so pleasured. In this moment he felt pure bliss. He thought to himself.

“are this what true happiness feels like?”

Snape then reached his hand forwards to stroke Sirius’ face. Snape did not expect Sirius to remove one his supporting hands from against the wall and grab his arm, slowly licking it.

Snape chuckled and thought to himself “So Sirius’ knows enough about vampires to know how they mate, this makes it a lot easier.”

Sirius then sunk his teeth into snapes arm drawing blood and began to suck. Moaning against Snapes arm as he took in Snapes essence. The two of them becoming one.

It let like they were on fire, every gulp Snape took creating a feeling of pure pleasure deep down inside the both of them, it was maddening. Snape took one last deep gulp.  the both of them coming unhinged at the sheer pressure and pleasure. Sirius shouted as he began to cum all over the wall. Whilst Snape gave one last thrust and came inside Sirius, Sirius’ perfect hole milking him dry. Snape held onto Sirius’ shoulders whilst they rode out the pleasure.

Then slowly when they were spent detached his fangs from Sirius neck, he slowly eased Sirius’ teeth from his arm and allowed the two of them to sag to the floor.

Snape sat against the wall, whilst Sirius rested his head on his shoulder and giggled in his pleasured delirium.

“does this mean we are mated now Snape?” asked Sirius.

Snape sighed, coming down from his pleasure and looked the Animagus in the eyes.

“yes, it does Sirius, we are now together forever”. Sirius smiled to himself, he would no longer be alone and no matter how much him and Snape annoyed one another. He knew that they would always have one another, until the end of their days.

[lambourngb]

re: your tags on that one post abt plotholes in rnm: what are the plotholes that make you lose the most sleep?

(this is my main btw, my rnm blog is @curlyguerin )

Hi! Okay... strap in, because there are a lot of little and big things that wiggle into my thoughts and makes me wonder ...am I the only one who couldn't follow that plotline?

In my opinion RNM suffers more from abandoned narratives and continuity errors than plot holes I guess, since we only have 2 seasons, with at least 2 more to go I guess I can hope they come back to these issues... but: [Under the cut plus some spoilers for season 3]

Things I would like explained :

1. What did Jesse Manes fund with family money in 1x08 ? I'm guessing it was surveillance of the town and the search for more aliens that could have escaped the military in 1947-1948. The idea that Jesse funded Caulfield is just laughable to me, along with how he was able to get his Army-assigned son moved from Germany to New Mexico for 5 years and no one noticed?? Caulfield has to be separate from whatever Jesse was doing in Roswell. Clearly there is still an ACTIVE military project focused on aliens because Flint isn't AWOL, Flint also takes Noah's body to Area 51, so where was Jesse in violation of his orders (Alex's threat to Jesse in 1x08 and then shipping him to Niger)? Surveilling citizens and setting up cameras all over town?

2. Did they ever build an Air Force base on the Fosters Homestead Ranch? (1x01-1x02) ...then it's never mentioned again.

3. I am aware I am the only one who cares about this little bit, but the show seemed to set up a narrative in season 1 about the spotlight Roswell shined white victims of crimes - like Katie and Jasmine, that the town of Roswell holds quite a lot of racism regarding justice- vilifying Rosa for over 10 years, ignoring the deaths of people around Ranchero Night, and then Noah kills Wyatt Long's best friend Hank Gibbons in 1x13. I dunno, I was expecting more from Wyatt in season 2 about this than picking a fight with Michael over Mimi's missing persons sheet and showing up with a crossbow in 2x04. And like, there was a theme of people going missing in season 2!! Mimi, Jenna, the weird twins from 2x06, Charlie -- but yet, no closer scrutiny by Sheriff Valenti other than her focus on Max Evans and the story about Mexico- Like this felt not like a plot hole, but a dropped narrative -- to wrap up the fate of Racist Hank in a missing persons sheet in 2x01. To treat him weirdly like all of Noah's other victims (who were women and men of color and poor), but for a few factors like he was white, he had actual lines in the show over a couple of episodes, and he's one of the few townspeople we learn his first and last name still sticks out in my mind as strange. The Doylist explanation is the actor wasn't available for season 2, but the Watson-perspective of this is just someone the in-show universe doesn't care about ...? Okay. I will keep that in mind, and try to ignore the fact that the town of Roswell swings wildly back to caring about white victims again in 2x13 with Jesse Manes.

4. The Alighting from 1x13 - just how far away was it from happening? Noah was ready to stick a sheriff's deputy, the town event planner and Michael (who probably would be been the only one to go missing without much fanfare, except maybe by Alex) into a pod...for how long? Months? Years? What was his endgame? how did he expect to go unnoticed by the town while he waited for his alien salvation/alien UBER to arrive? Could he just mindwarp everyone into forgetting about the pod squad? Since we didn't see any alien ships show up in the six months from 1x13 to 2x13, and no further follow up by any of our heroes about what Noah was babbling about... I'm going to say this should come back into play for season 3, otherwise it's the most egregious plot hole from season 1.

5. Why did Flint want to work with Helena? Jesse had this master plan that Helena knew all about apparently but she never shares the plan with Flint? Jesse never shares this plan with Flint either? Why? As far as I can tell from the plot of season 2, Jesse takes the console piece from Alex, he was going to kill Alex to keep him out of the way, use the console to blow up civilians, he created a paper trail that pointed the finger at Max, and then when everyone knew the truth about aliens, he was going to use HIS atomizer bomb to release the toxin that Charlie had already developed for Project Shepherd to kill all the aliens.... WHY would Flint want to stop that, especially since they fight in 2x11 over how slow Jesse was moving in his plans? Other than objecting to killing Alex, why would Flint turn Alex over to Helena to blackmail Michael into building a second atomizer bomb? He should have just kept Alex out of the way until it was all over and let Jesse proceed with his plans. Flint's desire to work with Helena Ortecho remains a plot hole to me, that is explained in the most flimsy way of he thinks his dad isn't serious about killing all the aliens even though he has the means? And if he takes Alex from Jesse's control so easily, why not steal the bomb Jesse had too?

6. These are more gripes about continuity, not really plot holes, but the fact we have this loose timeline of events but it doesn't match the weather of filming.... Like Heather Hemmens looked so gorgeous in that little silk outfit in 2x01, but she's wandering outside in Dec in Roswell New Mexico looking like that. I get that it was filmed in August/Sept of 2019 but come on... so my main frustration is I have no idea what season and month is supposed to be on screen. Universe timeline says Winter but filming schedule meant it was early fall with still having the heat of summer there...then the show ends in May/June in the universe, but we all know RNM wrapped in Dec 2019/Jan 2020 so they are all bundled up in winter again.

7. Also on continuity, small things like Rosa's birthday being wrong, the fact her astrological sign isn't Pieces for either date, openly letting Greg Manes see Rosa, not seeming to care that Liz's ex-fiance hears that Rosa is alive - like i'm sure her "dead" sister came up in conversation between Liz/Diego

- the show gives us this beautiful conversation with Michael sharing his background with Alex in 1x10, but then Alex completely forgets it in 2x04 by dropping some line like "this is what you do with family" when Michael expresses confusion about a height chart. Also, on the same note- the jabs about the Library being a dive bar, also felt like a drop in continuity because Alex knows that Michael just lost his mom (1x12) , the government IS studying aliens, and his brother is in a pod, so like, he has some very valid reasons to drink if that's what he wanted to do with in his life in early season 2!! but, also he knows Michael is a genius??

- Why Alex never mentions Rosa, Isobel's blackouts/why Michael gave up UNM, or even hint about what happened with his dad in the shed during his conversation with Maria in 2x05 is also beyond bizarre to me. It was an "information" dump conversation that Alex still doesn't share all the information he has about a situation and just ends up looking kind of judgmental in my opinion.

- the truck conversation in 2x06 between Maria and Alex, why Maria prompts a girl's name when Alex says he's never been in a real relationship INSTEAD of addressing the very real elephant in the room, Michael Guerin, that they had a conversation about in 2x05- also feels like a gap in continuity.

8. Science wise- the pathogen that Charlie developed? It was supposed to be so specific that it could kill a leader of Al Quada and all of their direct descendants but leave the rest of the population unharmed. [Which um, that's a war crime, but whatever!] How was Maria affected? the DNA they had at Caulfield to develop it - like, Maria was descended from Louise and Louise lived free. The only person that pathogen SHOULD have affected was Michael (if they used Nora to base it on) Unless you're telling me that there's some protein in "alien dna" that is so specific to aliens, that no other human shares it, but also so completely undetectable that Kyle couldn't find it in Maria's blood... ? I suppose it's possible. I hope we get more explanation about that in season 3. It makes me wonder why Caulfield/Project Shepherd ever let Patty Harris go after she volunteered for some study then, and remained content to just pay her medical bills through a fake insurance company? [But also didn't flag Mimi and all the doctors that Maria took her to???]

9. Michael's hand. I'm going to reserve judgment about this, because some of my salt on this is based on season 3 promo pictures, but I really thought that moment in 2x13 when he takes off his hat, while Alex is singing, you see him without the wrapping on his hand, that maybe he found some peace with Jesse dead and demolishing the shed with Alex. But then it looks like the hand-danna is all over season 3, right up until the finale of season 3, so... was that a mistake in wardrobe AND not a beautiful moment of character growth??? I wish I could extend some grace to RNM about that, but alas... see above for why I have trust issues.

10. Perhaps I wasn't watching season 1 closely, but I thought Noah's madness was brought on by the fact he was stuck in his pod? That it was "lower class travel accommodations" and Isobel's scream at 13 got his attention? I assumed that he stayed in the pod, possessing Isobel on and off, right up until he used her body to kill Rosa in 2008, absorbing enough power to break out. So how did Noah find Jim Valenti so quickly? If it was through Isobel's memories, then why did Jim not immediately have Noah, some random alien approaching him about his recently dead daughter, hauled off to Caulfield? Jim pays $1,000 for Rosa's body, putting her in a pod [Noah's broken pod??] and stores her, waiting for...something? An alien to come along to bring her back. So did Jim know about The Savior? Why would Jim work with Noah and vice versa? Again, I'm hoping we get more about this in season 3.

11. Was there a point of keeping Alex in the Air Force? He arranges a place for them to work on bringing Max back, but I feel like anyone could have done that? Like Isobel had money, she could have rented a storage facility. All of the equipment was borrowed from the hospital, not the military. The information about 1947-1948 was from the drives decoded from Caulfield or the AAR report left by Flint in the Project Shepherd bunker (which again was decommissioned, not an active military installation). I could support the decision if it had provided some richness to the plot or some conflict within the character, neither of which really happened. Alex hacking the government and going undercover in the Air Force to protect Michael is basically fanon. I love that fanon, but alas...

12. Finally, the time jump. What year are we jumping into? 2020? 2021? Why does it make me think none of those questions above will be answered.

[arent-you-scared-lil-human]

Bølger (1)

Merman!Kae x Reader.

Words: 2,245

bølger means waves.

The first time you saw a mermaid, it was a merman, his name was Eros and he was huge, his tail longer than your entire body but he was only 15, eight years maturer than you. Since your aunt always spoke greatly about the magical creatures you supposed that all of them were kind -minus goblins, they are never kind-  each took you to the beach's sand nearing the waves. 

Eros had light blonde hair, eyes bluer than the water surrounding him, and his sharp teeth alarmed you. He looked at you up and down and wondered why a human so small was reaching him.

But he wasn't one of the nice mermen your aunt mentioned, the brave creatures that protect the oceans, he was a spoiled boy, that didn't like any other species than his own. Humans being the most he dispised.

"Why do you stare at me?"

"You pretty." Your seven-year-old speech not being very sharp to contain all the right diction.

"Yes. I'm Eros, who are you?"

"Y/N."

As the waves were almost minimal you walked further in the water to reach him, to touch his gills, or attempt to catch his hair. Eros discerned your steps and with malice in his eyes, he reached you, his stature nearly the same as yours since he had to be lowered so his tail would remain in the ocean.

"You are not afraid of me?"

"Merfolk are good creatures, they protect the oceans."

"We do, and do you know who we protect the oceans from? I mean who we fight to maintain very far away?"

Remembering the time your aunt said of some species of birds that sink in the ocean to find fishes made you thoughtful, after all in summer it was more than twenty million birds catching fishes. "Birdies."

"No, humans. Your species."

"But we protect too, I and aunty Betty clean the beaches and never toss trash in water."

"Uhu, tell me, little human, would you like to see the ocean? To see the fishes that grace it and even dolphins?"

Dolphins didn't go to the land side you lived in, and you only ever saw dolphins on movies or documentaries.

"Dolphins?!"

He nodded so you jumped excited, ready to see the fishes and luckily the dolphins. 

But Eros' idea was contrary, humans were nothing else than a virus slaughtering everything they reached, he knew by how much his grandfather said, that in a distant time ago the ocean was astonishing. It didn't have fallen boats, trash, sewers, nor industries discharging electronic garbage, much less the pharmaceutical ones pouring tons of medications in the water. So getting freed of a stupid human would maybe avoid a little bit more of destruction.

Extending his hand you held it and he pulled you with him a bit further in the water, your feet missed the sand's ground and you moved your little legs to manage to have air. Eros chortled before taking your body and pulling you down in the water, startled by the agile gesture you cracked your lips to gasp and lamented it when water began to fill your mouth.

He swam into the ocean making the beach farther from your, impossible, reach. Your small lungs were on fire when Eros approached a few of his friends, there stood Melin, Jaxi, and Kae. They were puzzled to see a human cub and swam up to the surface to reach the rocks near the mountains.

Eros rolled his eyes but accompanied them to reveal them his... toy.

"What do you think you are doing?" Kae was the first to speak up.

"This was stupid enough to swim alone in the beach over Walrey Coast, it even came to me telling tales." The mermen stared at your unconscious body.

"You cannot kill humans, you know that." Jaxi pointed and Eros rolled his eyes.

"What difference does it make? Our parents are always complaining about   them!"

Melin was quiet but shot Eros a look, it was forbidden to hurt humans unless they hurt you. 

And what a human cub would have done alone to hurt Eros? Since all of them were reaching puberty and were becoming stronger and faster? "Eros, you can't."

"Why is everyone bothering me with this? You know what. Done." He unfolded his arms and your body started to float backward in the water, Jaxi pulled you delicately to his chest and touched your neck before looking at Kae and giving a small nod signally that, even if weak, you still had a pulse. "You guys aren't considering of-"

"Killing an innocent cub is wrong, you know that, doesn't matter the species." Kae pointed.

Melin nodded and faced the rocks before glancing at Jaxi and Kae. "We can try to put the water out. It might not be different from saving a sea bear, we only have to press the stomach for them to spit the water."

Eros swam to Jaxi's side and pulled your moveless arm. "It is mine and will be killed and exhibited to our community." He closed his fist around your arm which made his nails pierce through your cold skin.

"She won't!" Kae affirmed and even Melin could spot a protective tone on his voice. "You'll go back and tell Ecthelion what happened, and that me, Jaxi and Melin are trying to save a cub that you tried to hurt."

Biting his tongue Eros looked at his three cousins before diving in the water and going to tell the colony elder. Kae gazed at the injuries and leaned to suck the blood of your wounds before it could touch the water and call any shark.

Kae retrieved his lips and placed his hand over -the less bleeding- wounds and told Jaxi to swim so they would follow.

Under the moonlight, Kae jumped in the rocks and made sure to only touch the polished parts so it wouldn't hurt his tail. Jaxi lifted you so Kae pulled you to his chest, and since you were smaller it was easier for him to fit you on his lap. Jaxi accompanied Kae by jumping in the rocks and touched your face trying to decipher if your color was a light purple or not. Melin dive in the sea to find some seaweed to place on your nails' cuts. It helped them with wounds so maybe it would help you too.

"Don't die now, human cub." Kae spoke and Jaxi touched your shirt taking it off to expose your belly, he ran his hand over the skin and looked at Kae. Human anatomy was different than polar bears.

Jaxi pressed and it only seemed to hurt you. "Here, hold her."

"Her?"

"It looks like a female right?" Kae asked.

"All of them seem the same when they are cubs."

Jaxi held your head on his lap while Kae extended your legs. He leaned and placed his hands over your chest and started to pump. 

He looked at Jaxi and they analyzed the lack of gills. "They breath only through the nose." Taking a deep breath and letting an annoying sigh Jaxi cursed Ers under is breath.

Kae paid attention in the way the air left Jaxi's mouth and had an idea. "The mouth."

"What?"

Kae leaned to touch your lips with his and moved his hand carefully to open your lower lip. Realizing it was useless he reached your nose pressing it together and tried to suck the water out of you. Jaxi was surprised by the gesture but didn't understand how that would possibly work.

Getting his hands back at your chest he started to press and kept doing the gesture. "That won't take the water out. They won't-"

Spilling water out of your mouth you coughed with the burning feeling in your throat. Opening your eyes you gazed at the creatures touching you and you yelled completely scared. Kae moved his head by the loud sound but Jaxi shushed you. "We will not hurt."

Crying you started to try to get up. "You will. He did."

Kae sighed seeing that you remembered Eros, you winced and Kae looked up to see you were gazing at the arm's wounds caused by Eros' nails.

Kae placed his hand on your forehead and almost whimpered when you cried completely scared of him. "Sleep." He whispered and you dozed off.

Some merfolk were blessed with gifts, Kae happened to be one of them.

Melin appeared in the water surface by Jaxi's side and lifted some seaweed in his hands so Jaxi could place it on the cuts.

"They didn't wake up?" Melin asked and Kae stole two seaweeds and rolled it around your arm.

"She did but its too scared to hear us." Kae explained, doing his best to prevent his nails to hurt you, again.

Melin gave Jaxi a look and shared a thought when they realized Kae was too worried about your wounds and cold body.

"Kae, we should take them back-"

"Her." Kae corrected.

"Right, take her back. She is too cold and will die here."

Kae looked at them and back at you a couple of times before nodding, but before he could move your body to Melin's arms so he and Jaxi could get into the water and take you to your land, someone broke in the surface.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ecthelion spoke and the young mermen looked at the eldest from their village.

"Eros explained to you?"

"Yes, and i want to know why this human cub is still here."

"Eros hurt her, pierced her skin with his nails and we tried to prevent the blood to call the sharks."

The wise creature understood their point and moved his hand so Kae could place you in Melin's arms and reach him.

They did so and while Melin swam to Ecthelion's reach, Kae and Jaxi jumped in the water.

Ecthelion tasked as he felt your body temperature. He touched your forehead and mumbled ancient words.

Feeling protective of you and afraid that Ecthelion was sacrificing you, Kae reached your body and touched your forehead, prevent that the magic could reach your skin before touching his own. Melin and Jaxi felt anxious about the gest, Kae was the more peaceful of the cousins and the way he was intervening in something that the Ecthelion was doing was unusual.

"You will kill her?"

Gazing at Kae's hand and protective stance, he retrieved his hand and checked your body temperature again. "No, i am making her forget."

"Why? There are thousands of humans that know about us. She isn't like those thieves that tried to sell us."

Kae was decided, all of them could see that. "I know, but she was hurt by us. What do you think it'll happen when she tells her family about it? Or what her people will do if she tells them that merfolk are getting young children and killing them for fun?"

Jaxi cursed Eros under his breath. "They won't think this, it was only Eros that hurt her, we helped." Jaxi explained.

"She is a cub, she won't be able to recognize the difference. For our sake and hers, give me space." Melin touched Kae's shoulder and the young merman swam away allowing Ecthelion to work in your memories.

Seeing a light blue smoke touched your forehead, the old merman retrieved his hand and called the boys to hold you. "Take her home, I'll tell in the docks across there what happened, so Tony can find her and take her to their healers. Go, she doesn't have much time." Kae pulled your body to his and watched as Ecthelion dive in to warn his human friend that lived in the docks about you.

Jaxi touched your arm, which got Kae's attention. "Come on, she doesn't have much time."

Accepting the departure Kae dive in and they swam fastly till they reached Walrey Coast.

There Kae went further he could reach, trying to place you in the dry sand, but his tail would get hurt if he pressed it to harshly so he extended his hand and neared you in the wet sand, the waves still touched it but your nose was safe from water and by the car lights in the distance, he knew your kind was coming to reach you.

He looked behind his shoulders and saw Melin and Jaxi farther and since their eyes weren't focused on him, he took that advantage to kiss your forehead. "Bye, little human. I hope Neptune will keep you safe, and if I'm lucky enough, we will see each other again."

A car stopped and a man with a uniform came running, Kae turned back and swam before they could see him. 

In a distance, he reached the surface and watched as they pulled you out of the water, a small golden ring falling from your finger, Kae felt sad that you lost such pretty thing, a cloth was placed around you and the humans ran away to save your life.

Finally, when the car left Kae had to swim in his previous spot where he have left you to search for the ring, duo his better vision it didn't take too long for him to find it.

Kae held the small thing that only served in his pinky. He held the golden bijou and went home.

Sad that you forgot about him, he hopes Neptune will hear his prayers and that he will find you again.

One day.

                        🧜🏻‍♂️

[frizz22]

Growing Up Spellman Ch 2

Read on ao3

Note: Sabrina is 3, Morgan 7. Sorry for the extreme delay between chapters 😬

Zelda placed the potion in front of Diana, who eyed it skeptically and unconsciously lifted a hand to tug a strand of her hair.

“You sure you fixed it?” She asked, carefully taking the flask but not drinking it.

Unable to blame the woman’s hesitance, Zelda smiled reassuringly. “Yes, it was just a few tweaks with the ingredients. Perfectly fine, now.”

They’d been experimenting with potions to prolong Diana’s life and the last one happened to turn her lovely blonde hair an interesting shade of magenta—much to Diana’s horror and Morgan and Ambrose’s amusement.

Beyond that, though, the potion appeared to work and had no other side effects, so Zelda felt confident this potion would allow them to extend Diana’s life... hopefully without the unwanted makeover.

Though it seemed a promising answer, Hell knew how long it’d be effective. It was entirely possible Diana would develop some kind of tolerance to the potion and they’d soon be back in square one.

But this bought them time, quite literally, and Zelda intended to use that time find alternatives; her sister would not die prematurely and leave sweet Sabrina without a mother. Not if their family had anything to say about it.

She knew, even now, that Ambrose was in the basement researching additional ways to save Diana. Perhaps Lilith would have some ideas as well, might as well tap into that deep well of knowledge. Making a note to speak with the witch the next time she visited, which was becoming more frequent, Zelda’s inner musings were interrupted by Diana sighing.

“Well, here’s to hoping.” She attempted a smile, then plugged her nose and threw back the contents of the flask. “Hell,” she gasped, shuddering lightly. “Is there anything we can do about the taste?”

Smirking, Zelda took the flask back and walked it over to the sink, not missing how Diana replaced Heaven with Hell in her vocabulary. They were rubbing off on her. Refocusing, Zelda rinsed the flask. “Perhaps, that would be more Hilda’s expertise than mine. We can certainly try, the good news is, your hair is still the same color.” She nodded at Diana’s head.

Hand flying up to grasp a section of hair and bring it into view, Diana exhaled in relief. At Zelda’s raised brow, the woman shrugged and released her hair. “You know I trust you, Zelda, but after last time I was a little wary.”

A small chuckle escaping her, Zelda dried the flask then her hands. “Understandable,” she conceded, “it seems that for now we’ve accomplished our goal. Let’s go tell Hilda the good news.”

Happily sliding off the kitchen stool where she’d been perched, Diana led the way out to the garden where Hilda had the girls. While her sister was busy harvesting tomatoes, Morgan and Sabrina were kneeling in the dirt, a small basket of seeds between them.

It was only as they neared the two, that Zelda overheard Mo lecturing her little cousin on the properties of sunflowers, how to plant them, and the many things they were used for in both mortal and witching realms. Zelda smiled, Hilda would be proud of how well Morgan paid attention to her herbology lessons, and though Sabrina looked on with rapt attention, Zelda couldn’t help but notice that every time Mo looked away, Sabrina stuffed sunflower seeds into her mouth, chewing quickly to try and hide her transgression.

Sharing a smile with Diana, Zelda caught the girls’ attention. “How many sunflowers have you managed to plant for Aunt Hilda today?”

Her words had both turning, Sabrina with her cheeks still full of seeds, making Morgan frown at her disapprovingly. “‘Brina,” she admonished, taking the seeds from her cousin’s hand, “these ones aren’t for eating, Auntie Hilda set those aside already.” Nodding in agreement, Sabrina promptly snatched another handful from the basket and stuffed it in her mouth, much to Morgan’s chagrin. “Mama!” Morgan exclaimed, looking to them for help. “‘Brina keeps eating the seeds Auntie Hilda wants us to plant!”

Careful to smother her smile, Zelda lowered herself to the ground, Diana next to her. “Is that so?” She asked, reaching over and popping a few seeds into her mouth as well.

Caught between indignation and amusement, Morgan threw up her hands. “Mama!” She exclaimed.

“Morgan.” Zelda teased, tugging her girl into her lap and dropping kisses all over her head and face, making Morgan giggle and squirm though she made no real attempt to escape. “Sabrina can eat a few seeds,” Zelda soothed, brushing Mo’s wild curls away from her newly flushed face. “Though we don’t want to be ruining our appetite for dinner, do we?” She arched a brow as Sabrina reached for more.

Giggling, Sabrina fell into Diana’s lap without taking any more seeds. “No, Auntie Zee.” She chirped, playing with one of Diana’s bracelets, already distracted.

Arms wrapping around Morgan, who really was getting a little too big to be sitting in her lap—not that Zelda would ever have the heart to tell her girl such a thing—Zelda cocked her head. “I see you’re learning quite a bit from your Aunt Hilda.” She noted, just as her sister came to join them, basket full of tomatoes slung on her arm.

Only having caught her name, Hilda cocked her head. “What’s that, Zelds?” She asked, sitting as well and wiping a bit of sweat from her brow.

Beaming, Morgan leaned against Zelda. “Mama said I’m learning a lot from you,” she stated proudly. “I was trying to teach ‘Brina, but she kept eating the lesson.” She peered at Sabrina and shook her head, but the little girl just burst into giggles making Morgan lose her sternness and grin.

A soft smile curling her lips, Hilda reached over and cupped Morgan’s cheek. “I’m so glad you are learning a lot, sweetheart. Maybe next time Cee is over you can teach him a thing or two.” Her sister reached over and playfully tweaked Morgan’s nose.

Laughing, Morgan snuggled closer to Zelda. “Is he coming over soon? He promised to bring another book.”

“Morgan,” Zelda chastised softly, “Cerberus doesn’t come around solely to bring you things.”

Lips pouting just a tad, Morgan shifted to look at her. “I know, mama, but this next book is about ghouls, and he said we could read it together.”

Practically melting, Hilda interjected. “So, you want to spend time with Cee? Is that it, Mo?”

Morgan settled back against Zelda and nodded. “Uh huh, he’s nice and funny. And he makes you smile and laugh a lot too, Auntie Hilda.” She observed, playing with the ends of Zelda's hair as she spoke.

Examining her nails, Diana coughed pointedly. “He certainly does.”

Her lips twitching up at the comment, Zelda shared a knowing look with Diana over their daughters’ heads, both suppressing further amusement when they made eye contact. Despite her anxiety when Hilda first expressed interest in the odd mortal, Diana helped her come to terms with the potential relationship. And when the two truly started dating, Zelda went to Diana often for advice on how best to deal with it, how to interact with Cerberus before he knew the truth, and then after he knew as well. While a small part of Zelda still wanted her sister to date a witch or warlock, if only because their lifespans matched, she didn’t want to scare this Cerberus away… not when he really did make Hilda so happy.

Their attention was recaptured when Hilda playfully swatted at Diana and gave Zelda a ‘stern’ glare. “Cee does make me happy, darling, you’re very astute.”

Brow wrinkling, Morgan looked up at Zelda. “Astute means observant, my little demon.” Zelda informed her daughter before the girl could even voice the question.

“Ahh, yes, it’s very important for demons to be astute.” A voice sounded behind them, startling them as they whipped around to find the source.

Ambrose gestured to the witch walking next to him. “Look who appeared in the basement.” He remarked, bending over to swoop Sabrina up into the air when she barreled at him. “Thought I would escort her out here.”

Popping up as well, Morgan grinned widely. “Lilith!” She exclaimed, hurrying forward and hugging the witch hard. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

The witch returned the hug in kind and pressed a quick, soft kiss to the top of Morgan’s head—something Zelda noted Lilith had only started doing recently—and smiled. “Well, your mama told me today was another experiment day, I was curious about how it went.” She eyeballed Diana. “Unless you haven’t done it yet?” Her eyes glanced, not so subtly, at the woman’s head.

A blush gracing her cheeks, Diana patted her hair. “Actually, we have, kept my normal hair color this time, so progress.”

Gently disengaging from Morgan—who ran to jump on Ambrose as well, leaving the adults alone— Lilith joined them on the ground. “Well, while magenta isn’t really anyone’s color, dear, you managed to pull it off remarkably well.”

Scoffing in good-natured disbelief, Diana rolled her eyes. “Liar.” She intoned, amusement infusing her words. “But I appreciate it, nonetheless. No, I think Zelda and Hilda might have truly cracked it this time... can, can you sense anything different?” Diana peered up at the Demoness, fingers twisting nervously in her lap.

“If anyone can overcome the aging process of mortals, it would be the witches who outwitted and out-brawned the Dark Lord himself.” Her hand landed on Zelda’s shoulder in an act of solidarity, but the innocent gesture had tingles erupting in its wake as Lilith removed her hand and Zelda had to make a conscious effort to keep from leaning into the retreating touch.

She snapped back to attention when a now comforted Diana nodded. “Thank you, Lilith, I know you’re right. I’m in the best hands.” She smiled at Zelda and Hilda, eyes shining a bit. Clearing her throat, Diana turned—each of them following suit—to where Ambrose was playing leapfrog with the girls—Sabrina landing on top of him and Morgan more often than jumping over them.

The women chuckled at the sight, the small amount of anxious energy filling the air at the topic of Diana’s mortality dissipating as they watched the kids play.

Hilda broke the silence first, brushing off her dress as she stood. “Shall we head in for some tea? You have time to stay, right, Lilith?” She asked, automatically reaching down to help Diana.

Inclining her head, Lilith leveraged herself up as well. “Of course, I need to hear more of this potion you’ve allegedly perfected.” She offered a hand to Zelda, which she took with some surprise. “Besides,” she helped Zelda to her feet and smiled when their eyes drew level. “I do enjoy my time with the Spellman clan.” Her brow arched as she released Zelda’s hand and took a step toward the house.

Before Zelda could process the implications of that statement and all the physical contact, Ambrose and the girls joined them, having quit their game when they noticed everyone moving inside.

As they made their way to the porch, Morgan instantly fell into step between Zelda and Lilith, taking one of their hands in each of her own and walking happily between them.

Though touched by her daughter’s sweet behavior, Zelda glanced at Lilith to ensure she was okay—Morgan often expressed more affection than the witch was comfortable with, even with Lilith becoming more open to it—only to find the Demoness smiling softly at her daughter.

And, as if sensing Zelda’s gaze, Lilith brought her eyes up, expression now carefully blank except a minute hint of panic in her eyes, worried she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

Certain any type of fondness was considered weakness in Hell, Zelda smiled at the brunette, wanting her to know her treatment of Morgan was not only okay, but encouraged. It would devastate Mo if Lilith were to withdraw because she thought her actions toward the girl would be used against her.

Clearly still unsure of herself, Lilith gave a wavering smile in return then dropped her eyes back to Morgan who had started to chatter away while the two witches had their silent conversation.

Refocusing back on her daughter, Zelda’s smile remained on her face as they followed the others inside and settled in the kitchen for tea and snacks.

[bbrandy2002]

Fool’s Rush In

Part 3

I’m participating in @wackydrabbles​ prompt #52: Sure, alcohol solves most problems, but in this particular case, I don't think it will help  (It is highlighted in bold).

Series Premise: With two weeks until Liam is to marry Madeleine, the guys throw him a bachelor party in Vegas. After a drunken night, he finds himself with way more than he bargained for.

You can find the previous chapters here.

MC did not exist in Liam’s social season. OC Riley Brooks lives in Las Vegas.

Pairing: Liam x OC

Book: The Royal Romance

A/N: This is an 18 plus series. There is mention of an STD, so if that is a trigger … might not want to read.

A/N: Thanks to @burnsoslow and @choiceskatie for snippet reading. And Burnsy and @jessiembruno for suggestions.

Word Count: 1752

Permanent Tags: @emceesynonymroll @romanticatheart-posts  @burnsoslow @dcbbw @ao719 @jessiembruno @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30 @drakesensworld @janezillow @merridithsmiscellany-blog @mskaneko @loveellamae @queenjilian @sirbeepsalot @pedudley @caroldxnvxrs @jovialyouthmusic  @forthebrokenheartedthings @desireepow-1986 @bebepac  @kingliam2019 @lovablegranny @cordoniaqueensworld  @amandablink @blueaster-blog1 @liamxs-world @choiceskatie  @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @charlotteg234

Series Tags: @princessleac1 @cordonia-continued @sanchita012 @shz256 @cordonia-gothqueen @narrytheworld @graceful-leah @mom2000aggie @queenwalton @tinkie1973 @muchkoolermk

*I only tag those who ask for it.  Let me know if you want added or removed.

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--------------

Standing in the bathroom of the hotel's penthouse they shared with friends, Maxwell broke the news to a stunned Drake about his ... unfortunate condition.

"What're you gonna do about them, Drake?"

Frustrated, Drake ran a hand down his face, wanting to be anywhere but with Maxwell at that precise moment. "I don't know, Maxwell," he spat. "This is my first crabbing!"

"Maybe we can have a doctor look at them. Get some ... I don't know ... kind of comb or poison or something."

He pulled his pants back up and groaned. "I just need a drink."

Maxwell followed Drake out of the bathroom, keeping a good distance from his friend. "Sure, alcohol solves most problems, but in this particular case, I don't think it will help."

Liam and Leo sat on the sofa watching the Instagram posting of the wedding ceremony as the duo walked by. 

A disgruntled Liam stood and gestured to the laptop on the coffee table. "Maxwell! Why the hell did you post this? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Drake was already out the door headed for the hotel bar. Maxwell never broke stride as he trailed. "No time to talk, Li. Got an STD emergency."

The door slammed with a jarring thud. Liam turned back to Leo with a confused look. "What was that?"

"Sounds like the Drakester didn't wrap it up," Leo chuckled while sippng on a capri-sun, while never taking his attention away from the screen. "Oh! Oh!" He waved his younger brother over with excitement. "This is the part where you sang, Moves Like Jagger, to Riley during the ceremony."

They both listened in as Liam's garbled voice reverberated from the speakers watching the King grind fervently against his bride. "Take me by the tongue, and I'll know you. Kiss me 'til you're drunk, and I'll show you all the moves like Liam. I've got the moves like Liam. I've got the moooOoooOooOooves like Liam."

Liam's hands flew in the air out of bewilderment. "I don't even know that fucking song!"

Leo slurped through his little yellow straw then replied, "I think you do. Videos don't lie, Liam."

A haste knock interrupted their viewing; Liam answered the door, surprised to see Riley.

The frantic woman held her phone up to his face. "Do you want to explain why I'm all over the internet with you, Elvis, and this … this monkey?  Also, it says we got married?"

Leo bolted from the sofa. "Hey! That monkey has a name, you know.”

"Not now, Leo," Liam grumbled.

Riley leaned to get a better look at the sandy-haired blond who was approaching the door. "Who are you?"

Stepping in front of his brother with a hand extended, he flashed his signature grin. "I'm Leo, your new brother-in-law. But only by half because my mom left me. Then I got a new mommy: Liam's mom -- then she died. Then we both got another new mom. Wait … is  Regina still alive? Oh my god! Tell me we still have a mom, Liam!"

"Leo! Get the hell out of here!"

He huffed. "Fine. I'll go make a sandwich. You want one sis?"

Riley shook her head.

Liam gave her an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry about him. Please come in." He stepped aside and offered her a seat on the sofa. 

She couldn't help but notice the laptop on the table paused on their abrupt ceremony. It was apparent to her that Liam was trying desperately to get his own answers.

Liam pushed the laptop aside and sat across from her on the table; his elbows rested on his thighs as he sat forward. He let out a heavy exhale. "I suppose we have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, we do. What is all of this? And you're a King? Why didn't you tell me that?"

"I am. It's a small country in the Mediterranean -- Cordonia. And I couldn't tell you because my head guard wouldn't allow me to come on this trip without him unless I remained discreet about my identity."

Riley regarded him thoughtfully. "I suppose that makes sense." 

Leo handed her a Capri-Sun with the straw already pushed in. She took it hesitantly and thanked him. "I guess I just need to know how we ended up married to one another last night?"

Liam's remorseful eyes idled up to his brother, who was now standing next to him, eating a turkey and Frito's sandwich. "According to my brother here, whose heart is bigger than his brain, I called him and asked him to marry us."

Leo shook his head. "That's true, Riley. It's all Liam's fault."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Leo, why don't you go check on Drake and Max."

"Fuck that!  Drake ain't got nothing I wanna be checking on right now."

"No, stay," Riley pleaded. "You seem to be the only one who knows what happened last night. Can you tell me everything, please?"

Leo gave Liam an arrogant smirk before falling back onto the sofa beside Riley.

"I'll tell you everything, but you two have to promise to name your firstborn after it's Uncle Leo."

Liam dropped his head into his hands. "Leo, dammit."

Leo nudged Riley in the side and leaned into her. "Your husband's an asshole. Probably inherited from our daddy. If he ever makes you drink from a wine goblet, you should probably run."

Riley patted his knee like a child and spoke softly, assuming at this point he was a mental case. "Leo, sweetie, can you just tell me what happened last night, please."

"Well, as I told Liam, I was getting my prostate milked from hot Nurse Trisha at the bank. I just needed change for a twenty, but they said I had to make a deposit first. They even give you porn in this private room. So she's two fingers deep when I get a call from Liam, who was as drunk as Cooter Brown at a church picnic and said he needed me to come down to that Graceland Chapel because he was getting married. So after I sputtered in the little cup, I left in such a hurry I didn't get my change, but I called Drake and Max and told them they had to meet us at the chapel."

Riley cocked her head. "Why was a monkey there?"

"Oh, that's Mongo, the ring bearer. And if you pulled on his nipples, he'd hump your legs and give you a quick reach around. The coolest fucking monkey I ever knew."

Riley snapped a wide-eyed stare at Liam, who just shrugged at her and said, "I ... I've got nothing."

Leo bit into his sandwich. The crunch from the mound of Fritos could be heard in the casino fifty-one stories below. "You know, Liam --" He smacked his lips a few times. "Now that you're married to sis, you don't have to marry Maddie. You can have the wife and Queen you've always wanted. And judging by the noises I heard coming from your room last night, she makes you very happy."

Riley chuckled, slightly embarrassed, while Liam stood and walked to the wet bar for a drink and some distance.

"Leo, I appreciate the thought," he said while pouring a tumbler of scotch. "But Riley and I are just strangers who had a good time, but made a huge mistake." Liam took a sip of his drink and walked back to the sofa. "Don't worry about anything, Riley. I will take care of the annulment in Cordonia and here in the states."

She smiled. "I would appreciate that. Thank you."

Leo tossed his sandwich on the table. "No! Liam, man, this is your chance to be free. You came to Vegas and hit the jackpot. And maybe you two kids are strangers now, but there's no reason why you couldn't get to know each other and fall madly in love. You already know you'll never love Mads. And then at the end of the day, I'd be the big sexy cupid who made it all possible."

It surprised Liam that his brother's suggestion tempted him... and that Leo actually made a coherent suggestion. He sighed. "I don't think so, Leo."

Riley looked between the two men, who seemed to have a stare down over the logic of this idea. She liked Liam; he was the handsome, mysterious guy that she had always dreamed of meeting.  She took a long drink of her juice and sat it on the table. "I think I will go, now. Is there anything you need from me, Liam, to quicken the annulment?"

"If you could write your contact information down in case my lawyer has questions, that would be great. I'll be sure you receive copies of everything as soon as possible."

Riley pulled a notepad and a pen from her purse as Leo walked over to Liam to debate further. "Don't do this little brother. Don't you do it. We can't afford to lose another member of our family. First it was daddy, then Regina, now Riley. I can't take it, Liam."

Liam placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. "It's done, Leo. And ... Regina is alive. You just spoke to her yesterday."

Leo's head dropped back with a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god."

"Here ya go, Liam." Riley stood and handed the paper to him and grabbed her purse from the sofa. 

Leo clutched both of her shoulders and shook them. "Please, Riley, don't go. Don’t leave my brother an orphan. You're the Queen of Cordonia now. Think of the people!"

Riley snorted from just the thought. "I know nothing about being a queen. I doubt I would have anything to offer your little country."

"Liam could teach you! Hell, I can teach you, too. I'm the smartest one in the family. You'll be bossing people around in no time."

"That's very kind of you, but I think I like my little life just fine here in Vegas, bossing kids around the classroom all day." She patted his arm endearingly and walked past him toward the door.

Liam stood there, watching her walk away while the words of his brother replayed heavily through his mind. Nothing made sense; he was sad that she was leaving, knowing that it was completely irrational to feel that way. Leo was right, though: this was his chance to be free, and even if it didn't work out in the end, it could buy him time to find the one he would love and have the family he always wanted.

He turned away and walked back to the wet bar to pour another drink; he wouldn't be selfish and ask this complete stranger to give up her life for him. 

With his back turned, he closed his eyes when he heard Riley speak her goodbyes and opened the door. 

A familiar voice rang out that shook him to his core, and he whipped around to see his current wife stopped at the door by his future one.

"Oh, you must be the one who thinks she can steal my crown."

[kaeyas-beloved]

Hey there! Can i request a chubby/thicker mc? But instead of insecure, she’s confident af? People think she’s a bitch at first, but they’re proved wrong when she’s actually really good at giving life advice? If i were to be more specific, then she likes coloring her nails, stuff like that and is a bit of a bitch at first but can be your best friend at the same time? Thanks!(i checked your rules, and you didn’t have any specific numbers, so hcs, anyone but pls choose Arthot) thanks!

Can i add more text? If i can, then the chubby but confident mc is also really proud of her lover? Thank you again!

Hello! You absolutely can (both request and add more text)! Sorry this took so long, headcannons aren’t really my forte, but I still hope you like them! Also, I added Isaac and Mozart since I had some ideas for them :) 

Thank you for requesting!

(It’s under the cut since these are sorta long)

Arthur, Isaac & Mozart w/ a Chubby!Confident!Reader/MC

~

Arthur Conan Doyle

Now don’t get me wrong, Arthur loves all women no matter what they look like or their personality (unless they’re evil like that one Sister from his route - you know the one)

But when a women has the confidence level of a queen?? You’ve got him wrapped around your finger. 

There’s just something about women who aren’t like all the others he’s been with that really gets him.  

Even if you insulted everything that you could about him the first time you both met.

It was the boldness in your words and the way you carried yourself without a care what others said that has him infatuated and wanting to know more.

The first couple interactions with the other residents had him falling on his ass laughing.

Never has he seen someone make Theo and Wolfie shut up so fast.

After that he knows exactly when some kind of verbal brawl between her and another resident, most likely Theo, will occur and he kicks back for the show. 

Kind of gets hurt when she says something particularly harsh but brushes it off like he does.

A week passes and Arthur has figured out that she’s a little like Theo in a sense, bitter on the outside but secretly soft on the inside.

How does he know? Well he’s experienced this secret side of her of course!

It was during one of his self-deprecating moods, his past coming to haunt his thoughts when (y/n) walked in with his dinner, seeing as he skipped out on it.

The writer was so deep in thought that he didn’t even hear her come in until the glass of Rouge was set down beside him, shocking him. 

A flirty line was on the tip of his tongue when a quiet “Hey” came from her, in the softest voice he’s every heard from her, that one word silencing him.

“I don’t know what the hell is going on in that head of yours but... don’t let it consume you. It won’t be easy but you gotta push past it and not let it eat at you, that’s how it wins...” 

Arthur’s breath hitched when the faintest of smiles appeared on her lips, he was sure that he was seeing an actual angel.

After that it was like clock work and the two were hanging out more and more, going out in town a lot (with Vic too).

Her advice hit him in a way and like she said, it wasn’t easy, but it was a start for him.

From the very start of their relationship as a couple (y/n) would constantly give Arthur praises anytime he moved forward to forgiving and just bettering himself in general.

Rewards usually involve kisses and cuddles

Maybe a little more ;)

Like I mentioned earlier he doesn’t care that you may be a little thicker than the other women in town, it’s more for him to love!

He’s honestly so happy that you love your body despite what others may say, he’s a very proud boyfriend.

But even if you do, that won't stop him from loving every inch of you and your body.

All in all, it’s a relationship that includes a lot of love and proud moments for one another :)

Isaac Newton

Poor Apple Boi is a little scared of you, don’t be mean to him please he’s shy and insecure T_T

Like don’t get him wrong confident women are great but... you might be a little too confident sometimes for his heart to keep up.

“(Y/N) yOU cAn’T sAY tHinGS LiKE tHAT!!” is something he thinks a lot when a particularly mean thing might exit your mouth.

Begs to any God that will listen that there’s some passive side to you that will help lower his blood pressure. 

But if there isn’t that’s alright, he guess, cause most of the time you aren’t actually that bad.

That was before the both of you ran into the children he teaches at the fountain, his heart and mind doing literal summer salts cause what if you make one of them cry? What then!? He can't handle crying children! 

Nevertheless Isaac still asks if you could help educate them and you agree without complaint - surprisingly

About half an hour later when his group of kids were working (you split them into two groups, one for him and another for you) he took a glance your way and - HOLY SHIT IS SHE SMILING!? 

Takes a double take on that, splashes a little of the freezing fountain water in his face and when he still sees you smiling down at the young ones Isaac thinks he's done for.

But then he hears what you’re telling the children

“If you’re willing to put the effort into it and continue to push forward then you can do and be anything you want...”

You hear that? It’s the sound of his poor heart malfunctioning

Isaac may have an extended life but even then he didn’t think he’d live to see the day that a genuine smile, with no snide present, wound grace your face and that such encouraging words would come from you.

You weren’t rocket science to him anymore, he saw that there was more to you and unconsciously he started to soften up around you.

When the two of you got into a relationship it was a lot of you taking the lead, trying to help the shy man out of his cocoon.

And when he did take those steps and started to speck more and say what was on his mind? He got smooches, loads of them.

You are very very proud that he’s growing into the man he wants to be.

One time when you guys were out and about some snob women were making some comments about your weight. Baby was furious and was ready to reassure you that you were beautiful no matter what you looked like, even if he isn’t the best at comforting people.

He shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was when all you did was say something equally bad (if not worse) to them, grabbed his hand and left. 

When he asked if you were okay he was very happy to hear that their words didn’t hurt you because their opinion didn’t matter to you. 

He did, however, turn a little red when you said that if anyone’s opinion mattered it was his because you love him and knows that he loves you <3 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Won’t lie, both of you got into the equivalent of a cat fight the first time you ran into each other.

It was so bad Jean and Napoleon had to step in before either of you said something that might actually hurt the other.

After that night it was like an unspoken rule between the two of you that under no circumstances should your paths cross.

Which was incredibly hard since Sebastian assigned you to bring him his meals.

Not one interaction went without some sort of mean jab being sent to the other. 

One time you got some pink nail polish on Mozart’s white piano and he lost it

It seemed absolutely impossible for there to be any chance that the two could get along

All hope was nearly lost, but then came the day that (y/n) said something to him that just turned this mess of a relationship around.

The pianist was having a hard time composing a certain piece and nothing was coming to him no matter what he did. 

About to give up for the day, in came the human with a bottle of Blanc for him. When her eyes spotted the disaster that was crumpled sheet music, many of the notes scratched out, she knew exactly what was going on.

“Put yourself back to a time that you were happy and full of joy... Or, think about what you feel when you eat something really good - like chocolate, I know you love it. If there were colours to accompany the feeling, what would they be? Would they be slow moving like a river or burst like fireworks? Use those as a pace and let your heart do the rest...” 

Before the haughty musical genius could question a single word she just told him, (y/n) was already out of the room, off to finish the rest of her chores

Nevertheless Mozart tries it out and by the end of the night he’s got a masterpiece written out in front of him.

And you have an IOU with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart written on it - and he hates having to owe people.

So here he is, out in town for the first time in forever, showing you 19th century Paris since he remembered overhearing you say how you wanted to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Surprisingly, it went well. Every time you said something that would usually elicit a remark from him was met instead with him holding his tongue, your soft voice from the day before playing in his mind each time.

When you caught on that he was actually trying to be nice you too made the effort, thus resulting in the two of you growing just a little closer.

You also gave him some nail polish remover that you had to help clean his piano cause he was having trouble.

From then on the harsh words became playful more than anything.

Could care less what you look like, though is very happy that you're comfortable in your own skin.

During Mozart's performances (y/n) claps the loudest and he knows it, she's told him that it's because she's very proud that he's started to play his music for others and because he wants to, not because he's force to.

His lips always twitch up when he hears her cheer for him, it fills him with joy every time knowing the meaning behind the action and that it comes with love.

BONUS!

Vincent and her got along instantly when he spotted these beautiful designs that she painted on her nails. He wanted to know how she did it without smudging anything since nails are such a small canvas to work with.

Theo got confused and upset when he saw that she was nice to his brother and not him.

She's totally destroyed Shakespeare cause no one messes with her friends goddammit! 

~ 

Requests are closed right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy my other works while you wait for them to open! You might find something you like, who knows :)

Masterlist

[kineticpenguin]

So, I hate twitter thread quote posts because they’re universally stupid huge for what you get, so I’m gonna see if I can do a quote thread linking to the OP to make a more bearable post on this platform, quoting @torianngray.

so my eldest brother, who is a moron, has been playing soldier with his moron friends in the deserts of texas for the last year preparing for the collapse of civilization if biden won (lol). they were burying food and ammo stashes out in the desert, running drills, crazy stuff this included getting a cb license so he could be their lifeline to other groups of white idiots when the cell towers all went offline. wouldn't want to violate federal law while communicating with your resistance groups after the fall of the federal government i guess.

anyways, you would assume given that they've been prepping for the end of the world for at least a year they're well situated to ride out the rolling blackouts right? wellll

their plan for cooking and heating during an extended power outage was natural gas, but like a lot of homes their gas service is out. the food in their freezer and fridge is already toast due to the power outrages, so they're down to canned stuff, but there's a catch.

they can get into the pull top cans just fine, but the ones that require an opener? their only can opener is electric. so a good 3/4 of his canned food store is inaccessible to him unless he goes after it with a knife, which i sincerely hope he does.

so captain survival was eating unheated ravioli out of a can yesterday because i guess he doesn't know how to start a fire? they have a fire pit but it too is gas fired. he told my mom they're probably going to break into the survival buckets soon. i'm sure that's great food.

he told my mom that the blackout is due to texas switching everything to "wind power" but that he didn't discount that the government was doing this on purpose. if you can figure out why they'd arbitrarily freeze out a giant state hey points to you.

the saving grace in all this is he's having to ration his phone usage so he can't sit on the phone with my mom for hours crying about it. he's forced to sit there and talk to his wife, who is almost as dumb as he is.

presumably he's sitting there shivering, ranting about libs while he sucks down cold beefaroni. what a life.

he's tried contacting his best friend in his little larping group, but he's gone to ground. i sincerely hope that means he thinks this is the start of the great purge or whatever and he's disappeared to the mountains to evade fema and child support bailiffs

i'm trying to get more details from my mom but i have to play it cool. if i laugh she'll stop telling me about it, so i have to pretend this is very serious and i'm concerned for his safety while i'm imagining him hitting a can of baked beans with a screwdriver repeatedly

on the plus side they've got plenty of guns and ammo, so they can shoot the shit out of the snow.

locking two people with marital strife in a house with no supplies, no access to power, but plenty of access to guns and ammo seems like a great idea. i think this should work out great.

just to give you all some additional comfort: his wife is part of the group who helps select the textbooks texas buys every year, just in case you're wondering about the kind of people that make those decisions.

[tinabean37]

Hi, babe! From the disney prompt list... 6 with Henry, would you please?

Sure thing! I hope you like it as much as I liked writing it :)

If you would like to request a Disney prompt, the list can be found here

~~~~~

Blind dates were never your thing. It was always so awkward and forced. Struggling to come up with sufficient conversation. The complete frustration when it was over realizing how little your friends knew you to set you up with someone so wrong for you. That is why you were still surprised at yourself for agreeing to your friend’s set-up tonight. You’d known Lisa the longest in your group of friends, and up until now, she hadn’t tried to get you to meet one of her other guy friends. Probably because she knew your feelings on blind dates. The more you thought about it, the more you realized that is why you agreed in the first place. If she thought it was worth running the idea by you, knowing how you felt, then it may be worth a chance. 

As you went back and forth from the closet to the mirror, trying to find the perfect outfit for tonight, you thought about what Lisa had told you about your date. According to her, he was “to die for” handsome, funny, smart, a genuinely sweet person, and she knew him from the set. Lisa was a craft services caterer for a production studio, so you joked to yourself that it could be a famous actor, but you knew it would probably be a camera guy or fellow craft service worker. But whoever it was, he came highly recommended by Lisa, so you wanted to do your best to have a good time. You settled on a body-hugging violet dress that complimented your eyes. You wore your hair in loose curls that were pinned halfway in the back. After doing your makeup tastefully, you looked in the mirror one final time before heading to your car to meet your date. You were very happy with your result. If this guy was as sexy as your friend said he was, you were planning to give him a run for his money.

Your car pulled up to the restaurant that your date chose only a few minutes before the time you were set to meet him. You quietly blamed yourself for taking so long to find something to wear, but as you glimpsed your reflection in a car window as you passed it on the way in the restaurant, you realized it was worth it. You had never been to this place before, but it was definitely on your bucket list of places to eat. It was elegant but comfortable. The atmosphere was romantic but not overwhelming. You silently added a point to his imaginary scorecard in your head for picking out such a great place. You made your way to the hostess and gave her the name Lisa gave you, Henry. The hostess’s eyes widened in shock, almost as if she was surprised it was you who came to claim the other seat at your date’s table. He must have already arrived and is as handsome as Lisa said. 

With a curt “follow me”, the hostess turned towards the dining room and headed towards a small table for two in the back. When your eyes settled on your destination, the hostess’s reaction made sense. There, sitting at the table, was Henry Cavill. Superman himself. Was Lisa crazy? Setting you up with a frickin movie star? When he noticed your approach, like a true gentleman, he stood from his seat. You didn’t miss the look your hostess gave him before she walked away, but you tried to brush it off. Tentatively, you smiled at him and extended your hand. 

“So your Henry? Nice to meet you. I’m y/n.”

“It’s a pleasure y/n. You look lovely.”  He gestures to your outfit and smiled. You couldn’t help the blush that enveloped your face and neck. 

“Thank you. You look, well, you look like a very handsome movie star, who I had no idea was my blind date.” Henry graced you with a pleasant laugh. He pulled out your chair and gestured for you to sit, before pushing it in for you. He was such a gentleman. 

“So,” he began, “Lisa didn’t give you any information about me beforehand?”

“She did. She told me you were sweet, funny, and extremely good looking. All of which, I agree. She did say she knew you from the set, but I never thought it would be, well, you.” 

“Lisa is a character, isn’t she?” You both shared a laugh. “As soon as she became comfortable talking with me more than just the usual small talk, and we became friends, she mentioned this ‘gorgeous, very lovely, kind’ friend that I must meet. Like you, so far, I agree.” The blush from earlier returned. Before you could continue the conversation, your waiter came over with the wine list and menus. With your permission, you allowed Henry to order the wine. You were more of a, drink whatever wine was in the cupboard kind of girl, and you didn't want to embarrass yourself.  

Throughout the whole of dinner, conversation flowed effortlessly. You were amazed at how much you had in common. You were having a good time. The more you chatted, the more your anxiety disappeared. You even got the feeling that Henry was into the date as well. He never took his eyes off you. He was witty and charming, and unless you were completely missing the signs, quite flirty with you. You decided to be brazen and test your theory. You stretched your leg out under the table until you felt his strong legs. You were pleasantly awarded with a winning smile as he didn’t pull his leg away, but rub it closer against yours. 

After dinner and dessert, and the bill was paid, you both stood from the table to head to your cars. You felt a jolt of electricity as he rested his hand on your lower back, guiding you out. You made sure to give the hostess your best smile as she shot daggers at you with her eyes. You pointed yourselves towards where you parked, as he insisted on walking you to your car door. When you arrived, you realized you were sad. You didn’t want the night to end. You decided to be bold once more, and tell Henry just that. 

“I had such an amazing time. I’m so glad I decided to come. I usually don’t like blind dates. But if I’m not being too forward, I find myself not wanting this one to end.” Henry reached out and grabbed both your small hands in his large ones. 

“I feel the same. Tonight was great. I would love to see you again.” 

“I would love that as well.” You both exchanged phones to enter your information in them. You were suddenly feeling nervous as you realized that this was the moment. The end of the date. “So, what do we do now?” You asked shyly. You shivered as he gently brushed a stray hair behind your ear and leaned a bit closer. 

“I could kiss you. I could. I mean, I’d like to. I–may I? We me? I mean, may we? Wait, what?” The nervousness suddenly disappeared as you chuckled together. 

“Are you always this articulate?” You joked. 

“Only with beautiful women.” He charmingly answered. You didn’t wait for him to clumsily ask you again. You closed the distance between the two of you, gently pressing your lips to his. They were softer than you thought possible. Gentle became needy, and you slid your hands into his hair to pull him closer. He grabbed your hips and did the same. You both pulled away, breath gone, and flushed. Your eyes met Henry’s, and you saw then shining with amazement and desire. You were sure yours mirrored his. You slowly ran your hand from the back of his head, down his neck, and arm to clasp his hand in yours. 

“So, how about we continue our date at my flat?” He leaned close and captured your lips again in his before answering. 

“I thought you’d never ask.”

~~~~~