#yay third guard is finally here!.. well almost

[linagram]

[ 𝚔𝚞𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚒 𝚛𝚒𝚔𝚞'𝚜 𝚝𝟸 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚊 ] 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛-𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗

there's only one prisoner pair left to judge! and riku's case still doesn't feel that easy to me. i have no idea what verdict he's gonna get this time.

speaking of warnings below: riku really does talk more about his murder in this vd and about his mental health problems as well. i was a little scared of writing this one because sometimes i feel like riku's character is too, uh.. edgy, maybe? or just too depressing? however, i also want to show that his relationship with his victim, his family and other people really messed him up to the point of wanting to be in pain himself and wanting others to be in pain as well.

Warnings for Riku's VD: Mentions of self-harm and suicide. Also, Riku, if you're able to get out of here, promise that you will immediately get therapy after that.

Warnings for Riku's MV: Mentions of blood, also one of the characters. Um. Literally gets mauled.

(sounds of footsteps that sound slower than usual and now it seems like there's only one person walking)

(the footsteps stop)

Miki: ...

Miki: *starts crying*

Miki: I-it's not fair..

Miki: Why do I- no, w-why do we have to do this?

Miki: I still want to save everyone, but..

Miki: .. Do I even want to save everyone?

Miki: .. Or do I just want them to like me?

Miki: Maybe I just want them to thank me and praise me for my hard work and..

Miki: T-that actually sounds nice..

Miki: H-hold on, what am I saying?!

Miki: Okay, I'm already losing my sanity.

Miki: I-I can't do this alone.

Miki: Maybe I should just-

Miki: Huh?

(a sound of a screen turning on)

???: Well, if you can't do this alone, that means you could use some help, right?

Miki: ...

???: I'm a little sleepy, but I can help out, if you want. I didn't really want to leave this room, but seeing you like this is.. kind of sad.

???: H-hey, can you hear me? Is this thing even on?

Miki: ...

???: .. It's the mask, isn't it.

???: Don't worry, I'll take if off once we see each other in person. I still have to wear it for now-

Miki: WHO EVEN ARE YOU?!

Miki: WHY ARE YOU- HOW- WHO-

???: P-please, calm down!.. You're so loud, your voice kinda hurts my ears, haha..

???: Also, what if the prisoners hear you?

Miki: .. Right.

Miki: But still.. Who are you?

Miki: Wait.. Your uniform..

???: You really are a smart one.

Miki: .. The third guard? You were the one who made everyone answer those questions?

???: Well, not exactly, I asked my.. uh, I asked someone else to bring those papers to everyone, but yeah, it was my idea.

Miki: .. Why? You know you could just join us and we could interrogate them together, right?

???: It's not as easy as it sounds, Miki-san. 

Miki: YOU KNOW MY NAME??

???: I've been watching you two for some time, so.. Yeah, I know a lot about you and the prisoners.

Miki: .. Where were you when it was the first trial though?

???: I was.. asleep, basically.

???: And then, after I woke up, I watched the recordings of all interrogations from that trial and I already had all the information I needed.

Miki: Asleep?..

???: Listen, I have no idea what happened to me, but it really felt like I was just asleep. But if I'm being honest..

???: I feel like they would've never let me wake up if they saw that they don't need me here.

Miki: W-what does that mean?..

???: I-I don't want to go into details.

???: So, I'm the third guard of the Milgram prison, nice to meet you.

Miki: .. N-nice to meet you too, but what is your name?

Miki: And when will I be able to meet you in person?

Miki: .. And what's with the mask?

???: A-ah, right, right, my name..

???: Um.. I-I can't reveal my real name to you right now, but trust me, I will do so very soon. I'm wearing a mask to hide my face for the exact same reason, but I promise that I will join you soon and you'll be able to see my face, haha.

Miki: But then.. What should I call you?

Miki: "Is it just me or his voice actually sounds very attractive? And what if he takes off this weird mask and it turns out that-"

Miki: "Wait, am I really having thoughts like this right now?"

???: So, uh, what should you call me..

???: Ah, right! Can you call me Hiyuu, please?

Miki: "Hiyuu"? S-sure, but why that name specifically?

???: When my parents were waiting for me to be born, they had a very long list of names for me and had no idea which one to go with. They almost went with Hiyuu.

Miki: I see..  Why did they go for a different name though?

???: No idea. I think it sounds cuter than the name I got in the end.

Miki: "It does sound kind of cute.."

Miki: O-okay! Then, um, again, n-nice to meet you, Hiyuu-san!

Hiyuu: Again, nice to meet you too, Miki-san.

Hiyuu: So, you're going to interrogate the ninth prisoner now, correct?

Miki: Y-yeah..

Hiyuu: I'm really sorry, but you'll have to interrogate him without me. I will join you when it's time for the tenth prisoner to be interrogated.

Miki: But why? Do you have something else to do?

Miki: Ah, I'm sorry for asking so many questions..

Hiyuu: It's okay, it's okay! It's just..

Hiyuu: .. I just woke up from a nap and I'm still feeling sleepy. 

Miki: ...

Hiyuu: .. It was a joke, I swear.

Hiyuu: I-I will join you later, I definitely will! But I know that prisoner's behavior is.. a bit unstable, so please, just know that if you're in danger, I will immediately run to help you, okay? 

Miki: .. Okay. Thank you, Hiyuu-san.

Hiyuu: No problem. And also..

Hiyuu: .. Sorry about what happened to Eiji-san.

Miki: .. I-I just want to believe that he will be okay.

(sounds of Miki's footsteps becoming faster)

(the door opens)

Riku: Ah, here you are, Miki!

Miki: ...

Riku: And where's Eiji-san? Did something happen or-

Miki: *sits down* I'm pretty sure everyone heard everything.

Riku: .. Haha, you're right.

Riku: .. I hope it's not that serious.

Miki: It's a broken arm, which is probably not that serious, it really could be worse, but..

Miki: Considering these conditions and everything..

Riku: .. Right. Right. I'm sorry.

Riku: S-so.. It's my turn to be interrogated, right?

Miki: *nods*

Miki: How are you feeling, Riku-san?

Riku: I'm fine, I'm fine! A little bit nervous, but that's to be expected.

Riku: Also, just wanted to thank you again for forgiving me. Really, I'm so grateful..

Riku: I was.. I was so scared, you know. 

Riku: Like.. Of course, I didn't want this to be real. I wanted this to turn out to be some kind of game. I hoped that I won't get punished for real, that nobody will get punished for real.

Riku: .. But all of this is real.

Riku: And I'm here and I was forgiven! I did have to.. uh, pay a price, but it's fine. 

Miki: .. A price?

Miki: You mean tricking me and making me give you a knife, so that you can hurt yourself later and make me feel so bad that I simply wouldn't be able to do anything other than vote you innocent?

Riku: H-hey, you're kinda making it sounds like I'm the bad guy here-

Miki: You're not a "bad guy". But you did lie to me.

Riku: I did. And I'm sorry. 

Riku: .. But you will still forgive me, right?

Miki: .. What if my forgiveness has its limits?

Riku: What was that?

Miki: N-nothing. 

Miki: *clears throat* Riku-san, before we talk about your crime, I want to talk about the way you've been acting lately.

Riku: What do you mean by that? I've been doing fine-

Miki: Trying to hurt yourself with a fork while everyone is having breakfast is not fine, Riku-san.

Riku: .. Ehehe..

Miki: I just want to help you. You can be honest with me.

Riku: .. I can't be honest with anyone, Miki.

Miki: Why?

Riku: .. Okay. If you're more honest than me, then please be honest with me right now.

Riku: *takes a breath*

Riku: "I simply wouldn't be able to do anything other than vote you innocent".. Does that mean you forgave me only because of what I did to myself?

Miki: ...

Miki: I-I could feel your pain when I watched your video. I really did feel sorry for you. 

Miki: But I don't want to lie and say that what you did wasn't a big part of the reason why I made that decision.

Riku: Haha.. See?

Riku: People like me only when they see me in pain.

Miki: What does that mean, Riku-san?

Riku: *sighs*

Riku: "Riku-kun, can you please go and talk to Yue-kun? He looks so sad.."

Riku: "Sorry, Riku, but your brother is not feeling good today. You can still go to that concert alone though."

Riku: "Hey, Riku, is it just me, or your sadder songs are better than the happier ones? Like, you'll be able to help more people with them."

Riku: I was always surrounded by those who were in pain.

Riku: And I always had to do everything for them. I had to give up so many things for them.

Riku: Of course, I would go and try to comfort my "friend" even if I didn't want anything to do with him. Of course, I would stay home and not go to any concerts, because if I did go, it would look like I don't care about my brother at all. Of course, I would write more sad songs and make myself sad in the process because people like them more.

Riku: I was sick of it. I was so tired of it, I started to hate literally everyone around me. It was so bad that when I saw someone trip and their friend helping them get up, I would get so angry, I would have to leave so that I wouldn't try to beat up those people just for not giving their attention to me.

Riku: And then, one day..

Riku: People finally saw me in pain.

Riku: I finally opened up. I finally told them how I really feel.

Riku: And considering my popularity, they went insane. They were ready to do anything to make me happy.

Riku: I know how to use my pain to make people feel sorry for me. And it looks like it had worked with you and even Eiji-san.

Riku: So please, don't be mad at me for still doing that. 

Riku: I know how to put on a show. And if you two need to see me in pain just so that you can forgive me later, I will make it as bloody as you want.

Riku: .. Miki?

Miki: ... 

Miki: *starts crying* I'm sorry, Riku-san. I'm so sorry.

Riku: .. Heh.

Riku: Works like a charm.

Miki: .. Just another reminder that my forgiveness has limits.

Miki: Also.. 

Miki: "Yue-kun".. Is that your childhood friend?

Riku: Ah, right, I haven't told you his name. Yeah, that's him.

Riku: I was friends with Shiozaki Yue since I was like.. seven years old? Maybe younger.

Miki: .. And he's your victim, isn't he?

Riku: .. Yeah.

Riku: Hey, what did my video tell you exactly? Like, did it show you all the details? Oh, also, did you like my song?

Miki: Your video felt like.. At first, I could see how popular and how loved you are. 

Miki: But then, I saw you texting your friends and after you saw their messages, you started crying. 

Miki: I didn't get the ending of it though. It felt like.. 

Miki: You were on the school rooftop with your friends and then you pushed someone off the roof while telling them to jump.

Riku: !

Riku: Ahaha..

Riku: Wow, that sounds scary.

Riku: Again, was the song good though-

Miki: Now, back to your.. um, behavior.

Miki: .. Why did you tell Miyagawa-san to "go and die"?

Riku: ...

Riku: *laughs* Come on, Miki, did you really have to bring that up?

Riku: I almost forgot about it and you really had to ruin it for me, haha..

Miki: How can you forget about it when you have to look at Miyagawa-san's injury every day?

Riku: I just try to ignore him. That's all.

Riku: If he tries to talk to me even after all of that..

Riku: .. That's his fault. Not mine.

Miki: You knew that he likes you a lot. Why did you..

Miki: Why did you have to be so cruel to him?!

Riku: Because I hate him, Miki.

Riku: This guy likes me only because I remind him of someone. I know that for sure.

Riku: He doesn't like the real me. He would never accept the real me.

Riku: Listen, that's just what us, popular guys, do. We smile, we say hi, we say how good everyone looks today, we say that we'd be glad to hang out with someone, even if we actually wish that person was dead.

Riku: 'Cause that's how reputation works! Say one wrong word and that's it, you're out.

Riku: .. And I can't have that. My family only sees me as someone who has to take care of my siblings, even though I'm not even the oldest. My "best friend" only sees me as a guy he can vent to and project his pain onto.

Riku: My school was the only place where I was loved and accepted by everyone.

Miki: But.. what's the difference between pretending for your family and Shiozaki-san and pretending for your classmates?

Riku: It's simple: my classmates were obsessed with me.

Riku: They wanted to be like me. They wanted to be with me. They wanted to be noticed by me.

Riku: And I continued to play along just because it's nice to feel like somebody's idol.

Miki: .. Is that also the reason why it was so hard for you to stop being friends with Shiozaki-san? He liked you a lot, didn't he?

Riku: .. Well, I can't deny that it is a part of the reason why I couldn't just say "Hey, I think we should go our separate ways".

Miki: And is this also why you couldn't just be honest with Miyagawa-san when you first met him? Because it was nice to feel like you're important to him?

Riku: Yeah, so what? Are you really gonna judge me for just wanting to be liked?

Miki: I'm not gonna judge you for wanting to be liked, but I will judge you for manipulating other people's feelings.

Miki: A-anyway, we don't have much time left.

Miki: So, about your crime..

Miki: What exactly did you do?

Miki: I just don't understand. I know why you did it, but I don't understand how it happened.

Riku: What exactly you don't understand then?

Miki: Uh.. 

Miki: ... Okay, here it goes.

Miki: Did your friend kill himself because of you or did you kill him yourself?

Riku: ...

Riku: Um..

Riku: It's.. actually very hard to explain.

Riku: But before I do that..

Riku: *stands up*

Riku: Promise me that you will forgive me.

Miki: ...

Riku: I will do anything to make you forgive me. Do you want to see me on my knees? Do you want to see all my scars? Do you want me to just stab myself right in front of you?

Riku: One word and I'll do it. I'm okay with dying, honestly.

Miki: .. But if you die, what's the point of me forgiving you then?

Riku: .. I-I don't know.

Riku: Hearing "I forgive you" sounds nice, haha.

Riku: So, do you promise-

Miki: .. You're so stupid, Riku.

Riku: Huh?

(sounds of Miki standing up and pushing Riku against the wall)

Riku: !

Riku: T-that was unexpected..

Riku: .. Are you crying?

Miki: YES, I AM CRYING BECAUSE YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT!

Miki: YOU'RE WILLING TO THROW AWAY YOUR LIFE LIKE THAT JUST BECAUSE "HEARING SOMEBODY FORGIVE YOU SOUNDS NICE"?! ARE YOU THAT DUMB?!

Miki: WHAT'S THE POINT OF ME FORGIVING YOU IF I WON'T BE ABLE TO SAVE YOU?

Miki: .. Actually, maybe forgiveness isn't always the right way to save someone..

Riku: Haha, so punishing someone is a better way of saving them? Sounds kinda messed up..

Miki: ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOUR WAY OF THINKING ISN'T MESSED UP?!

Riku: .. So, you're not gonna forgive me this time?

(the bell rings, machinery sounds)

Miki: .. It depends on what your video is going to show me.

Riku: .. Haha, okay, challenge accepted.

Riku: I am going to put on the best performance you've ever seen and make you love me so much that you won't be able to vote me guilty.

Miki: And if I still do vote you guilty?

Riku: Come on, you're Andou Miki, the whole prison knows you as someone who always forgives everyone no matter what.

Miki: .. Well, if Eiji-san won't be able to punish anyone this time..

Miki: I'll simply have to do his job.

Riku: .. God, both of you are insane.

Riku: Okay, fine. Don't worry, I'll just punish myself before you even announce my verdict.

Miki: .. How are you gonna do it? I didn't give you any weapons this time.

Riku: Are you sure? In my hands pretty much anything can become a weapon.

Miki: .. You won't do anything serious to yourself this time, right?

Riku: Haha, trust me, I'm strong enough to do it. And brave enough too.

Miki: .. I want to hug you and choke you at the same time.

Miki: PRISONER 009, RIKU, SING YOUR SINS AND MAKE SURE IT'S THE BEST SONG I'VE EVER HEARD!  

42% ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ 100%

[ MV Description ]

The video starts with Riku sitting in what appears to be a limousine. He looks really nervous and he keeps pulling his sleeves down and taking deep breaths. 

"Breathe in, breathe out.

You've done this before, you can do it again

Breathe in, breathe out

And even if something goes wrong, just do it, embrace the pain"

However, as soon as he steps out of a limousine, he looks fine and he gives everyone a bright smile. He gets greeted by a huge number of fans who all look excited to see him and some of them even push each other to try and get closer to him. 

"I know you all love me and your feelings are mutual

I love you all back, trust me, it's true"

He simply keeps walking as he smiles at everyone and waves at them. When you look closer, you can see that all of his fans are actually wearing collars. It's like.. they're his pets or something. 

"How can I not love you? You listen to my every word, my every command

No matter what I do, you will protect me

Look at me, I'm like a trendsetter, no matter what I do, people will follow my lead"

He suddenly stops walking as he sees a familiar face in that crowd. It's the white-haired boy again and now we can actually see his face and what he looks like. He looks even happier than all of Riku's fans, but Riku is not happy to see him at all. He tries to ignore him. 

"I love all of you, yes, every single one of you, but not you though

Hey, it's okay for celebrities like me to be a little hypocritical!"

Now, we can see Riku on the stage, preparing for his concert with his bandmates. Everything goes fine if we ignore his fans looking more and more insane as the show goes on and it looks like he is actually having fun. The chorus plays. 

"Now, listen, I don't like to do this

I'm not the type to abuse my power

But looks like it's time for you to get what you deserve

So get him, everyone, I'll pat you on the head later"

When the concert ends, we can see him giving autographs to his fans, talking to them and taking photos with them. But then, suddenly, the white-haired boy walks up to him and we can see that he's not wearing a collar. 

"See? You don't belong here

You're not as perfect as them, so why don't you leave?

Maybe act a little bit more obedient next time?

Come on, just do it, just follow my lead"

Riku tries to pretend that everything is fine and it looks like he's asking what the boy needs, but then Yue hugs him tightly, making both of them fall in the process. The song stops playing for a moment.

Riku is shocked and he tries to get up, but the boy doesn't let him. Eventually, Riku gets sick of it and yells at the boy, slaps him and pushes him away. Riku breathes heavily and starts getting more and more anxious as he sees that everyone is staring at him and the boy. 

"Breathe in, breathe out

You've done this before, you can do it again

Breathe in, breathe out

And even if something goes wrong, just do it, embrace the pain"

The setting changes and now it looks like we're at Riku's house, though it looks more cool and fancy this time, he is a famous singer in his video after all. We can see Riku walking into his bedroom and he looks more pale and tired than usual and his hair is more messy. As he tries to wipe the blood under his nose with his hand, he sees his phone screen light up and checks it. He sees that everyone is talking about what happened after the concert between him and Yue and he almost drops his phone because of that.

However, he's still curious and he starts reading what the fans are saying about it and.. 

All of them are trying their best to defend him. 

They keep saying that it's the boy's fault and Riku was in the right. They say how they will support Riku no matter what and they still love him some people are even saying that they would love to take the boy's place for no particular reason at all. 

"Why are you all still fighting for me?

Why are you still trying to protect me?

Why do you still love me?"

At first Riku can't believe that this is happening, but when he understands that all of this is real.. He starts laughing. He actually looks like he has lost his mind, he can't believe that his fans are still with him even after that. 

"Look at me, I'm like a trendsetter, no matter what I do, people will follow my lead

If I say something, you will say it louder

If I hurt someone, you will make it more painful

If I kill someone, you will dance on their grave"

However, he stops laughing as he sees one person make a post saying "Shouldn't he apologize for doing that though?". He starts reading the comments under that post and sees his fans defending him and saying that there's no point in him apologizing. Riku looks relieved and he simply puts his phone back on the table.

Several days pass and it's time for another concert. Riku is seen greeting the fans again and this time he looks genuinely happy, but no, Yue is here again. Riku looks terrified and he can't move because of how scared he is. 

"What is wrong with you? Do you hate me this much?

You don't love me, I know that for sure

Your eyes are different from theirs, the way you move is different

It's like you're free, it's like I can't control you"

The boy just keeps walking up closer and closer to him and Riku sees how all of his fans are this close to killing the boy on spot for his sake. 

Riku gets an idea and as Yue is about to hug him again, he suddenly snaps his fingers and his fans' collars light up. The chorus starts playing again and this time it's louder. Suddenly, all of his fans turn into dogs and attack Yue as Riku keeps casually walking away. 

"But looks like it's time for you to get what you deserve

So get him, everyone, I'll pat you on the head later"

As the white-haired boy is getting mauled (thankfully, it's not that visible), Riku simply gets up on the stage and starts singing, but without his bandmates. His fans turn back into humans again, but even though they look like humans, it's hard to say that they're not just animals that exist only to follow Riku's orders. 

"Look at me, look at me, ignore everyone else's pain

I'm the only one you feel sorry for, I'm the only one you should pity

Don't look at anyone else, I'm the only one you need

I'll make you feel better as you make me feel worse"

They can't take their eyes off him and because of how huge the crowd is, it's hard to see the bloody mess behind them. And as if everything couldn't get worse, as Riku keeps singing, the blood on his body and clothes is becoming more and more noticeable. 

"Look at me, keep your eyes on me

Everything else is a lie, I'm the only part of your world that matters

Do you feel sorry for me yet? Do you want to forgive me?

Am I doing a good job? Does my life even matter?"

It looks like he just got some blood on himself from.. well, that boy, but as the MV continues, it's becoming more and more obvious that it's actually Riku's blood and he keeps bleeding out as he sings and dances. 

"SO JUST PRAISE ME BEFORE I FORGET HOW TO-"

Before he can finish singing, we get a close-up of him putting his hand on his throat and he realizes that he has lost his voice. The MV abruptly ends. 

[were-my-demons-hide]

Finally I finished the third chapter of the may prompt list by @creativepromptsforwriting :) and we are only four days into june! Yay :) I never thought I could keep this up.

3. Golden Hour

“Hey, Magna.” A - by now - familiar voice greeted her. “How are you doing?” 

Magna turned her head toward the person and a little smile stole across her face.

“Yumiko.” She answered quickly. A little surprised, she licked her lips.

Magna was sure she didn’t have an appointment with her lawyer today. She would not complain about the company though.

She was sitting in the courtyard, where all of the inmates were constantly watched by two prison guards. Some fellow inmates were playing soccer on the pitch with one of the supervisors being the referee. Magna did prefer bathing in the sun of the golden hour though.

She could totally take the vitamin D that the golden rays sent her. Her bare skin was dipped in orange light. The shirt she wore allowed a clear view of the many tattoos on her arms. Magna’s eyes were half-closed, her head zoned out just slightly. She would never let her guard down completely. 

She could not risk that. Ever.

Magna’s hair looked almost red in the setting sun. Small reflexes of light and a golden shimmer made Yumiko gaze at her client for a bit too long.

Bathed in the sun, Magna looked so alive.

Even her eyes had this little twinkle within them.

“The sun suits you.” Yumiko noted with a light chuckle. 

“You take what you get. Especially here.” Magna commented with a grin and patted the seat next to her on the bench.

As soon as Yumiko sat down, Magna could not hold her words back.

“What gives me the honor?” Hopefully, it was nothing bad. Spontaneous appointments often meant that something had changed. And prisoners never knew if it was good or bad.

But this time, with this lawyer, Magna didn’t care why she was visiting her. She enjoyed Yumiko’s mere presence, no matter what.

“Calm down, you are good. You didn’t miss an appointment. You never do. We both know that.”

Magna snorted in amusement.

“Yeah. You’re right.”

“I was here anyway. And I thought you could use some variety.” Yumiko said with a smile, well knowing, this sounded strange.

The kind of ‘too close for lawyer and client’ strange. 

She gave Magna a tender look, who remained quiet. Somehow, this young woman and her story touched Yumiko deeply. She deserved freedom. She deserved the world.

“Did you think about your internship? It’ll help you after I get you out of here.” 

“Oh come on Yumiko. Did you forget? I am not having an appointment right now. Let’s chit-chat.” Magna slowed Yumiko down, who still wasn’t convinced.

“I am not the right person for you to chit-chat with, you know.”

“Still, you are here.” Magna rolled her eyes as she tilted her head slightly.

Well, she definitely got a point. 

Yumiko opened her mouth again, but Magna interrupted her.

“What are you doing today, as the sunset is fantastic and you just finished work?”

“I am sitting on a bench in the sun. Watching people playing soccer.” Yumiko answered rashly and took another breath before she went on. “And I am having good company.”

A little smile caught her lips and Magna replied immediately with a grin.

“Sounds nice. I don’t think your company is as good as mine, though.” Magna’s look got a bit provocative.

Yumiko raised her eyebrows and decided to play along.

“Oh, you think you know my company?”

“Hell yes. She can be such a burden.” Magna sighed. “But my company is always… featherlight. You should see her. In her fancy suit.” In slow motion, her eyes were wandering up and down Yumiko’s body. There was something in her gaze she could not quite put.

As soon as Yumiko realized what Magna, her client Magna, was doing, she froze. Then she shook her head vehemently.

“Don’t do that.” 

“What do you mean?” Magna asked as Yumiko was biting on her lower lip.

“You are raving about me. Don’t do that.” Yumiko’s voice was serious and soft at the same time. Magna didn’t know how to handle that tender nuance in her lawyer’s tone.

“I mean it. I am your…”

“Lawyer, I know.” Magna took the word out of Yumiko’s mouth and then frowned. “Just tell me… Do they shove these giant sticks up your asses while studying law? Is it part of your education or why do all lawyers I know have a massive sti-…”

“Magna!” Yumiko looked annoyed. She sighed quietly. “Not fair.”

“Well, you are the one visiting me, no one is forcing you to stay.” Magna bit back. She already started rebuilding her half-dismantled walls. 

What the hell did Yumiko want anyway? Why did she care enough to come and visit her outside work? It didn’t make any sense. 

And apparently, Magna has ventured a little too far. It had been a mistake to be that frisky. She didn’t even know why she allowed herself to act that obviously. But Yumiko seemed to be the first person to kind of care about Magna (since Chelsea got taken away by the youth welfare office and Magna never saw her again).

“I wanted to see you because I like your company. And I thought you could use it.” Yumiko suddenly admitted. The words left her mouth with no hesitation. They were raw and true.

“But for now, I am your lawyer. Until I get you out, I’ll be your lawyer. Maybe even after that.”

“I know…” Magna’s voice cracked.

Yumiko took Magna in one last time and sighed deeply. Suddenly she stood up.

“Well, I think I’ll see you in two weeks. Take care.” 

“Don’t go.” Magna tried to reach out but stopped in the middle of the motion. “I just can’t believe someone gives a damn shit. I am a fuckup. Nobody ever…” Magna’s voice died again. Her hand found her hair and she let it run through the curls.

Yumiko smiled weakly. Her heart ached because this woman must have gone through hell all her life.

“I think you can use a friend after you leave this shit hole behind.”

“I could use so much more after I bail on this place.”

Magna closed her eyes slightly and took a deep breath. 

The sun bathed her face in a rich yellow-orange. Yumiko could not resist smiling wider. She eyed Magna down. She wanted to memorize every detail of her face. 

Her long eyelashes, the full, curved lips, the striking cheekbones. 

A few curly strands were blown into Magna’s face. Yumiko had to suppress the urge to brush them away. Shit, she was way too close already. Not physically, but emotionally. But she didn’t want to pass the case. She knew that others wouldn’t fight for Magna’s freedom. Not as hard as she herself would.

Yumiko sat down again and directly faced the other woman.

“You are not getting rid of me, I will look after you, Magna.” 

Magna winced barely noticeable. 

Nobody ever told her that. Nobody.

“But we need to keep our distance. Or they will take me off your case.” Yumiko explained quietly. Her eyes sparkled with determination.

“No one except for you ever cared enough to at least try to get me out.” Magna admitted honestly. Finally, she caught Yumiko’s gaze and did her best to not look away. Her vulnerability clearly showed.

“Oh, girl. You deserve it. We are going to win.”

[phoenixes-and-wizards]

tua headcanon (amusement park day!!):

it takes them approximately an hour to leave, and it's all because of klaus who keeps on adding all sorts of ridiculous things to their itinerary

and they don't plan on doing so, but somehow they all end up wearing something blue, so yay team

"are we there yet" "i sWEAR TO GOD IF SOMEBODY ASKS THAT ONE MORE TIME--"

"ARE WE THERE YET!!!!!" "jesus, klaus, what the fuck is wrong with you?" "you didn't say exclamatory sentences weren't allowed, allison"

ben just rolls his eyes and mutters "lord give me strength" under his breath

most of the time, luther's too big to go on the rides so the duty of guarding their stuff falls to him instead

after the third ride, ben notices the sad slope of luther's shoulders and opts to keep his brother company instead. when luther tells him to "go on ahead, i'm fine," ben just gives him a Look™️ and plants his butt into the seat next to his brother, making a big show of feeling pukey and pulling out the books he'd brought for the long ride

throughout the day, they make a contest out of trying to make ben smile. obviously this ben isn't as cheery as their ben, but he's still ben, if that makes any sense, and that's good enough for all six of them

surprisingly, it's five who insists on taking pictures everywhere. when they catch him buying a photo album from one of the many souvenir shops scattered around the park, none of them say a word

vanya is surprisingly hyperactive, darting here and there like a squirrel all hyped up on sugar. they don't blame her; their father never took her on "family vacations" and even if he did, it was only so someone could watch the room while they frolicked on the beach

when diego dares klaus to ride the fastest roller coaster in the park--twice!!!--in exchange for shotgun privileges later, klaus all-but drags diego onto the ride and throws his hands up the entire time. diego ends up vomiting all over klaus' shoes as a result

when they stop for lunch, allison insists that they take a proper family photo. while they wait for their food, allison edits it properly and immediately sets it as her wallpaper

the haunted house is wide enough that even luther can enter, and they all laugh when diego scares five and he teleports to the end of the hallway with a strangled yelp

"very funny diego" "oh i assure you it was, five"

ben smirks but hurriedly covers it because he wants vanya--who is slowly shaping up to be his favorite sibling--to win

there's a particularly hilarious photo of diego with his mouth wide open on the jungle jam, water spraying his entire face, and his siblings decide to get one copy each for blackmail material

they end up getting matching ugly headbands from the souvenir store. vanya and klaus wear theirs with pride throughout the park, and even though diego makes a big show of calling it ugly, he doesn't take his off either

ben spends the entire day getting to know his siblings. for some reason, he already knows a couple of the things they tell him even before they finish their sentences; an unshakable feeling that goes all the way to his bones. it's slightly unsettling, but also easy to forget when he sees the way allison's eyes light up when he somehow remembers that she's allergic to mangoes and peaches

allison practically falls over herself with delight when somebody's dog trots over to her and demands a belly rub

all of them end up being pretty attached to the dog, so discussions to have a team pet are brought up once more

"save it for the team meetings, guys" "you're the only one who actually listens to those meetings, luther" "we'll be talking about getting a dog--" "say no more”

they all tease vanya when one of the guards mistake her for a kid and almost forbids her to ride on the second tallest roller coaster in the park

luther jokingly asks her if she'd like a ride on his shoulders, and is even more surprised when she agrees, and that's how they end up walking around the park with vanya perched atop luther like a particularly huge five-year-old

five buys her a balloon to add to the joke, but soon, klaus starts complaining that he wants one as well, so five buys another and forks it over: a large bear cub that klaus names "davey" and doesn't let it out of his sight for the rest of the day

diego manages to capture a snapshot of vanya smearing chocolate sauce all over ben's cheek. he doesn't tell anyone else, but he keeps it in his wallet for a good amount of time and calls it his lucky charm

the ben contest ends when klaus swan-dives into one of the fountains, and when one of the guards try to call him out, klaus simply runs away and pretends he's a completely different person when he rejoins them, and it's so stupid but ben can't recall the last time anyone was ever this silly and fun around him, and so he snorts, and klaus immediately starts to crow because "ha, that counts!!! in your face, diego!"

they stay for the fireworks show, and when it finally starts, all seven of them sprawl out on the grass, crane their necks back, and cheer along with the rest of the crowd at the pretty lights

after a few seconds, ben realizes something’s up with klaus because his eyes have gone all glassy and not-quite-there, and when he lays a hand on his brother’s shoulder, klaus grabs his shirt collar none-too-gently before he slowly comes back to the present 

five recognizes all the signs of ptsd because he’s had them before, and before klaus can protest, he eases his brother’s head down into his lap and cards his fingers through klaus’ curly hair until he calms down. he’s still a bit jumpy every time a particularly loud one pops overhead, but he’s definitely more relaxed now that there’s something familiar to ground him

allison decides it’s been a long day for everyone after that, and no one disagrees because the sooner they get home, the sooner they can make cocoa for klaus under the pretense of being unable to sleep themselves

there's a pretty intense game of rock-paper-scissors in the parking lot over who gets to drive because all of them are bone-tired and want to nap

when luther loses, everyone mysteriously gets re-energized, and soon enough, they're singing cheesy 2000s pop songs at the top of their lungs

five keeps rolling his eyes and saying "i can just teleport home, you know" but klaus latches onto his right arm and vanya his left, and so he stays. they're still holding onto him when they fall asleep later, their heads pillowed on his shoulders, and although he makes a big show of displeasure at being used as a human stuffed toy, he rests his head against klaus' and only moves again when they're turning into their street

the next day at breakfast, klaus is still wearing the stupid headband

[dhwty-writes]

yay for last exam of the term! here is a little prompt, if you like: 'I think you need a hug' for geraskier :)

Thank you my dear, for this lovely prompt! I intended something much fluffier here, but this, uhhhhh, got a little out of hand. (Insert surprised reaction here) I know, I know, who would have thought that a story I’m writing--to one of your amazing prompts, of all things!--could get out of hand?! Crazy, right?

Anyways, this is a little sad (maybe even a big sad), I hope you like it regardless!

Warnings: It’s not explicitly stated, but Jaskier is depressed in this one. Approach with caution, if that’s something you’re sensitive about

Read on AO3

"Jaskier?" a worried voice asked behind him, accompanied by the familiar pattern of footfalls he had grown so accustomed to over the past years.

Jaskier's heartrate sped up immediately. 'Shit,' he cursed silently, furiously wiping at the tears streaking across his cheeks while he desperately tried to regain some kind of composure. "Over here!" he replied, trying—and failing—to steady his voice.

"What are you doing over here?" Geralt asked curiously, approaching rapidly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he said much more confidently than he felt. "Sure." He snuffled to keep the snot from dripping from his nose. He was an ugly crier and well aware of it, but that was nothing Geralt needed to know.

The witcher stopped only a few paces behind him. Jaskier could practically feel the glare boring into his back as he was assessing the situation. "No," he proclaimed after a few moments of deliberation, his observation astute as ever. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," he protested stubbornly. Stupid him for stupidly crying and stupidly making Geralt worry about him. The witcher had bigger concerns, as he loved to tell him, than the trivial troubles of a troubadour.

"Liar," Geralt accused him.

Well. He wasn't wrong. "Hm," he replied.

"Jaskier," the witcher tried again. Was that alarm he detected in his voice? Surely not. "Can you turn around to me? Please?"

"Please?" he mouthed silently. He wasn't sure if Geralt had ever told him please before. It was a shocking turn of events, so shocking in fact, that he was taken off guard for a moment. When he found his bearings again, his voice was scarcely more than a whisper: "I'd rather not."

"Alright," he huffed. "Alright." A beat of silence followed. "Jaskier," Geralt said again, his voice closer than before.

"Yeah."

"Can I help you?"

He shrugged. "I don't think so."

"Can I try?"

He shrugged again.

Geralt took a deep breath. This time Jaskier could hear when he stepped closer. "Do you want me to leave?"

'Yes,' was his first instinctual answer. No-one should see him like this, floating in numbness; especially not Geralt. To shrug, was his second. He didn't care. He didn't care about anything. Stay, go, help, none of that mattered. But there was something inside him, nagging him; something that made him whisper the truth despite everything: "No. I don't think so."

"Thank you." It was a silly thing to respond. A stupid thing, really. But Geralt said it so— so earnestly, somehow, that it wasn't silly, wasn't stupid. It did manage to make him cry again, though, his shoulders shaking nigh unnoticeably, silent sobs rattling through his body, choking him.

"Want to know what I think?" Geralt said calmly, softly. He knew that tone. It was the same as if he was speaking to Roach when she was frightened.

'I'm not stupid horse,' he wanted to say, 'I'm a stupid human who's holding you up because of nothing at all.' But something kept the words from escaping his mouth. Something forced him to wait for whatever Geralt would say next.

What he said next, though, was an impossibility nothing on earth could have prepared him for. "I think you need a hug," Geralt of Rivia said.

It was such a surprise, in fact, that he couldn't help but snort out a laugh.

"What?" Geralt asked, evidently amused by his reaction.

For Jaskier, this wasn't amusing at all. It was downright cruel, teasing him like that; proposing something he would never follow through with. "You, Geralt of Rivia," he explained hoarsely, "do not do hugs. You are the most unhuggable person on earth, the forbidden, the impermissible, if you will."

"Hmm."

'Finally,' Jaskier thought, 'a Geralt-answer.' This conversation almost began feeling normal.

Almost, for then he said: "Can I touch you?"

"Why?" he asked warily.

"To prove you wrong."

He shrugged. If Geralt wanted to humour him, who was he to tell him no?

The first touch was a shock. Five fingertips brushing over his shoulder, sending lightning bolts from the crown of his hair down to his toes.

The second touch was a conundrum. A solid hand on the juncture of his neck and his shoulders, making him wonder what on earth the witcher was playing at.

The third touch was a pillar. A muscled arm snaking around his waist when his own knees turned to mush and threatened to collapse.

The fourth touch was an anchor. A jaw hooking over his shoulder, gently coming to a rest, his body tensing up while all he could hear were gentle, even breaths.

The final touch was a relief. A familiar body moulding itself to his back as if it belonged there; as if it had always been there.

It was so familiar, so normal, so necessary that Jaskier couldn't keep it together anymore. Beneath silly caresses and stupid "There, there, there"s he felt himself crumble to dust. His carefully erected walls ruined with nothing but a gentle touch, the tears flowed freely down his face, his knees gave out under him, he was only held upright by Geralt's arms.

Gently, the witcher lowered them to the ground; kneeling at first, then lying down. "It's alright," he kept repeating. "It's alright, I'm here, I've got you." As if that would make it true. Silly. Stupid.

"It's not," he protested helplessly, because it wasn't. "It's not, I can't, I can't, Geralt."

"I know," he said as if he wasn't talking nonsense. "I know, I've got you. You're not alone."

"It hurts," he wailed.

"Show me where." Slowly, carefully still, as if any touch too bold could make him flee, he snaked his hand under Jaskier's, intertwining their fingers. "I'm here with you."

"There," he sobbed weakly, stupidly, as he pressed his hand over the left side of his chest. "It hurts. Make it stop. Make it go numb again."

"Oh, Jaskier," Geralt murmured, "you don't mean that. Truly, you don't want that."

He shrugged.

Geralt held on tighter. "It's alright," he said again. "I'm here. I've got you."

 ~*~

 Jaskier wasn't quite sure when he regained his senses. All he knew that it was dark now and that it hadn't been when he had fled the camp. And that Geralt was still curled around him, holding on tight.

"Geralt?" he whispered, unsure if the witcher was sleeping or not. He wouldn't want to wake him, if he was. In fact, he would want him to be asleep, so that he could vanish as quickly as possible, for a few weeks maybe, so that this embarrassing episode could be conscribed to oblivion.

But Destiny was a cruel mistress, who held no mercy for him that day. "Hmm," Geralt replied, slowly stirring behind him. "Back with me?"

"I think so."

"Good. How're you feeling? Good?"

"Yeah!" he answered, trying to mask his insecurity with his usual chipper attitude. "Yeah."

Geralt pressed his nose against his neck and inhaled deeply. It was... oddly comforting. "Liar," he concluded after a moment.

Jaskier sagged forward again. "No," he confessed quietly, "I'm not. And— I'm sorry, Geralt, I don't think I'll be feeling good for quite some time. It's— It's—" Truthfully, he didn't know what it was.

But as usual this evening, Geralt had the answer: "It's alright," he promised, squeezing him a little tighter. Somehow, he believed him. "Just don't go wandering off again. You—" He hesitated, then leaned closer as if confessing a secret. Maybe it was. "You scared me."

"I thought witchers couldn't be scared."

"No, we get scared plenty. I— Hmm."

He waited patiently. After a while he had learned to discern the subtle differences between all of Geralt's 'Hmm's. There were the usuals, 'Yes'-Hmms, 'No'-Hmms, and 'Fuck off'-Hmms, the 'Roach'-Hmm's and the 'Jaskier'-Hmm's, which mostly either were 'I'm silently laughing at you'-Hmm's or 'I appreciate what you're saying, but am too emotionally constipated to tell you so, so I'm rather pretending to be annoyed'-Hmm's. And then there were rarer Hmm's such as this one, which was indisputably an 'I want to tell you something that is important to me, but don't know with which words yet; I need some time'-Hmm.

So, he waited. Eventually, Geralt would speak again. He always did and today was no exception. "I'm not scared of monsters," he said finally, "or men. I can hit those with my sword. I can protect you from them, because you're too stupid to stay put when I tell you to. But this—" He pressed his hand over Jaskier's heart again. "—I don't know how to fight this. I don't know how to save you from this. I might lose you to this." His voice was trembling. Actually trembling, too quiet for anyone to hear, but Jaskier could feel the tremors from behind him. "So, yeah. This scares me."

His voice was shaking much more clearly when he replied: "I don't know either. But," he heaved a breath, "what you did was a good start, I think." After a moment of silence, he added: "I'm sorry."

Geralt growled and flicked his ear. Somehow, it was a comforting sound. "Stop it," he commanded.

"Stop what?"

"You keep apologising."

"I'm sorry."

"There!" He flicked his ear again. "You did it again."

"I'm so— Ouch! Don't you pinch me, Geralt of Rivia, I don't mean to keep doing it!"

"Just shut up, then."

"Alright." He breathed deeply in and out. "Alright."

Jaskier managed all of three breaths before his foot started wiggling. Three more and he couldn't take it anymore: "I—"

"Don't you dare," Geralt interrupted him.

"I wasn't about to say it!" he protested. "Truly, I wasn't! I just— I wanted to thank you. You didn't have to."

He snorted. "What kind of friend would I be if I left you to be miserable on your own? It's nothing, Jaskier." He buried his face in his neck again and held on tighter. "I mean it. I'm here. I've got you."

"Thank you," he said again.

"Bed?" Geralt prompted after a while.

"I— Hmm."

He poked him in the ribs. "That's my line."

Jaskier snorted a laugh and scrunched up his nose. "It's stupid."

"As stupid as when you got pissed, chased by a gaggle of geese, and I had to rescue you from the outhouse you had fled into?"

"Hmm." He deliberated the answer. "Alright, maybe not quite as stupid. But it's a close call."

"Then tell me."

He gnawed on his lower lip. The more he thought about it, the stupider it got. Luckily, he'd never had to think to say something stupid. "I don't want you to let go of me," he blurted before he could change his mind.

"Hmm," Geralt hummed and with his lips pressed against Jaskier's neck, he could feel the smile spreading on his face.

It was a new 'Hmm', though, one he didn't quite know what to do with it. Very close to the 'You're a fool, Jaskier' or the 'I'm thinking of Kaer Morhen'-Hmm, but with something else; something that had previously been reserved for the 'Roach'-Hmm's and 'Yennefer'-Hmm's only.

Before he could come to a conclusion as to what that particular 'Hmm' meant, Geralt spoke up again: "Think you can let me let you go long enough for us to get back to the camp?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I can."

"Alright," he mumbled and pressed his lips to the back of his neck; short enough that it could have been an accident, long enough that it could have been something else entirely. "I've got you," he promised again. "We'll figure this out. We'll make you good again, yeah? Together."

"Together," he echoed. Somehow, sillily, stupidly, Jaskier believed him.

[plaidbooks]

A Solo Act part 2

A/N: Yay backstory! And obligatory masquerade ball! Shoutout to Becca for helping with the clothes ❤ This will most likely have a third part--I have it outlined, so let’s see if I’ll write it 😅

This covers the Masquerade square in @adarafaelbarba​ moodboard bingo!

Part 1 here

Tags: poison, branding (like with a hot metal), talks of death, injuries (one character is beaten)

Words: 2973

Taglist: @witches-unruly-heart​  @beccabarba​  @thatesqcrush​ @itsjustmyfantasyroom​ @permanentlydizzy​ @ben-c-group-therapy​  @infiniteoddball​ @glowingmess​ @whimsicallymad​ @lv7867​ @storiesofsvu​ @cycat4077​ @alwaysachorusgirl​  @glimmerglittergirl​ @joanofarkansass​  @berniesilvas​​

It had been almost a year of you living in the city. You and Nick had a few more run-ins, and your relationship stayed very much the same. He annoyed you as much as you annoyed him, and you fought constantly, almost always on sight. But you were both pretty equal in terms of skill. The only time either of you got the upper hand was when you got the element of surprise.

And, of course, your showboating started to turn into flirting. There was a heavy sexual tension between you two, and you didn’t know what would happen when it finally snapped. But for now, you enjoyed riling him up.

 *******************

You looked yourself over in the mirror, taking in your gown. It was a deep shade of emerald, with silver embroidery that added to its elegance. You were gorgeous in it, the way the bodice hugged your form, your cleavage on full display—that was one of the reasons you bought it. Men scrambled on hands and knees for a beautiful woman, and it would help distract them from the dagger in your hand. The skirts of the gown bloomed out, giving your legs room to move.

Grabbing the simple mask of matching green and silver, you got into the waiting carriage outside your place, heading for the Duke’s palace. It wasn’t hard gaining an invitation to the biggest masquerade ball of the season, just as you were sure it wouldn’t be hard to take the Duke out.

You affixed the mask to your face just as the carriage rolled to a stop. While you disliked having your peripherals blocked, you did appreciate the disguise. No one would look at your body in that dress and think assassin, and the mask would help during your escape. You just had to make sure to be out of the palace before the Duke fell.

The ballroom was expansive, filled with the rich and noble. Couples danced while others sat and talked about nothing, or stuffed their faces while those in the streets starved. You felt you blood boil; you hated these rich bastards.

You glanced around until you found the Duke; masked or not, he stuck out like a sore thumb. His doublet was a bright gold, the sleeves slashed to show the lining inside, and the light seemed drawn to the material, making him glow. From what you could see of his cheeks, which were rosy, he was already drunk. You rolled your eyes, then headed for him, hoping to earn a dance. Before you made it more than a few steps, however, you felt a hand on your shoulder. You fought the urge to break whoever’s fingers it was as you turned to look at the offender.

“May I have a dance, Miss?” Nick asked, voice velvet. He was incredibly handsome in his black doublet, the gold embroidery subtle, but effective.

You glared at him, “I thought I told you to never touch me.”

“That’s not a no.” He smirked, and you wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. Before you could deny him, he took your hand, dragging you to the dancefloor. His free hand dropped to your hip, and he started moving. You missed a step in your annoyance, then caught up, to not cause a scene.

“What are you doing here, Nick?” you asked. His hand was warm on your skin, cocooning your hand in warmth. And his cologne was intoxicating; you found yourself leaning closer, trying to catch a whiff before you noticed and pulled away to a respectable distance once more.

But he had noticed, grinning cheekily at you. “Same thing you are, I’m sure. The Duke.” He spun you, then dipped you as the song ended. Your heart fluttered as he brought you back up, pulling you close against his chest.

“D—don’t you dare get in my way,” you stuttered, trying to regain your composure.

Nick’s grin widened as another song started, and he swayed with you once more. “Oh, don’t worry; I won’t.” He leaned in closer, his mouth brushing against the shell of your ear. “He’s about to make a toast, and I’ve already poisoned his goblet.”

You leaned back to look at him, shocked. “When did you—”

“You might want to get out of here before he makes his toast. Once he goes down, the guards will start unmasking guests,” Nick quickly explained. Sure enough, the band stopped playing when there was a clinking. Turning to look, the Duke was standing, goblet in his hand, a spoon in the other that he had used to call attention. When you looked back, Nick was gone.

Every eye was on the Duke, and you slowly started making your way towards the exit. His voice rang out as he gave a short speech—more like a sentence—and he sipped his drink. Almost instantly, he started to choke, his face turning purple, then blue. You were close enough to the exit that you turned and walked quickly out into the hallway, trying to fight the urge to run; that would only draw attention.

“Hey! Stop!” you heard from behind you, and you ran towards freedom, attention be damned. Two guards appeared in the doorway in front of you, and you braced yourself, crashing into one. But before you could take him out, you felt a sharp pain in the back of your head, and everything went dark.

***

Nick was still smug the next day; the look on your face after he told you he had poisoned the Duke would be forever imprinted on his mind. As would the image of you in that dress, your body warm against his. And when he dipped down to your ear, he had caught a whiff of the perfume in your hair, and he swooned.

Pushing that from his mind, he swiped a newspaper from a stand. But he stopped in his tracks as he saw the headline:

MYSTERIOUS WOMAN CAUGHT AT BALL WHERE DUKE POISONED

It couldn’t be you, right? As much as Nick hated you, you were skilled, almost on the same level as him. There was no way you were captured. But he had heard the Duke’s speech as he left, knew he had less time than he had predicted. He had been distracted, though, seeing you in that gown, dancing with you so close, seeing the pure lust in your eyes as you gazed at him after the dip. He had been so tempted to kiss you last night, so tempted to—

No, you were enemies, and he hated you. Even so, you were connected under the assassin’s code. Sure, you weren’t in the same guild—or any guild, really—but it was hard for Nick to leave you to your fate, whatever that would be. Though, he had a pretty good idea what it would be. A branding and an execution; the same thing that awaited every assassin captured.

The thought of someone pressing the scalding metal to your skin filled Nick with a white-hot rage. He made up his mind then and there; he wasn’t going to let that happen to you.

 ***************

Guards were perhaps the easiest people in the world to bribe…well, depending on the guard. Personal bodyguards? Not really. But guards of a prison, where they’re spit at, shit thrown at them? Absolutely.

Nick gained easy access to the jail’s interior. This would be the harder part; the guards in these sections were mostly likely dedicated to the crown. He was able to ambush a lone guard carrying food, stealing his clothes. The man was bigger in the torso than Nick, so he had to tuck in the tunic and hope no one would really notice.

As he was pulling on a glove, however, a piercing scream rang throughout the jail. The hair on Nick’s neck and arms stood up straight, and his heartbeat tripled. It was the worst sound Nick had ever heard in his life, and it seemed to go on forever. Finally, it stopped, but in the silence, it could still be heard, echoing throughout the jail.

He finished pulling on the guard outfit, picked up the food tray, and hurried in the direction of the sound. Three other guards were coming towards him, and he tried to act nonchalant.

“She’s not going to want to eat after that,” one of them said to Nick, and the other two laughed. He ignored them, heading towards the cell they had just vacated, praying you weren’t the one in there.

He stopped a few feet away, as soon as a limp body was visible in the cell. You were trembling, sobbing softly, curled on your side. The smell of burning flesh permeated the room, and Nick struggled to not gag. Slowly, he moved closer. But he scuffed his boot on the ground, and you flinched.

“G—go away! I’ll—I’ll kill you!” you shouted, your voice hoarse and laced with fear. Nick said nothing as he came right to the cell, unlocking it with the key he stole. He opened the door and made his way over to you, until he stood over you. You curled in tighter on yourself as he crouched next to you. The burned and blistered skin on your forearm made him see red, and he wanted nothing more to kill the bastards that did this. But there was only so much time, and he needed to get you out of there.

He gently touched your shoulder, and you flinched away from him. He reached for you again, this time rolling you over to look at him. You blinked in surprise to find Nick crouching over you, but his face was set in stone. Wave after wave of rage pulsed through him as he saw your face, your body; you had been heavily beaten. The guards probably had fun hitting you around, and he clenched his teeth.

“Nick?” you asked, voice soft. That one word said in a voice so terrified was enough to drag him from his dark thoughts, calming the rushing in his ears.

He grabbed your non-branded arm, hauling you to your feet. “We don’t have much time; let’s go.” But the moment you stood, your eyes rolled back, and you lost consciousness. Your body went limp, and Nick caught you against his chest. He let out a low curse before throwing your body over his shoulder and leaving the cell.

***

You were in so much pain when you awoke, especially your arm. You remembered the guards attacking you, calling you names and threatening worse if you fought back. You also remembered two of them holding you down, your body pinned on the ground, while a third heated up the blackened metal until it was glowing red. You had struggled as he got closer and closer, but it was no use. You had tried to brace yourself for it, but the moment the metal touched your skin, you couldn’t stop the scream that tore from your throat. You barely registered the men’s laughter as you felt like you would surely die from the pain alone.

You knew what happened next, that you’d be executed; the brand was just in case you got away or survived…and as a marker for the afterlife about your sins in this life. As you grew more conscious, though, you realized you weren’t on the ground, the sparce straw not even fit for a pillow scratching your skin. No, you were in a comfortable bed.

Your eyelids slowly fluttered open, and you found yourself in a foreign room. What the hell is this? you thought, confused. You grit your teeth against the pain as you struggled to sit up. Just then, the door opened, revealing Nick in his normal tunic and slacks, carrying a bucket of water, bandages, and washcloths.

“Hey! Don’t move, just lay back and relax,” he said, hurrying over to you. He placed the bucket and supplies on the floor, then gently, but firmly, pushed your shoulders back down on the bed.

You let him guide you down, your eyes scanning his face. “What’s going on here?”

“You are heavily injured and shouldn’t be moving,” he explained.

You rolled your eyes. “How’d I get here? Why are you helping me?”

“I broke you out of jail. Now just lay there and shut up; I don’t need you asking all these questions while I change your bandages, okay?”

You huffed, relaxing back on the bed as he pulled the sheets off you. You couldn’t stop the heat from flooding your cheeks as he examined your body, the injuries. He had taken you out of your dress, leaving you in your undergarments—at least they covered you. But he didn’t look at you with hunger like most men; his eyes were tender. Your arm was the worst injury of the bunch, and he started there. His hands were so soft, so gentle against you as he unraveled the old bandage.

When the bandage fell away, you finally tore your eyes from his face, looking at the brand. Your skin was shiny and red, the blisters and burned skin cleared away, leaving the mark in the shape of a dagger on your forearm. You felt tears; with this, you were forever branded as an assassin. There was no hiding it—besides with long sleeves—no going to a normal, retired life later. Everyone would know who and what you were, what you are.

Nick dunked a cloth in the bucket, wrung it out, then started washing the wound. You winced in pain as he worked, his fingers gentle. It was silent in the room outside of the water when he rewet the cloth: him intent on washing your open wounds and binding the internal ones, and you intent on his soft touch.

Finally, you broke the silence. “Why did you save me? Why are you helping me now?”

He didn’t look up, didn’t acknowledge that you had spoken. He just continued working. You were about to ask again when he said, “you needed the help.”

“Don’t give me that crap, Nick. We’re not friends, don’t even like each other. I need a better reason,” you replied harshly.

He continued wrapping a cut on your leg without looking at your face. Once done, he sat in silence, looking at the ground. Sighing, he slowly pulled the tunic over his head and off, revealing an undershirt. Your eyes widened at the white scars littering his broad, muscular body. But what caught your eye was the imprint of a dagger, burned into his right bicep. Your jaw dropped in surprise, and you tore your eyes from the brand to his face, finding him staring at you.

“I helped you because I knew what it felt like…and because I didn’t want to relive the mistakes I’ve already made,” he muttered.

That explained why your wound had looked so clean; he knew how to take care of it from experience. “Wh—what mistakes?”

“You really want my whole life story? When I’m not even sure you won’t try to kill me once you’re healed enough?”

He didn’t really believe that, you could tell. Plus, assassins didn’t kill each other, not unless absolutely necessary…or the assassin goes rogue. But you didn’t know how to pry him—well, that wasn’t true. You took a deep breath, looking at your hands in your lap.

“I’m not in a guild because my parents warned me to never join one,” you said softly. “They were in different guilds and yet…they fell in love. But they weren’t allowed to be together; their guild master forbade them. So, they did the only thing they could; they left their guilds. Once their masters found out, they tracked them down, and—and branded them. Twice. One was the mark of the assassin—” you glanced at the bandage that hid your own mark— “the second was the mark of the deserter. They were then banished, and no guild would take them, not after the mark was on them.”

Nick sat in silence while you talked. You wanted him to understand, understand why you worked alone, why you didn’t trust anyone. He gently reached out, taking your hand in his. You glanced up at him, but his eyes were locked on your joined hands.

“I was in a guild when I was younger; they’re still around, actually. But I, uh…” he closed his eyes, taking a breath. “I left.”

“Why’d you leave?”

His eyes opened and you noticed the tears. “It was a routine contract. Me and a rookie; I was showing him the ropes. What I didn’t expect was that it would end in the rookie dying and me rotting in a jailcell.” You squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back. “I let my guard down, and he was killed right in front of me. I should’ve saved him or died in that cell.”

“How’d you get away?” you asked, voice hushed.

Nick chuckled humorlessly. “My guild broke me out. I was the one that was saved, even after I had failed. And I just…I couldn’t be there anymore, couldn’t ever experience that pain again. So, I chose to work alone, never let anyone close.”

You felt terrible for him, to go through that. Sure, your parents passed away, but it was natural causes, not murdered. It was always a fear of the job, but it still hurt to see those you knew and loved taken from you.

Nick stood, stretching and rolling his neck. “Well, your bandages have been applied. I’m going to make supper; you should rest. I’ll bring you a plate.”

You watched him walk away, mumbling a quiet, “thank you,” as he went. But he made no indication that he had heard you.

[skiller0dani]

Gent Bent | Timothee Chalamet

M A S T E R L I S T

smut requested  requests info wanna be on a Timmy taglist? click here

I’m finally back with a Timmy piece! yay! I feel like a Shepard who has lost all my Timothee Chalamet loving sheep. I missed writing for my daddy :( TBH no matter who else I write about, Timmy is my one true love don’t tell my boyfriend. anyway, enjoy my loves xx

a lil short sorry, next Timmy thing will be much longer. 

The first time it happened, it quite genuinely was an accident. 

The pen had rolled, you didn’t know the table was wobbly. You stood, knocked the table and the pen rolled off. Timothee probably believed it was all intentional, but honestly- it wasn’t. You needed to bend over to retrieve the pen, and you just so happen to be wearing leggings on that particular day. It was all an unbelievable accident. When you bent to grab the pen you heard a sharp inward breath you turned your head to find your boyfriends eyes planted firmly on your rear end. His fingers digging into the arms of the chair he was sat in, and his cheek pulled between his teeth. He thought of you stood in front of him, just like that stark nude. Your pussy drenched and waiting for him to stretch you open. You cheeks blazed as you stood upright again, a warning look in his eyes. Maybe you shouldn’t have bent over right in front of him. 

The second time it happened, it was a little less of an accident. 

He was in his trailer on the set of Little Women, running his lines with you. You loved helping him, it was sexy seeing him get in the zone. But you were a little bored, as he was crossing words out and adding little notes to the script. In your hand you were holding your phone, and while his back was turned you stood and walked past him. You tossed your phone on the bed and missed, half on purpose half accidentally. “Shit,” His eyes focused on you at the sound of your voice and just in time to see you bend over- nice and slow. You kept your legs straight as you bent in nothing but your underwear to reach for your phone on the ground. You nice round ass was perfectly in his view, and his eyes landed on the beautiful curve of your rear end. His eyes were wide as you stood again and he swallowed a thick lump in his throat. Timothee blinked a few times before turning his eyes back to his script trying to refocus. He definitely couldn’t focus, not until he was pounding you into the mattress. 

The third it happened, it was completely on purpose. 

Unfortunately catching him off guard was becoming a challenge, he’d begun to look out for it. If you dropped something he would quickly grab it for you, he would even cross the room to get it before you had the chance to bend over. Sometimes if you were in front of him he would put a hand on your shoulder to stop you from getting it if he couldn’t get up, he didn’t feel like being painfully hard all the time. However when you tagged along to his interview with James Corden, you’d finally managed to take him by surprise again. You were sat in the second to top row next to his parents, and every once in a while he’d send a smile your way or a little wink. In your hand was your wallet and luckily there was nobody sat behind you. So when you noticed Tim glancing back up at you, you accidentally let the wallet fall through the cracks of your seat and onto the floor behind you. You shifted onto your knees and turned around to bend over the seat, your ass on display to Tim when he glanced back up at you. 

His eyes widened when instead of seeing your beautiful eyes he saw your big round ass. No way did you find a way to do it, during a damn interview. Timothee licked his chapped lips as James laughed to something along with the other guest, Tim was no longer paying attention. Feeling tingles going down south, Timothee reached for his coffee cup to hold in his lap. This cannot be happening during an interview, you were not purposely making him hard when the entire world could see. But when you turned with a sly grin on your face and your bottom lip pulled between your teeth Tim knew that yeah you did this on purpose. 

For the remainder of the interview Tim kept his cup in his lap, and his knees would bounce anxiously. He laughed nervously as he kept his eyes firmly on James and he desperately tried to ignore the painful erection being trapped in his dress pants. To people who didn’t know Timothee very well he was his usual jittery nervous self, but even his Mother knew something was going on. Timothee nervously drummed his fingers on his cup, counting down the seconds until this interview was over. He needed to be buried inside you, now. 

As soon as the interview ended, Timothee smiled and shook hands, gave hugs and made a very casual beeline for the door. His eyes landed on you and you excused yourself out to follow him to his dressing room. His cock was so hard there was a dull ache that came from it being trapped against his pants. He casually tried to readjust himself as he stormed for his dressing room- still offering smiles to people he passed. Once the door of his dressing room was shut, he sat on the couch and drummed his fingers against the arm of the couch as he waited for you. No smiles now. 

When you did push into the dressing room, you knew you were in for it when you saw the dark look in his eyes. “Come here.” His voice was deep and demanding and you immediately scrambled over to him. Once you were stood in front of him, Tim gestured to the floor and you dropped onto your knees. Hooking a finger under you chin Tim brought your eyes up to meet his, and with his other hand he brought yours to cup him through his jeans. “Feel this? This is how hard I was the entire interview because of you baby.” Tim said casually, though there was a sharp edge to his voice. You nibbled on your lip as you looked up at him, “did you get bent?” You asked, your mouth quirking up at the end. In an instant Tim stood and drug you up with him before harshly bending you over the back of the couch. “No taking our time today baby, gotta be quick.” He mumbled, his fingers quickly unbuttoning your jeans. 

“Gotta quiet that smart mouth of yours.” Tim hissed as he yanked your jeans down with your underwear before moving to the button of his dress pants. You pushed your jeans down so you could spread your legs wider for him. Tim groaned when he saw your arousal dripping down your thighs. He fisted his cock in his hand as he pressed the head to your opening, “you drive me goddamn crazy.” Timothee groans as he slides into you, hissing at the feeling of you squeezing around him. He begins to pound into you, throwing his head back at the feeling. Your fingers dig into the couch as you moan breathlessly, your mouth hanging agape as he slams into you quickly. You mewl underneath him when he reaches down to rub at your clit, “you are such a fucking tease.” Timothee groans as his hips smack against yours. 

Tim’s mouth hangs open and his hands are holding your hips to pull you back to meet his thrusts. When you begin to cry out softly, Timothee presses a hand to your back and harshly pushes your face into the cushions. You cry out into the couch when you feel your orgasm wash over you, and Timothee has to bite down on his lip to keep quiet as he cums inside you. His cock is nearly tingling as he gently pulls out of you, and he almost hardens again when he sees his cum dripping from your pussy. Your chest is heaving as Tim tugs your jeans back up to your hips before tucking his cock back into his pants. He turns to sit back against the couch, one of his arms pulling you into his chest. “Is that the goal every time?” Tim asks breathlessly. You smile coyly. 

“Oh definitely, and I’ll continue to do it because it works every time.” You tell him before pressing a hard kiss to his lips. 

***taglist*** @90sthemedsunsets​ @newletas​ @londonmademedoit​ @sflowercvol6

[snowdice]

Big Bang (Sort of) Editing Story [Day 45]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag proofread stories. I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17

I have an aggravating task to do tonight which I have been avoiding... let’s do this!

Chapter 18

They made it all the way to the big blowout between Al and Melly where Melly got mad and left the group to their fate in the magical garden by the time Virgil awakened completely from his food coma (he’d never actually fallen asleep, or at least he always responded when Patton asked) and squirmed around for a bit before sitting up.

Logan hadn’t been particularly interested in the story he’d heard many times before and was reading a book of his own on Patton’s other side, but he put a bookmark in his book when Virgil sat.

“Want to take a break from reading?” Patton asked. “We can do a bit more later, but we have more than just food and books planned for tonight.

 “Okay,” Virgil agreed easily.

“Great!” Patton said clapping his hands. “We’re going to introduce you to the most fun sleepover party event ever!”

Virgil tilted his head.

“Dress up!” Patton said. “Also make-overs. We’ll do you first and then we’ll help you learn how to help pick out other people’s outfits and make-up. If you want to, of course.”

“Sure,” Virgil said with a shrug.

“Yay!” Patton hopped to his feet. “You stay here. Lo and I will get everything ready.”

He pulled Logan to his feet and over to the chair that was the perfect height for doing make-up.

 They set up what they’d need for make-up and then Patton instructed Logan to grab the clothes of his they usually used for this sort of thing out the closet that Virgil wasn’t set up in while he grabbed the pieces he himself had brought upstairs and strew them over the bed so they could see anything.

Smiling happily, Patton looked over at Virgil who had stood up in the giant pile of pillows and blankets to watch him with intense eyes. He looked like he was memorizing every action Patton took as though expecting a test at the end. He was so adorable. A rush of affection and a touch of mischief hit him suddenly.

 “Hey Virgil,” Patton said. Virgil looked over at him. “Can I tackle hug you into that pile of pillows?”

“Tackle hug?” he asked.

“I run over and hug you so hard that we fall into the blankets. I do it to Logan all the time without warning, but I didn’t want to confuse you.”

Virgil considered the offer for a couple of seconds. “Okay,” he finally decided.

“Great!” Patton did a little hop before launching himself across the room. He slammed into Virgil, who apparently had very good balanced because they didn’t immediately fall backwards, but then he seemed to remember that he was supposed to let Patton slam him into the pillows, and so he fell back on his own power.

 Patton giggled when they hit the ground and drew back to look at his face. “I got you!” He leant forward to kiss him on the nose. “Oh wait! I should let you fight back.” He propped himself up on one arm and held out the other hand. “Pinkie promise not to hurt anyone if I let you use the 3rd setting again?”

“Pinkie promise,” he agreed with a grin, linking their pinkies.

“Great!” Without hesitation, Patton did the hand motion to allow the restraints to be in the third setting.

Patton was on his back almost instantly, but he didn’t even have a chance to think about worrying before Virgil pressed a kiss to his nose in a mirror of what Patton had done a moment before. “I got you,” he said proudly.

 “So, you do,” Patton agreed with a laugh. He reached up on of his hands to card it through Virgil’s hair. Virgil leaned into the touch and then practically melted on top of him. “Virgil,” Patton laughed. “It isn’t nap time.”

He grumbled something unintelligible into Patton’s neck making Patton giggle more.

“Sweetie, please.”

Thankfully Logan saved him from the unrelenting cuddling by poking Virgil in the side. “I have finished preparing the stations for the makeover and dress up. You need to get up now.”

Virgil made a noise that sounded like a growl, but he did roll off of Patton.

 Patton hopped to his feet and helped Virgil up before pulling him over to the piles of clothes. “We pick the outfit first, but you don’t put it on. Then, we do your make-up and hair based on it. Then, we get you dressed and do touch ups. Okay? Pick anything you want.”

Virgil looked over the options, eyes going a bit wide. “It…” he said. “It all looks really fancy and expensive. Are you sure you want me to touch any of it?”

“We wouldn’t be offering anything we didn’t want you to touch,” Logan said gently. “In fact, I insist you touch all of it. Beyond just appearance, making sure the texture of the fabric is agreeable is a large part of this activity.”

 Patton picked up one of the pieces of fabric he knew was very soft and offered it to him. He touched it with careful fingers, his eyes lighting up at the feel of it. They had to continue nudging him into feeling the different fabrics, and he hesitated when they asked him to pick his favorite at the end, but eventually he shyly pointed at a dark purple dress.

Patton clapped. “Great! Ooo, I already have some ideas for make-up that will go with that.”

Virgil let Patton pull him over to the chair they’d set up and settled down on it.

29009

Patton hummed. “I think silver and purple make-up mostly?” he said.

Logan nodded and they grabbed a few things from the make-up kit. Logan let Patton do most of the make-up as he tended to be better at the more creative parts, but Logan was the one who gave him the fancy winged eye liner with purple sparkles because he was really good at them.

“You look fantastic!” Patton squealed when they were done. He held up a hand mirror for Virgil who studied himself in it for a long few moments. “Do you like it?”

“It’s really nice,” Virgil confirmed. Patton smiled and hugged him.

“Next hair. We have a lot of accessories. I’ll let you pick from the purple ones.”

 He and Logan sorted through the jewelry box full of different hair accessories for the royal family and ended up finding three purple ones. Patton hesitated a bit over one of them, but Logan picked it up and set it in front of Virgil for him.

“Your choice from these three,” he said.

One was a purple feather with little hooks to braid into hair, one was a smattering of purple and silver stars that would weave through the back of someone’s hair, and the last was a string of silver leaves with purple tips that would wrap up the back of a person’s head from a bun.

Virgil thought for a moment and then pointed to the one made of leaves.

 Patton glanced at Logan who took the hairpiece. “I’ll do your hair right for that one,” he said. “I know how it fits.”

He grabbed the brush and carefully ran it through Virgil’s hair. Virgil seemed to like the attention, leaning into the touch, and a smile flickered over Logan’s face. Logan started gathering the hair together to make the low bun that would be the base of hair arrangement. Patton honestly did not expect him to speak, but then he did as he started to secure the piece with pins.

“This was my Pa’s favorite hairpiece,” Logan said. “Not the father you came here for, but my other one. He died when I was six.”

Virgil went shock still. “I don’t have to...”

“I wouldn’t have let it be offered if I wasn’t okay with you using it,” Logan said.

 Virgil didn’t move as he finished securing the hairpiece. “There,” Logan said when he was done. He picked up the hand mirror and positioned it so Virgil could see. “It suits you.”

“I…” Virgil said. His eyes were wide, and he clearly didn’t know what to say.

“Now,” Logan said. “I believe there are some other pieces of jewelry that would match this very well in the other room. I…” he turned away. “If you will excuse me.”

He turned away and exited through his bedroom door into the hallway. Patton watched him go and then turned to Virgil. “I’m going to go make sure he’s okay, okay?” Patton asked. “You didn’t do anything wrong, there’s just a lot of emotions.”

“I can take it out…” Virgil said.

“No,” Patton said. “I think he likes that you’re wearing it.” Virgil bit his lip. “He never really moved on,” Patton felt inclined to say. “This is… a lot for him, but I think it’s good too.” He leaned forward to kiss the top of his head, being careful not to mess up his artfully done hair. “I’ll be right back.”

He turned to follow Logan out of the room.

  Chapter 19

Thomas sighed in relief as the door to the royal wing finally came into sight. He was exhausted from his journey to Lamir for many reasons. Beyond just the physically taxing journey, he’d also had to deal with the emotions of loosing someone he had thought of as a friend while also trying to help her young daughter who had just had the crown thrust upon her.

Now he just wanted to see his own child and curl up into bed. He smiled at Owen and Kalani as he approached. “Is Logan here?” he asked.

Owen nodded. “The prince and his royal advisor are having a slumber party.”

Thomas smiled. “Of course, they are,” he said.

 He said goodnight to the two guard as they’d be getting off duty soon even if he did manage to drag himself out of his room again tonight and walked past them into the hall.

He walked past the room where they kept the jewels, though was unsurprised to see that the room was unlatched as Patton loved playing around with the different jewelry and had probably left it open when he grabbed them. He was however surprised when his son’s room’s door was thrown open, as Logan usually couldn’t stand for the thing to be open with or without him in it.

 Thomas didn’t think much of it however, and simply walked over to look inside. He was surprised when he didn’t see his son or Patton and instead saw that the only person in the room was a young boy that Thomas did not recognize. He was seated in one of Logan’s chairs and had his head tilted looking at himself in the mirror. He seemed to be trying to get a look at the ornament on the back of his head, and Thomas felt his heart seize a little bit when he recognized the hairpin.

He hadn’t recovered from that gut punch when the boy’s eyes drifted and met his in the mirror. There were a couple of long seconds where the two of them stared at each other in silence.

“Hello?” Thomas finally managed to get out.

Panic. There was suddenly horribly intense panic in the child’s eyes, the likes of which Thomas had never seen before. Thomas could only blink dumbly as he hopped to his feet like his seat was suddenly made of hot coals and then threw himself across the room to the opposite side from Thomas.

He looked around himself, back to the wall and considered Thomas with wildly spooked eyes. Clearly, he realized that he was pinned in Logan’s room by Thomas being in the door.

The boy dropped suddenly and disappeared under Logan’s bed.

 “Uh,” Thomas said, confused and shocked and still a bit in pain from seeing that piece of jewelry in use. He crossed slowly over to the bed and bent down to look under it, moving the bed skirt slightly to the side. He saw a small shaking blob curled up into itself under the bed. “Um, hi,” he said softly.

The blob did not respond except to continue shaking.

Thomas frowned and settled himself onto the floor. “It’s okay,” he said softly. Had he been here stealing things? Thomas had to wonder as he wasn’t sure why someone here for legitimate reasons would be acting so terrified of being caught. Though, that posed the question of how he’d gotten past the guards, and why Logan hadn’t noticed him. “I’m not mad,” Thomas said. “You’re fine.”

The boy looked up briefly from his knees looking terrified. Thomas tried to smile at him gently, but that just made him hunch into himself more, his breathes coming faster. That wasn’t good.

“No, shh,” Thomas said softly. “It’s okay. I promise it’s okay.” He did not seem to believe him, and Thomas winced. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t just leave him here but trying to talk him down himself didn’t seem to be working.

Luckily, a familiar voice spoke from behind him then. “Dad?” Logan asked.

Thomas looked back at him. Both Logan and Patton were standing at the door, a couple of pieces of jewelry in their hands. They seemed very surprised to see him.

“You… seem to have a guest,” Thomas informed them.

 “I…” Logan said, beginning to edge into the room like he was expecting something to blow up at any moment. “Yes.” He got to Thomas and squeezed himself between him and the bed, putting a physical barrier between Thomas and the boy. Confused, Thomas took a couple of steps away without challenge. “That,” Logan glanced behind him. Patton had moved to the opposite side of the bed from Logan and Thomas and had gotten to his knees to look under it. “That is Virgil.”

Thomas blinked at him. “Virgil?” he asked.

“He’s… new to the castle,” Logan explained. Patton started speaking softly the boy, but Thomas could not make anything he said out. “Patton and I… invited him to a sleepover.”

“The guards didn’t mention anything,” Thomas said, sure that they would have warned him if there was a stranger in the royal wing.

“Uh, well, Virgil is… shy and we didn’t think you’d be back for another week. So, we snuck him past them.”

“Shy?” Thomas asked doubtfully. That was a lot more than shy.

“Particularly of adults,” Logan said.

Thomas took a moment to let that sink in. “Oh.” He was… scared of adults. Thomas could imagine many reasons why that might be the case and none of them set well. “I see.”

“Hey, no, sweetie, stop that,” Patton said, sounding distressed. Patton had managed to draw Virgil out from underneath the bed, though they were both still mostly hidden behind it and Thomas had no question in his mind that if he went to step towards them, Virgil would be back underneath it in a moment. Currently the boy seemed to be clawing at his own head. “No, baby shh,” Patton said, trying to stop him from tearing the pinned in hairpiece out, Thomas realized. “I’ll get it out,” Patton promised him. “Just calm down and let me do it.” He sounded close to tears, and Thomas couldn’t particularly blame him with the way the boy was acting. “You’re hurting yourself, baby.”

He must know, Thomas realized. If Logan had known he was here, then he must have allowed him to use that hairpiece. He’d probably even told Virgil that it belonged to his dead father. Now he was probably terrified that Thomas would be mad at him for touching it, especially when he’d come in to find Virgil alone without Logan to explain.

Patton managed to get all the pins undone and placed the piece delicately on the bed before wrapping himself protectively around the boy and hushing him.

Logan was looking back at them as well. He looked between the puddle of upset on the floor and Thomas. “Could…” he said. “Could I maybe come and see you in a few minutes, Dad?”

“Of course,” Thomas said. “Of course, I’ll go wait in my room. Take as much time as you need.”

He was careful to move slowly as he stepped towards the door, so the poor thing didn’t notice him move and mistake it for him approaching. He closed Logan’s bedroom door softly behind him feeling even more drained than he’d been before as well as anxious and a bit sickened. He went to his own bedroom to wait for Logan.

  Chapter 20

Logan let out a slow breath as his father closed the door behind him. That could have been very, very bad. He turned his attention to Virgil and Patton. Patton had curled himself around Virgil as much as physically possible and had tucked the boy’s head under his chin.

Logan slowly rounded the bed and knelt in front of them. “It’s alright,” Logan said, cautiously moving to put a hand on his shoulder. Virgil didn’t pull away. “I asked him to leave. It’s alright.”

Virgil tilted his head slightly too look at him. Logan rubbed a circle into his back as he slowly got control of his breath.

 Logan smiled softly at him and reached out to touch his cheek with a gentle hand. “You… didn’t hurt him. You didn’t even try to hurt him.”

Virgil shook his head.

“Why not?” Logan asked curiously. “It was a perfect opportunity.”

“Promised Patton,” Virgil mumbled, and the idea that perhaps the thing that had saved his father’s life was a pinky promise just about gave Logan a migraine, but then Virgil ducked his head. “And it would make you sad.”

“I see,” Logan said, heart in his throat.

Virgil kept looking towards the floor, his eyes starting to fill with tears again. “Are you going to turn me in now?”

 He was shaking and barely holding back a fresh wave of tears. Logan knew of course that no one would hurt him here if he turned him in to his father and the guards, but he also knew that Virgil would be terrified if he did so. He was already terrified. Logan didn’t want to know what he thought the fate Logan would be condemning him to.

“No,” Logan said before he could even truly think it through. “No, I’m not.”

“You’re not?” Virgil asked.

“Well, there wouldn’t really be a point, would there?” Logan asked. “The reason we planned to turn you when father got back in is because you posed a danger to him, but you have just demonstrated that is no longer an issue.”

 “Really?” Virgil asked, sniffling a bit and Logan saw Patton’s arms tighten even more around him.

“We will have to figure out a better cover for you than just that you’re new to the castle, but I believe it will work fine. No one besides the two of us would ever guess your origin anyway.”

“S-so I can stay?” Virgil asked, “and you won’t throw me into prison or execute me?”

“I promise you were never going to be executed Virgil,” Logan said. “Even if we turned you in, but yes you can stay with us. We’ll figure out a backstory for you that doesn’t involve assassinations and you’ll have to keep up the lie, but I doubt anyone will question it.”

 “I’ll do whatever you want,” Virgil said, chocked up. “Thank you. I really didn’t want to go.”

“Well, you’re our friend now so there will be no going anywhere,” Patton said kissing him on the cheek. Virgil relaxed back into his hold, pleased with the affection.

Logan smiled at them both. “Can I see your wrists, Virgil?”

Virgil blinked but offered them and Logan tapped the restraints doing a quick incantation. They popped off after a moment.

“You’re letting me go?” Virgil asked, eyes wide.

“Of course,” Logan said. “We’re not just going to keep you prisoner for no reason.”

 “That’s…” Virgil said, eyes watering as he clearly was trying not to cry. “You’re the best people I’ve ever met.”

“I wish that was not so clearly the case,” Logan replied. He slowly reach up and set a hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to go speak with my father. Patton will stay with you.”

“Okay,” Virgil agreed, seeming a bit hesitant.

Logan smiled softly and leaned forward to gently touch their foreheads together. “I will be right back,” he assured. “We will finish our slumber party, though perhaps we will table the rest of the dress up activity for another night.”

 He stood then, leaving Virgil in Patton’s capable hands to exit his own bedroom and cross the hallway to his father’s. He took a brief moment to compose himself before knocking on the door.

“Come in,” his father called.

Logan opened the door to see his father sitting on one of the armchairs in his room. Despite the almost disaster that had taken place a few minutes ago, Logan found himself smiling at the man. It was nice to have him home.

“Sorry about that,” Father said.

“It was more my fault than yours. If I knew there was a risk of you coming home today, I wouldn’t have left him alone.”

 “Is he alright?”

“I believe so,” Logan answered. “Patton is with him and will certainly smooth out any lingering distress.”

“Good,” his dad said. “That’s good.” There was a pause and then he gestured at the seat beside his.

Logan settled himself down on it. “How was your trip?” he asked. “You’re back a week early.”

“Yes,” Father said. “The trip went better and worse than anticipated.

“How so?” asked Logan curiously.

“Well,” Dad said. “The purpose of the trip was to convince the new queen of Lamir, Cecil not to ally with Mocnejsi, but by the time I’d arrived there wasn’t really a risk of that.”

 “Why not?”

“After investigation, it turned out that Cecil’s mother had been poisoned by an assassin from Mocnejsi.”

“Oh,” Logan said, mind already racing.

“They figured out that one of the young women who had been hired on in the kitchen for the winter had done it, and had learned her origin when they questioned her,” Dad informed him. “Considering Cecil was immediately approached for an alliance with Mocnejsi, their aim was likely to manipulate her going forward because of how young she is. Luckily, Cecil is a smart girl and has the help of her mother’s advisor as well as her own. By the time I got there, my only real role was to extend my condolences and reaffirm out alliance. I would have stayed longer, but the possibility that Mocnejsi may think to attack us in a similar way hastened me home.”

 “That…” Logan said. “That is wise. I assume you are going to institute more security.”

“I am, yes,” Dad replied. “I would like your input on plans in the coming day.”

“Of course,” Logan agreed.

Dad smiled at him, “But for now,” he said, “I think it’s time you get back to your slumber party and I get to finally go to sleep.”

Logan nodded and got to his feet. He leaned over to hug his father perhaps a bit longer and harder than was strictly necessary, but Dad did not seem to mind at all. “Goodnight,” Logan said.

“Goodnight, son.”

  Chapter 21

Virgil woke with something soft but kind of stringy in his face. That was weird. He didn’t know what in the closet would feel like that. In fact, as he woke more he noticed more things that he couldn’t sus out the origin of, particularly the warmth curled up against his side. Curious, he blinked open his eyes. Oh, right. Patton.

The soft stuff in his face was Patton’s hair and the warmth next to Virgil was the rest of the boy’s body. Patton had all but refused to let Virgil go last night after Logan had taken off the restraints and Virgil hadn’t minded the attention. They must have fallen asleep together in the piles of pillows and blankets on the floor.

 Virgil brushed his hair gently away, internally (for fear of disturbing him) shaking his head at him. He’d fallen asleep hallway on top of an assassin. He had no self-preservation instincts. He looked at his wrists. It seemed no one had any self-preservation instincts. This of course, included himself as instead of running off when free in case they decided to turn him in after all, he had fallen asleep on the floor with Patton too.

He looked to the side and saw Logan was already awake, reading on one of his chairs. He seemed to sense Virgil’s eyes on him because he looked up after a moment.

 “You can get up if you like,” Logan said. “He is a heavy sleeper and won’t wake up if you squirm out of his grip.”

Virgil frowned, unsure if he wanted to risk it.

“I have breakfast ready for you.”

Okay, Virgil was going to risk it.

He carefully squirmed out of Patton’s grip, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead in apology for leaving him before getting to his feet.

Logan handed him a plate of eggs and toast when he walked over and gestured to the chair next to him. Virgil sat there to eat while Logan continued to read.

 Virgil ate his food quickly, and then glanced over at Logan once he was done. Virgil was honestly at a bit of a loss. Usually, they came and got him out of the closet only once they were ready to do something, but Patton was still sound asleep on the floor and Logan looked engrossed in his book.

Virgil fidgeted slightly, unsure what he should be doing or even if he should be doing anything. Considering Logan hadn’t given him any instructions, he should probably not do anything. He didn’t want to screw up the first day of… whatever this was now.

 Logan glanced over at him after a few minutes. “Don’t forget about the potion,” he reminded.

Virgil nodded and stood, walking over to the closet since it would still be in there from the previous morning. It was about half gone now and it had gotten to the point where Virgil didn’t feel any immediate affects from it anymore other than some warmth. It basically just felt like drinking tea.

He said as much to Logan when he walked back over to him.

“That’s good,” Logan said, “it means it has been working. It has healed any damage it can from malnutrition. Any internal organs that were damaged should be mostly healed. You may even notice your eyesight getting slightly better. Your immune system should also be boosted. You will likely also find it is easier to gain muscle and while you likely will never be as tall as you could have been, you will likely still grow a few inches during your next growth spirt.”

 Virgil studied his hands where they were sitting on his thigh now as though he could see the changes that allegedly had already taken place in his body. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

“Of course,” Logan replied, eyes already back on his book like it was some normal thing and not a huge kindness he’d bestowed on Virgil before even really knowing him. As though Virgil didn’t just owe him more than just his life going forward.

They sat in silence then for a few more minutes, before the was a soft sigh from the floor and Patton started to wake. He sat up and looked around. His eyes landed on both Virgil and Logan sitting together and he seemed to light up.

 “Good morning!” he chirped.

“Good morning, Patton,” Logan said as Patton popped to his feet, “I have breakfast for you.”

“Thank you Lo,” Patton said, throwing his arms around Logan’s neck, and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Virgil presumed from the lack of surprise on Logan’s face that this was normal for morning Patton, not that the fact surprised him considering how night Patton acted.

He still managed to be somewhat surprised by the fact that Patton turned to hug Virgil a second later. Patton’s lips were pressed briefly to Virgil’s head and then he turned to grab the plate Logan had saved for him.

 “So, what are we doing today?” Patton asked.

“I was thinking Virgil and I could continue our reading lessons if he is not opposed,” Logan said. Virgil nodded, happy with that prospect. “Other than that, I have no plans. I have already spoken with my father before the two of you woke. He is going to spend most of his day catching up on things he missed and said I could take the rest of the day off royal duties.”

“A whole day to relax then!” Patton said, happily chewing on his toast. “Reading sounds fun, but we should do something more active too.”

 Logan hummed. “We can show Virgil the courtyard after the reading lessons,” he said.

It took a moment for it to register, but then Virgil froze. “Wait,” he said. “We’re going outside?”

Logan raised an eyebrow at him. “Yes.”

“So, we’re leaving your room?”

“Are you alright with that?” Logan asked cautiously.

Virgil nodded quickly.

“Oh,” Patton said at his enthusiasm. “I guess you have been cooped up a while, haven’t you?” He smiled sadly and turned to Logan. “Maybe we can do reading lessons in the garden.”

“That would be satisfactory.”

“Great!” Patton said. He looked over at Virgil. “If we’re going out, we should probably put your hair up and get you in some clean clothes.”

 Logan nodded. “You finish eating, and I will help Virgil find something to wear.”

Logan found him an outfit, though it was a bit baggy on Virgil and the hem of the shirt went halfway to his knees. When Patton finished breakfast, he sat Virgil down and carefully worked a brush through his hair.

“Can I braid it?” Patton asked.

Virgil hummed his consent. Having his hair brushed and done up by another person was a lot more enjoyable than he’d anticipated. He’d liked it when Logan did it the night before, though he had to very firmly push away thoughts of where that led.

 “Okay!” Patton said after a few moments. “You look good. Ready to go?”

Virgil nodded and they both led him out into the hall. He paused before they got to the door. “What about the guards?” he asked hesitantly.

“I’ve already given them the same story as I did Dad,” Logan replied. “They know you’re here.”

Virgil still hesitated.

“It’s okay,” Patton promised. “Here, hold my hand?”

Virgil took the offered hand immediately, and Logan stepped in front of them both. Virgil felt himself relax a bit knowing the prince was between him and the guards.

They led him to the door.

 Logan greeted both of the guards at the door, and they said good morning back. Both of them glanced at Virgil curiously for a moment making him shrink into himself, but they quickly averted their gazes.

Patton pulled him past them without incident and soon they were in the small dining hall Virgil had passed through his first night here. He remembered how he’d snuck around at the edges of the room in the shadows with the aim to kill the king, but now he was being pulled through the middle with the prince having just wandered past the royal guards in broad daylight like it was nothing.

 It was so strange, and Virgil still couldn’t totally believe this was happening. The retraced his exact steps back down the spiral stairs near the kitchen and out of the door he and the nice gardener had came through. He could even see the shed he’d been hiding in from here. With a blink, he remembered they were going to the garden, and he wondered if he’d see the man again.

For now, he just looked around them as Logan and Patton led him past the garden shed towards an area with many trees. Orange and yellow leaves were starting to fall from many of the trees.

 They made a satisfying crunching sound under his feet as he was led to a tree. He had seen the group of trees when he’d first arrived here and had even thought about hiding amongst them instead of in the shed, but they’d seemed scary in the dark. They were pretty in the daylight, however, and Virgil found himself tilting his head to watch the branches sway in the slight wind.

Logan sat down under it and pulled out a book and some writing materials from the bag he’d brought. Virgil settled down next to him so they could both look at the book at the same time and Patton flopped down on the other side, immediately setting to work tying fancy knots in the yarn he’d brought with him. Patton shuffled slightly to the side so they bumped shoulders as Logan opened the book and started Virgil’s reading lesson.

  Chapter 22

Patton bit his lip to keep from laughing or awing. “Do you like the flower, Virgil?” he asked.

Virgil glanced up at him briefly and then his eyes returned to the flower he’d found. “It’s nice,” he said.

They’d finished the reading lessons and let Virgil explore the garden a bit. He’d found a dark purple and yellow flower (a pansy, Patton thought) and seemed to be endlessly fascinated by it. He’d been staring at it for minutes now, almost as though he expected it to do something. Patton did not quite understand his interest, but he was still adorable.

 Logan sat next to him and the flower, smiling at him softly. “I imagine you’ll enjoy the garden in the spring,” Logan said. “There are many more flowers then. Of all types. We’ll have to show you all of the best spots. Mr. Deknis has a particularly good eye for colors, and it is always quite beautiful.”

“Who is Mr. Deknis?” Virgil asked.

“He’s the head gardener,” Logan said. “He’s a nice man, though a bit prickly when it comes to his garden. We may see him today if he’s in this part of the garden.”

“Would he have been the multrum I saw in the gardening shed when I hid there?”

 “Ah, yes, that would be him. I was unaware you interacted with anyone in the castle.”

“He caught me in his garden shed, but he wasn’t mean,” Virgil said, he tilted his head curiously at Logan. “Why…” he trailed off.

“Yes?” Logan asked.

“Why is he the gardener?”

Logan looked confused, “Well,” he said, “I guess because he wants to and is good at it.”

“No,” Virgil said with a frown. “I mean. Shouldn’t he… he’s…”

Logan seemed to think hard for a moment. “Right,” he said. “You’ve been under a blood compulsion. I’d guess you would have only worked with multrums in the military.”

 “I guess I didn’t realize that they could be other things…”

“Of course, they can,” Logan said. “Their abilities don’t make them any less of people. Mr. Deknis likes to garden so he gardens.”

Virgil blinked at him.

“…Of course, all things considered, that may not be a familiar concept to you.” Virgil turned back to look at the flower instead of answering. “Right,” said Logan.

There were a couple of awkward beats of silence. Patton bit his lip and happened to glance up. “Oh,” he said. “Speaking of Mr. Deknis.” He gestured to the gardener who was coming up the path between the trees.

 Logan sat up on his knees as Patton waved at him. He saw Patton and turned to walk towards them. “The two of you had better not be up to mischief in my garden,” Mr. Deknis called, his voice a bit gruff. He clearly did not see Virgil who had laid flat on his stomach to stare at the flower.

Logan rolled his eyes automatically. “We were just reading Mr. Deknis,” he said. “Your piles of dirt are safe.”

“No mud cakes?” Mr. Deknis asked skeptically still coming towards them.

“It has been a literal decade…”

Patton saw when Mr. Deknis was close enough to see Virgil.

 He stopped in his track and looked down at Virgil who was already watching him a bit warily. “Hello,” he said, his voice a lot softer than it’d been a few moments before. His expression completely flipped in a moment to something very gentle when he saw Virgil and the cautious look on his face. Virgil did seem to have that effect on people.

“Hi,” Virgil replied.

Mr. Deknis looked at Logan and then at Patton and then back at Virgil. “This is our new friend, Virgil,” Patton offered.

“Hello, Virgil,” Mr. Deknis said with a nod.

“Virgil, this is the gardener Mr. Deknis.”

 “He’s not nearly as grumpy as he sounds,” Patton assured.

“Well,” Logan said, “yes he is.”

Mr. Deknis shot him a look that only served to prove Logan’s point if Patton was being honest. Logan just smiled back. Mr. Deknis apparently decided to let it slide because he turned back to Virgil.

“It’s good to see you again,” Mr. Deknis said. “Are you feeling better?”

Virgil nodded. “I’m a lot better,” he said. Mr. Deknis considered him for a moment, clearly reading how true that statement was. Patton was glad he seemed satisfied with the answer.

“I see you’ve met these two.”

 “Yeah,” Virgil said.

Mr. Deknis smiled slightly. “Be careful with this one,” he said, pointing to Logan. “He’s a bad influence.”

Virgil frowned in confusion. “He’s the prince,” he pointed out.

“And a bad influence,” Mr. Deknis repeated. “He’s a beacon of irresponsibility and mischief and he corrupts that one,” he nodded to Patton.

“I am completely responsible,” Logan replied.

“Need I remind you of the cucumber incident.”

“I was 8,” Logan said.

“I know how old you were,” Mr. Deknis replied, “and you are hardly any older.”

“I resent that.”

Mr. Deknis just smiled and turned back to Virgil who was watching the interaction with pure curiosity.

 “I just picked a few more of those apples for Patton’s mom to make into apple sauce. Would you kids like some?”

Virgil glanced over at Logan and Patton.

“That would be nice, thank you,” Patton replied for them all, standing up. Seeing that, Virgil also climbed to his feet.

“It’s back this way,” Mr. Deknis said, inclining hid head back the way he’d came and then turning to lead them that way. Patton followed him. He glanced back to see Logan put his hand on Virgil’s shoulder and give him a gentle push to get him going. “So, what are you kids up to today?”

 “We wanted to show Virgil the garden and courtyard,” Patton said. “He’s been cooped up inside for a bit.”

“I see,” Mr. Deknis said. He glanced back at Virgil. “Feel free to come out in the garden anytime you like. As long as you don’t go about purposefully destroying stuff, I don’t mind you being out here.”

“I won’t destroy anything,” Virgil promised instantly.

“Well I hope you manage to keep that attitude even while befriending the large upright groundhog behind you.”

Virgil looked a little bit nervous. “He’s just teasing Virgil,” Patton assured. “He loves Logan.”

Mr. Deknis glanced back again and seemed to read the same thing Patton had read on Virgil’s face.

 “Yes, of course,” Mr. Deknis said. “I have simply known the prince for a long time and joke with him in that way often. Logan is aware of that.”

“Indeed,” Logan agreed, his hand squeezing a bit on Virgil’s shoulder. Virgil relaxed a touch.

Mr. Deknis stopped and reached down into a bucket next to a tree. “I wouldn’t offer my apples to people I don’t like,” he said, tossing an apple underhand to Logan. Instead of trying to catch it, his eyes widened and he dodged out of the way.

“You would however throw apples at them despite knowing they have never been able to catch things.”

 Mr. Deknis just rolled his eyes fondly, but Virgil frowned and turned to Logan. “You don’t know how to catch things?” he asked scandalized. “You should know how to catch things. What if someone throws a knife at you?”

Mr. Deknis looked… probably the right amount of concerned about that statement coming from a 14-year-old’s lips.

“Haha, yeah,” Patton said awkwardly. “Maybe you can teach Logan how to catch things Virgil, but later. Right now, why don’t we just get the apples and then show you the courtyard.”

Virgil was still frowning, but he did not argue with Patton’s suggestion.

 Thankfully, Mr. Deknis did not push, though Patton did have to dodge many a meaningful side eye. He might… need to make sure he did not get cornered by the gardener in the coming days… or brush up on his lying without lying skills.

For now, though, he just handed out the apples, not tossing them this time. Virgil thanked him softly and Patton could see the way the usually fairly gruff man went all melty at that. He even slipped an extra apple to Virgil for later which Virgil perked up at.

Patton and Logan pulled him away gently after that so Mr. Deknis could go back to work, but Virgil seemed happy with the apples and copied Patton at waving goodbye to him cheerfully.

Despite the fact that he liked Mr. Deknis and he’d been nice, Patton still took a calming breath when they were no longer at risk of lying about something and getting caught by the man’s powers. They went back into the castle towards the courtyard.

  Chapter 23

Logan was unsurprised that after showing Virgil the large courtyard, Patton almost immediately decided to instigate a game of tag. They were, after all, here with the goal of getting Virgil a bit active after having had him only in Logan’s room for weeks.

He was also unsurprised that Virgil seemed confused about the concept of tag, and Patton had to explain the game in detail to him.

It made him wince, but he still was unsurprised when Virgil went about inquiring after the consequences of losing the game.

He was, however, very surprised when, after getting all of the facts about tag settle, Patton was chasing after Virgil trying to tag him and suddenly the boy disappeared.

 Patton almost ran into a wall in his confusion. He stared at his hands stretched out and just a couple of inches from touching the wall for a moment, before slowly looking up.

“Virgil!” Patton exclaimed. “What?”

“What?” he asked.

“…What are you even hanging onto?”

“The wall,” Virgil replied.

Logan walked closer to the two of them and tilted his head up to look at him. Virgil had jumped up and somehow managed to find hand and foot holes on the seemingly smooth wall. He climbed about 5 meters above their heads and was peering down at them curiously.

 “Okay,” Logan said. “New rule. Virgil is not allowed to scale walls during tag.”

Virgil frowned down at him. “Why only me?”

“Because Patton and I cannot do that anyway,” Logan said. “We would not be able to actually play if you remain up there.”

Patton glanced over at him and reached over to touch Logan’s shoulder. “No tag backs,” he said. Logan glared at him. “Why don’t you come down sweetie?”

“But Logan will tag me,” he said.

“Well, honey, that’s part of the fun,” Patton reasoned. “Don’t you want to try being it?”

Virgil seemed to consider this for a long moment. “Okay,” he agreed.

 To Logan’s terror, he simply let go of the wall, falling straight down and landing crouched. He blinked at Logan. Right. With a start, Patton took off, so he’d have a head start. “No tag backs means a 10 second head start for me,” Logan reminded. Virgil nodded, and Logan reached out to poke him in the arm before immediately running off in the opposite direction as Patton.

Logan’s strategy worked out since, knowing he couldn’t go after Logan for a few seconds more, he chose to turn and go after Patton. After finding one of the statues to hide behind on the edge of the courtyard, Logan risked glancing back.

 Virgil was faster than Logan (and likely Patton) had accounted for. Patton had gotten a good head start on him, but Virgil closed it quickly. Patton shrieked as Virgil barreled into him, bringing them both to the ground.

“Virgil!” Logan heard Patton giggle. Logan figured he was more than okay despite the tackle. “This isn’t how you play tag!”

“I combined tag and tackle hugs,” Virgil declared, making Patton giggle more.

“That’s very innovative, honey,” Patton said. “Now are you going to let me up?...Virgil… I’m counting down your 10 second head start in my head, and if you don’t let me up I’m going to tag you again.”

 This did not seem to have the intended effect as Virgil did not remove himself from Patton’s person. Patton laugh when it became clear he was not going to move and began counting down “7, 6, 5, 4, you’d better let me go sweetie, or you’re going to get tagged again.” Virgil did not seem to care. “3, 2, 1.” Patton reached up and bopped him on the nose. “Tag!” he declared.

Logan was surprised when Virgil instantly jumped off Patton at that. He whipped around.

‘Oh,’ Logan thought as the boy’s eyes narrowed in on Logan immediately, ‘I see.’

 “Virgil was already halfway across the courtyard towards him before Logan could even think about running away. There was no way that he was fast enough to outrun him. Perhaps he could outthink him, he thought. His eyes scanned his environment in the seconds he had left and landed on a large square piece of stone that held flowers in the spring. It was just full of dirt now, but it was still about waist high. Perhaps if he kept that between them, he could outmaneuver him. He sprinted towards it and scrambled to the opposite side from where Virgil was heading.

 He really should not have been as surprised as he was that Virgil did not even slightly slow as he approached the planter box, instead grabbing ahold of the side of it and vaulting over it. Logan stumbled back, bracing for impact, but instead he just got a quick tap on the shoulder.

Logan blinked at him.

“I don’t know if you would be okay with tackle hugs,” he explained.

Logan considered him. “I would be okay with a nontackle hug.”

Virgil happily jumped forward to hug Logan, pressing his nose into Logan’s shoulder. Logan chuckled and patted the top of his head. “Six,” he said, “5, 4, 3…”

 Virgil bolted away suddenly, actually making Logan stumble a bit. He paused just out of reach of Logan, looking at him with anticipation. “2,1,” Logan finished with a raised eyebrow. He already knew he was being played with, but he indulged him by starting towards him. Virgil danced out of the way, eyes alight. Logan sighed. “Is this truly how it’s going to be?” he asked.

Virgil didn’t answer, but to watch him with wide, excited eyes.

“Fine,” Logan said. He dashed towards him again, only to have him continue to maneuver just out of Logan’s reach each time Logan went forward. He’d call it taunting if there was any sign of malice in it.

 They ran around the courtyard in spirts of Logan charging at him and Virgil expertly dodging. Eventually Patton came closer to them. Logan could tell that Virgil was aware of his presence, by how he glanced back at him briefly, but considering he was not ‘it,’ it seemed he chose to disregard him. However, he was not aware of the way Patton winked at Logan as he walked up behind Virgil.

Logan, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening. He went to spring for Virgil again, and Virgil again moved to dodge, but this time Patton grabbed him around the waist, allowing Logan to actually tag him.

 He turned slowly to face Patton who started to giggle immediately at the perplexed look on his face. It cleared into something else as soon as he heard Patton laugh. “Traitor!” he claimed. “We were on the same team and you betrayed me.”

“I just thought we should probably have mercy on poor Logan,” Patton replied.

“Hmm,” Virgil said, eyes again full of that playful mischief Logan had not seen until today. “Plea for mercy not accepted.”

Patton once again half-shrieked half-laughed as he was pounced on. The two of them went rolling across the grass, Virgil clearly keeping the rolling going longer than it should have as they made it a good few meters.

 Virgil sprung off of him a few moments later.

“Oh, is it my turn?” Patton inquired with a huge smile. He slowly got to his feet. “Hmm, I’m probably at about 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!” He took off after Virgil, but Patton had a bit more endurance than Logan, so instead of doing quickly calculated lunges at Virgil as Logan had done, he just ran at him full tilt without stopping.

Virgil ran from him, though Logan was pretty sure he was intentionally slowing himself down a bit so Patton had some amount of a chance. He kept turning to check behind him and make sure Patton was still somewhat close as he ran.

Which is why he didn’t see the imminent disaster in time.

  Chapter 24

Thomas should have been paying more attention, but his mind had been on the meeting he’d just had with the castle guards about increased security in the wake of the possible threat from Mocnejsi. He’d decided to take a brief walk around the courtyard to clear his head but was still distracted with mulling over the options that had just been presented to him. He stepped into the castle courtyard and did not have time to step out of the way of the much smaller body rocketing towards him. Virgil slammed into his front, but not before Thomas got a good look at his face.

 Virgil’s expression changed dramatically in the few seconds between him registering Thomas was there and running into him. For the briefest moment, Thomas could see that he must have been having a lot of fun. He’d caught the wide smile and sparkling eyes as Virgil turned his head back from looking at Patton who was chasing him across the greenery. He’d looked very happy which made it all the more painful to see that happiness die in and a few instants. When his head had turned back towards Thomas, there was a flicker of confusion at something being in his path.

 Then, clearly everything about the situation registered, because his eyes blew wide in horror as he tried to stop himself, but there was no way he’d be able to in time. Thomas saw that fact register on his face the moment before he hit. Gone was any trace of happiness or joy in that split second. All that was left was dread that had no place anywhere near a children’s game of tag. It was the expression Thomas would expect from someone who felt ice give way under their feet in the middle of a lake they had thought was frozen solid.

 He hit hard, but he wasn’t nearly big enough to actually harm Thomas. Thomas was thrown slightly off balance but managed to stay on his feet. He reached out a hand to his shoulder automatically to steady the child. There was a moment of pseudo calm where they both absorbed the impact and stilled.

Then, the boy’s shoulder slipped out of Thomas’s grip as he went crashing to the ground in a move that made Thomas wince for the state of his knees. Thomas couldn’t quite grasp what was happening for a moment as Virgil face planted onto the ground in front of him, but when he did, Thomas couldn’t help but flinch and take a step back from him.

 Thomas had been bowed to before, of course, seeing as he was a king, but this was not out of respect or courtesy or even just tradition. This was out of terror. He was begging for mercy and it made Thomas feel sick.

“I’m sorry,” he said, meek and shaky into the ground, and there was almost something worse about the fact that he did not beg for forgiveness with his words, but only his posture. The way his breathes came far too quick and shallow said he was likely on the verge of a panic attack, but he was not blubbering through apologies or even not speaking at all. He gave a clear, if shaky, apology, and waited for whatever he thought Thomas planned to do to him. There was no way that was not learned.

 “You don’t…” Thomas stuttered. “You don’t have to do that. It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again, but he reacted in no other way. He did not even react when Patton made it to his side and knelt down next to him. Patton’s hand hovered over his back, clearly wanting to touch down, but he pulled back on that instinct.

“Virgil, honey,” he said softly. “It’s okay. No one is mad. It was an accident.”

Virgil did not react to this at all.

Thomas caught Logan’s eye as he hurried over to them himself. “Sorry,” Thomas mouthed. Logan just nodded and turned his attention to his friend.

 “There is no reason for any of that,” Logan said, his voice firm, almost clipped. “You are not in trouble. Now sit up.”

Virgil did respond to that, slowly shifting back on his knees. He kept his head down looking at the ground. “Sorry,” he said again.

“I…” Thomas said, surveying the three kids on the ground in front of him. Thomas slowly sunk to the ground to be at their level. Virgil was tracking his movements out of the corner of his eyes, his head still bowed and his shoulders tensed. “Hey,” Thomas said softly. “Were you three playing tag?”

 Virgil hesitated, eyes flickering as he debated whether he should respond or not.

“Yeah, we were,” Patton answered for him after a moment of stressful silence.

“Well that’s fun,” Thomas said. “I’m sorry for interrupting the three of you. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Virgil glanced up at him for just a moment before looking away again. Patton apparently felt it was safe enough to touch Virgil, because he settled a hand on the boys shoulder.

“Yeah, we’ve just been having a fun day,” Patton said, carefully matching Thomas’s light tone. “We went to the garden and did some reading. Then, Mr. Deknis gave us some apples.”

 “That’s nice,” Thomas replied. “He’s been talking about the new apples he’s been growing. He’s been working on them for years and they’re just beginning to bare fruit this year. I haven’t gotten a chance to try any yet. Are they any good?”

“They’re very good,” Patton told him. His hand rubbed slowly on Virgil’s back. “Isn’t that right, Virge?”

Virgil nodded a bit, a little less tense now, but still nowhere near calm.

“Well, I’ll have to try them soon,” Thomas said with a smile. “Thank you for the information. Now, I’ve got to get back to what I’m doing, but I hope you three have a good day.”

 “I’ll see you later, Dad,” Logan said.

Thomas nodded and pushed himself to his feet. “Goodbye you three,” he said before turning away towards the door back into the castle. He paused to take a breath when the door closed behind him, cutting off the courtyard. There were a lot of thoughts to shirt through in regards to that conversation. He hated that Virgil was so obviously terrified of him. Both of their two interactions had ended with the poor thing panicking on the ground. He wished he had some idea of how to help him or at least someone to talk to about it.

Maybe he’d go visit Mr. Deknis himself and not just for the apples.

  Chapter 25

“Alright,” Patton said, pressing a kiss to Virgil’s forehead. “I’ve got to go back to my room for the night. Will you two be okay?”

“We’ll be fine,” Logan said. “It won’t be particularly different than the last two weeks.”

Patton nodded and leaned to the side to squeeze Virgil in another hug. He’d been clingy since the incident in the courtyard, and Virgil had been appreciative considering he was still pretty shaky from it. He was still surprised he’d touched the king of Prijaznia (let alone ran into him) and lived to tell the tale.

“Goodnight, Pat,” Virgil said because he was pretty sure he wouldn’t leave if Virgil didn’t.

 “Night Virge,” Patton said with a smile before standing up from where they’d been sitting on the ground. He reached over to hug Logan who was sitting on a chair. “Night Lo! Put the book down and go to bed.”

Logan looked up from his book with a frown.

“It’s almost midnight,” Patton scolded.

Logan sighed and set his book down. “Very well,” he agreed. “We will get ready for bed.”

“You better! I’m going to come and wake you up early in the morning.”

“Early in the morning for you is 9am,” Logan scoffed.

Patton stuck his tongue out at him as he walked backwards out of the door.

 Logan gave his book a mournful look once the door closed and Virgil almost giggled. “I won’t tell on you,” he said.

Logan thought about it for a few moments. “No,” he finally said. “We should probably get some sleep.”

Virgil nodded and pushed himself to his feet.

“We should probably both take a bath after sitting in the dirt today,” Logan said. “Do you want to go first or should I?”

“Don’t care,” Virgil answered.

“You can go first,” Logan offered.

Virgil felt himself smile. “You just want to finish the chapter in that book,” he accused.

“Perhaps,” Logan conceded.

 Virgil just grinned and walked over to his closet to grab one of the outfits he’d been given for pajamas. He chose a pair of baggy shorts that went past his knees and the huge soft black sweater Logan had found in the back of his closet. He headed into the bathroom, noting Logan had already picked up his book again.

Logan may have declared the both of them dirty enough for bathing a few minutes before, but Virgil was cleaner than he thought he’d ever been before coming to the castle. Logan had taught him how to use the tub and what soaps to use for what a couple of days after he’d arrived and had suggested he clean himself regularly.

 Virgil didn’t mind. The tub was enchanted to warm the water inside of it and Virgil loved it. Though, that had the negative affect of making it very difficult to leave.

He cleaned himself up quickly, so he’d have a few minutes to just sit in the water before he felt like he needed to get out and let Logan have a turn. He changed into his pajamas, pulling the crescent shaped protection charm out of his day clothes pocket and storing the warm to the touch stone in the short pocket. He used the clip Patton had made it to pin it to the cloth to make sure he wouldn’t lose it.

 Logan was engrossed in his reading by the time that Virgil exited the bathroom. He did not look up as Virgil approached.

“Your turn,” Virgil said to him.

Logan clearly just barely managed to tear his eyes away from the book. “Right,” he said. “Yes.”

“The book will be there in the morning,” Virgil reminded.

“I know,” said Logan sadly as he set the book aside.

Logan never took much time in the bath, so Virgil quickly went about getting ready for bed the rest of the way. He put his day clothes in the basket Logan had for that purpose and started to straighten out the blankets and pillows in the closet.

 He heard Logan come back into the room a few minutes later.

“Virgil,” Logan said. “What are you doing?”

Virgil looked over at him. “Getting ready for bed,” he answered, confused.

Logan frowned at him. “You don’t sleep in the closet anymore,” Logan said. “That’s only for when we were worried you might escape.”

“Oh,” Virgil said blinking over at him. “Right.” He felt a slight pulling at his chest. He liked the closet. It was warm and soft. Patton had taken a lot of care with how he’d arranged all of the pillows and blankets. It was the best place he could ever remember having to sleep in his life. Yet, he did not argue. He knew getting to sleep out in the open was supposed to be a reward and he wasn’t about to reject it.

 Virgil stood and closed the closet. He tugged on the bottom of his sweater, stretching the fabric between his hands as he watched Logan pull down the covers of his bed and settle down onto it. Cautiously he walked over towards the bed. He wasn’t sure where he should lay down exactly. He dithered for a moment before bending down to sit on the floor near the right side of Logan’s bed and then laying down.

There was shuffling on the bed above him and then Logan’s head popped over the side to squint down at him. “On the bed Virgil,” he said.

 Virgil looked up at him in shock. “But it… I’m…” He trailed off and there were a few seconds of silence.

“It is just a bed Virgil,” Logan said.

But it wasn’t ‘just’ anything. Virgil was pretty sure touching the bed of a royal family member without permission would be considered a capital offence. At least, it would in Mocnejsi. Yet, Logan was expecting him to just… crawl into it?

“Please just get up here,” Logan said. Virgil’s caution at touching something he was definitely sure he should not be allowed to be touching wared with his resolve to repay his literal life debt to Logan by doing whatever he wanted.

 Feeling honestly a bit sick to his stomach, Virgil slowly pushed himself back to his feet. Logan scooted back over to the left side of the bed, and Virgil cautiously sat down on the empty side of the bed. After a second of hesitation he slowly laid down, his head hitting a soft fluffy pillow. He jumped when Logan flopped the covers on top of both of them.

Virgil took a long moment to absorb the situation while Logan took off his glasses and reached over to turn off the light next to him. He’d never slept in a bed before, or if he had he’d been too young to remember. In the orphanage there was a lack of actual beds due to overcrowding and there had always been someone bigger and stronger that Virgil didn’t dare fight for the use of them. During training, none of the kids had a bed. Only a few of the higher ups had ones at the more permanent training sites. There were very few situations where any of the assassins, at least a Virgil’s level, would be allowed to touch a real bed.

 The light switched off, plunging them into darkness.

“Is this…?” Virgil said, eyes still pointed towards the ceiling even though his eyes had not adjusted to the darkness enough to be able to see it. “Do you want… things?”

“Things?” Logan asked.

Virgil did not move his head, but he did reach over and put his hand slightly above Logan’s knee. Logan didn’t move, so Virgil slid his hand up.

Virgil’s wrist was grabbed immediately and pulled firmly away from Logan’s inner thigh. He did not let go afterwards, his fingers squeezing hard, but not quite painfully. “Never,” Logan said, his voice harsher than it had ever been even on the day when Virgil was nothing more than an intruder with deadly intent. “Never offer anything like that to anyone ever again.”

 “I was just…”

“I know what you were doing,” Logan said, voice icy, “and it inadmissible. Never offer that again for anything. Do you understand me?”

“I... yes.”

“Promise me.”

Virgil took a short moment to think. “I promise,” he agreed.

“Good,” Logan said, releasing his hand. His voice got softer too. “Good.”

They were silent for a long time after that, though Virgil had no delusions that Logan had fallen asleep. He could almost feel the tension.

“Sorry,” Virgil finally said softly.

“It’s not something you should be apologizing for,” Logan replied. The bed moved as Logan shifted and a hand lightly touched the top of his head. “Just… never.”

 “Okay,” Virgil said. He shifted slightly after a moment until his head was in the crook of Logan’s arm. Logan brushed the hair out of his face with the hand that had been on his head.

“Goodnight Virgil,” Logan said.

“Goodnight,” Virgil responded. They were quiet after that, though Virgil was still awake for a while yet and Logan’s hand slowly stroked through his hair for a while. Eventually though, Virgil relaxed into mattress. He stuck his hand into his pocket and curled it around the charm in his pocket. The bed was nice, he thought. It was soft and warm… and safe. He finally fell asleep.

  Chapter 26

Patton did their new special knock on the door so Logan and Virgil would know it was just him and they didn’t need to hide the fact that Virgil was sleeping in the prince’s room. He didn’t wait for a response, however, and just shoved open the door. He was surprised to see that Logan was not already out of bed and wondered for a moment if he had broken his promise stayed up way too late reading like he was sometimes known to do. Yet, then, Logan spoke from the bed. “I’m awake,” he called.

Confused, Patton stepped into the room. Logan wasn’t one for lazing around in bed; usually he was out of bed the moment he woke.

 He stepped over to the bed and had to stifle a smile when he recognized the problem. Logan was awake, but Virgil was still sleeping, and he was half on top of Logan, his arms wrapped around him.

“Why don’t you just squirm out of his arms like you do me?” Patton asked, keeping his voice low.

“He isn’t like you,” Logan said. He did not bother to quiet himself at all.

“What do you mean?” Patton asked amused.

In answer, Logan started to move as though to squirm out of Virgil’s death grip on him. In response, Virgil made a pitiful mewling sound in his sleep that landed like a piercing blow straight to the heart. Logan stopped moving immediately and Virgil shifted to grip Logan tighter.

 “Aw!” Patton said.

“It’s not cute,” Logan insisted. “I’ve been stuck for hours and I have to pee.”

Patton chuckled. “Alright, alright, I’ll save you.” He rounded the bed to Virgil’s side and crawled up on it. “Virgil, honey,” he entreated softly. “I think it’s time for me to get cuddles so Lo can get up.” Patton softly touched Virgil’s shoulder and pulled at him gently. He reached forward to carefully pry Virgil’s arms off of Logan.

Virgil made a more confused than heartbreaking sound this time, turning towards Patton so Patton could wrap his arms around him. Logan managed to scoot towards the edge of the bed.

39448

Logan made it off the bed and dashed towards the bathroom as Virgil’s arms came around Patton and squeezed. Patton laughed and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. After a few moments, Virgil’s eyes started to flicker a bit.

“Good morning, honey,” Patton said softly. “Did you sleep good?”

He hummed sleepily. “Beds are nice,” he said. Patton felt a slight pang at that because it implied he didn’t get to sleep in beds very much, but he chose to shove that aside.

“They are,” Patton agreed. Virgil’s eyes started to close again. “Honey,” Patton laughed. “I think it’s time to wake up now.”

 Virgil made a sleepy whining sound, squeezing Patton tighter. “Don’t you want breakfast?” Patton asked. That question managed to make Virgil open his eyes again. “I was thinking we could go down to the kitchen to eat that way it’s nice and fresh and I can introduce you to Mama real quick.” He neglected to mention the fact that they really did not have a choice. Mr. Deknis had blabbed to Mama about Virgil, and worse, had apparently mentioned that Virgil was skinny. As soon as he’d gotten home yesterday, he’d been met with an already worked up Mama firmly insisting that she meet Virgil sometime today.

 He wasn’t going to tell Virgil that though, because he thought it might scare him away from both Mama and Mr. Deknis.

Virgil thought about the prospect of breakfast for a long moment. “Fine,” he agreed. “I’ll be awake.”

“Good,” Patton said. He reached up to bop him on the nose. Virgil narrowed his eyes and then bopped him back making Patton giggle. He sat up then, and Virgil let him. “Let’s get you something to wear and do your hair,” Patton suggested. Virgil nodded and reluctantly got out of bed, just as Logan returned to the room. “We’re going to go downstairs for breakfast,” Patton told Logan. “That way Virgil can meet my mom.” He gave Logan a significant look and Logan nodded once in understanding that this was not a choice.

 Logan and Virgil got dressed, and Patton did Virgil’s hair up nice, before Patton led them out of the royal wing. They went down the main staircase instead of the spiral staircase that went right to the kitchen, mostly because it would be very busy, and Patton thought they should probably eat in the main dining room anyway. He could feel Virgil getting more anxious as they entered the busier part of the castle, and he stuck close to either Patton or Logan from the time they hit the top of the steps all the way to the main dining room.

 There were a few people in the dining room already eating breakfast when they arrived. Virgil’s curiosity seemed to temporarily overwhelm his anxiety as he looked around the large hall and at all of the people there. Patton looked around trying to see it through his eyes. He’d been running around this place since he was little, so he never really thought about how big the room was or how grandly it was decorated, but Virgil was just seeing it for the first time. Patton smiled at him as he guided him to one of the seats. There was already muffins on the table so Patton grabbed one and plopped it in front of Virgil.

 Virgil frowned down at the muffin dubiously. “You just… keep food out in the open?” he asked.

Right.

“It’s fine, Virgil,” Patton promised. “No one here would have put anything in it.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes and looked around at the other occupants of the room suspiciously.

“Honestly,” Logan said. “No one even knew we would be down here for breakfast. Nobody would just put something in random people’s food for no reason.”

Virgil gave him a look like he’d just told him people could in fact breathe under water. Virgil was really from a… whole different world, wasn’t he?

 “It’s really fine,” Patton said. “Logan and I have eaten things on the table like this a lot.”

“I’m surprised your not dead yet,” Virgil said.

Logan rolled his eyes and reached for a muffin. Virgil slapped it out of his hand and onto the floor. “Really?” Logan asked.

Virgil narrowed his eyes at him. “No eating unsecured food!”

“Virgil,” Logan groaned.

“I bet you don’t even know what common poisons taste like.”

“No,” Logan said. “I don’t because I don’t worry about being poisoned on a daily basis!”

“You should!”

People were starting to look over at them. Patton shot an awkward smile at the woman a few chairs down.

20285

“Just don’t eat the muffins Logan,” Patton said under his breath.

“I do not understand why-”

“Because it’s stupid as he-”

“Shush,” Patton commanded out of the corner of his mouth, “people are watching, and Virgil is just a normal castle resident.”

That shut the both of them up at least.

“No muffins for now,” Patton said. “I assume it’s okay to eat the things they bring straight from the kitchen.”

Virgil looked a bit leery of this still, but he nodded.

“Good,” Patton said, “then we’ll just wait for that to get here and then everyone will be happy, right?”

Logan opened his mouth and Patton turned to glare at him.

“Right?”

[hag-rambling-on]

Rewinxing Timeline Pre-Series

Keep in mind that between events and events can pass centuries. The average experience of a person is 10,000 years. and if you have magic and you know how to use it... Because I love Belgariad Chronicles so magic MAY makes you inmortal because yes.

WARNING: LONG. AND SURE I'M MISSING SOMETHING. OR CROSS SOMETHING. AGGG. MY HEAD.

And yes, in my rewinxing there is racism, selfishness, "human" idiocy and other nonsense. Why do The Ancestresses ALWAYS fight together?

PROTOHISTORY

Ethereals Fight - Big Bang

They actually do it two more times -Nobody says the must be AllIntelligents. So, Out Life, Big Bang Again.

They decide that they better stop and see what could happen to the result of their first and third fights: "life" they decide to call it, it would be interesting if it were allowed to develop.

Planets are formed, they become habitable.

The first intelligent creatures are born (Clariel -female human races, Carabossa -male elven races, Kristjana -female mermaid/triton races, Oros - male centaurs races, Ninfea -female pixies, Laufey -female gigant races, Danu- hermaphrodite selkies). They all talk funny. They all are old as dust.

TIME OF LEGENDS  - ANCIENT TIMES

Skips and happens a millennium or two of advance in all systems and their planets.

Magic flourishes. But technology also, the native giants of Xenia are particularly advanced in it.

Darkar, previously knows as Lord Argulus of Larisa, Fae of Birds (one now uninhabitable planet from Hercules, aka Domino system) borns.

All the Mythix members are born already.

Solarian witch Selemisa meets Lumeria and Lumen race (also, first Cosmix user).

Acheron, Wizard of Memories begin to writes the Legendarium.

The days of the groundhog begin.

The Ancestral Witches have born.

Mythix comes together and decides to confront Acheron and his allies.

The Legendarium is closed and the Mythix Ones get separated because people are scared of their association.

THE WAR - THE DARK AGE

Sparks (First Queen of the planet that would become Domino) has born.

Carabossa Acrypta, as soft as dangerous his thorns; finds, keeps safe and educates said the ancestral witches maybe too early in their magic.  

The InterRealm Wars starts. Nobody remembers anymore why - which is SHAMEFUL - because wars are stupid. Some energetic or magical resource. It will last for centuries.

Darkar gets both Morix and Shadow Phoenix Blessing.

Many of the planets and kingdoms reflected in the Legendarium no longer exist, Many histories and cultures that will be forgotten. Solaria, Andros and Romulea, among others, can boast they are ancient and have stood on their feet. But even they don't remember everything.

Many other planets, like Domino, Titania and Zenith, have flourished from the remains of previous ones.

The three witches begin to go “a little” crazy - Only Carabossa and his near ones know them at this point.

Darkar is one of the biggest detractors of peace. Something about "new beginnings". Most people take for granted that the Ethereal's blessing and the destruction of his planet drove him crazy.

Acrypta and Arcadia, along with other Mythix and Elders are offered position in the Golden Kingdom. Almost all reject. The Mythix faes and witches in the end they die by age, minus Arcadia because the Ethereals need someone who knews about the Legendarium and forces her. Ninfea escapes on a tiny technicality (but she can no longer move from Hike's remains), Laufey and Carabossa use their magic to go on the run and Danu melts into the Infinite Ocean [[So yes, the Council of Elders don’t actually likes that much the Ethereals but they are not foolish enough to be rude from the front]].

Somehow that includes that it’s the little bricks that make up a castle, the war actually ended. The Peace Accords are signed and their symbol is the Monastery of Roccaluce. Day celebrated on all planets.

The Council of Magic Realm is created with its headquarters in Monastery of Roccaluce in the rest of the planet Hike, Magix.

Alfea, Cloud Tower and Lymphea College are founded. There were already other schools being founded in each pleant, but these have the approval of the Council.

The connection of the Earth/Terra with the rest of the planets is cut abruptly JUST WHEN ALL THE AGREEMENTS WERE FINISHED AND after they played a significant role in the Peace Negotiations.

The Three Witches disappear. Along Darkar. They actually go to Omega and whatever Darkar teach the Three Witches, is such that the planet has been claiming the magic of the visitors to try sustain itself ever since.

MODERN AGE - NEW TIMES

The Major Earth Fairies (Morgana, Diana, Nebula, Sibylla, Aurora, Tinkerbell, Eldora) are teenagers right now.

Overlapping with the Peace Accords, the Wizards of the Black Circle (a minor section of Terra magic user who went their own way). They begin to hunt the fairies as soon as said fairies begin their formation (which is when the wings are solid) and tear them off. This forces all the fairies on Earth to back down and all the negative magic users to hide for not wanting to join them. The Earth soon forgets about magic. The Earth, with the ley lines cut (because in its crossways, now closed, are the last refuges of the fairies, this includes Neverland, El Dorado and Tir Nan Og among others ) it got stuck, lost its quality, and the terrans, quantity of life. But it never got to the Omega level, because, well, something there. The only way the fairies had to get out were the ones able to cast White Circles, only half of the Major Fairies on Terra are capable of doing them, and usually the visits did not turn out well or did not like what they saw outside and the Wizards were destroying them very time they could.

Acrypta keep missing to THE ETHEREALS SIGHT, still searching his kids. ALSO Laufey, whether they are together or not, no one knows, but the Council take for granted that they are in the Golden Kingom, and no one there is going to deny that. Because, while the Elders don't hate the Council, they don't endorse it either. Council of Elders against the Universe.

The Three Witches visit for first time Domino. Tharma and/or Liliss tricked the King of Domino and tried got part of his Dragon Flame - but they couldn't store it all because of how the Blessing works- This visit will become a recurring and increasingly destructive thing, something personal.

Lord Darkar dirty kills Carabossa before he reaches the Three Witches... I... I  just tried to redeem the The Ancestresses... NO. Not on my guard... well maybe, they are CRAZY. But he is the first Wizard and kinda blessed by ethereals too. The guy respects that. If Ninfea, bonded pixie to Carabossa didn't die then was by Ethereals dis-grace, I mentioned before. But two ethereal-blessed dudes could "cancel" the other blessings (in Carabossa not the typical blessing but Golden Kingdom inmortal membership blessing)

Almost all people from the Company of Light has born and started or almost finished school at this point. Faragonda switches from Witch to Fairy, Kalshara things happens,

Marion borns and receives the Dragon Flame from her father.

Valtor is “born”. Physically his appearance is a carbon copy to Carabossa, but sadly not my adorkable one and composed of the flesh and blood of the three sisters, Carabossa and the King of Domino Ninfea and Carabossa's pixie tie influences the birth of Valtor (I'll leave it there). AND HE FUCKING ACTUALLY GETS THE DRAGON’S BLESSING. Twisted universe and Ethereal Dark Sense of Humour.

Valtor is sent to mingle with the people to conquer the planets "by wordiness" and get allies, while the witches try “by force”. Griffin joins Valtor, not the Ancestresses. Daphne and Politea borns sometime around here.

The Lord of the Templars Gareth seal Darkar back in Omega BEFORE the destruction of Domino hoping that the fact that according to their latest reports the Ancestresses have abandoned it and the planet now absorbs magic will keep him locked up. It begins to be used as a prison in general. Also he sends Darkar to Omega because their current Boundless Oblivion Keeper, Mandragora had switched sides and he preferred to finish ensuring that everything was in order and check any what she could have done.

With an unexpected, but welcome freedom, the Ancestresses become more agressive and forces Valtor’s political hand. All politics in vain but for all this policy and such is that in season 3 Valtor moves so fast in the theft of spells between planets.

Griffin lefts Valtor, the Company of Light is officially founded. YAY!!! -F*CKING FINALLY. They had suspicions against Valtor until then.

Bloom (named Ariadne in Domino) and the main cast and others around their ages are born.

With Valtor as the most obvious and localized target, they easily send him to Omega and one less problem.

Politea betrays Daphne.

Roxy is born with Morgana visit to Terra. She stays with her family for a bit.

The Ancestresses attack Domino in retaliation knowing that "his daughter" had a lot to do with this. No, not because he was their son, but because he was their toy. The witches first attempted to attack Domino across the Infinite Ocean, so only Daphne was able to defend it. Quickly changing the scene, they attacked her sister and and even faster than them she jumped to protect her, then Daphne transferred the Dragon's Flame to Bloom, a moment that they took advantage of to defeat but actually not kill her (because having a fairy who had obtained the Nymphix could be useful later to dissect).

All this time it served to reunite the Company of Light who totally went with the intention of -kill- seal them in Boundless Oblivion since they are not as nice as The Templar Leader (specially with Oritel and Marion leading and their missing daughters), and there are many so they can actually do the spell quickly (Gareth went one on one with Darkar, go Gareth!!) But the witches did not leave without a fight and all Domino went with them to Oblivion.

PRE-SERIES

Faragonda becomes Headmistress.

Morgana witnesses Bloom's arrival on Earth and gives a super-ultra-mega-fast  advice to Mike and Vanessa. She didn't even get a chance to properly introduce Roxy and Bloom or learn Bloom's name.

Sadly, Bloom arrival also triggers the one of the Wizards of the Black Circle. To the trash the years Morgana spent being careful! So, placing on both girls a little glamour that would prevent their still-developing magic from being detected she had to put on a great little performance to make the Wizards thinks she was the only magic user there, and returned to her Kingdom.

Said spell in the future would prevent Eldora from detecting Bloom's magic.

[hola-ninos]

you   ll   Part 2

Summary: Percy and you finally made it to safety when you find someone who shouldn’t be there. 

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: stabbing, more water controlling, and there is a little bit of bigbrother!Percy.

A/N: I’m sorry if you don’t like fish, And if you don’t have long hair, I was just trying to make up a good food choice and some hair style. Also, I got this far in the series, so, yay! Also, this series will be covering everything up until The Blood of Olympus and maybe after that, so the parts may get super long. Please enjoy though!

https://depressed-teen-needs-her-coffee.tumblr.com/post/625639882430251008/you

find part one here ^

The look on the boy's face was not easy to read. You could see several different emotions go through it. Love, hope, regret, fear, hurt, loss, and so much more. Even though it was almost physically impossible, the boy grew paler. That’s when you realized why he was going pale. Noticing the faint light, you turned around to see Percy behind you, gripping Riptide with a death grip. He started advancing on the boy, pinning him up on a wall before questioning him. “Who are you? Why did she scream when she saw you? What did you do to her?” Percy asked, a growing anger in his voice. You knew his big brother instinct was kicking in, and as much as you loved how much he cared about you, he was going to kill this boy if you didn’t stop him immediately. The pale boy spoke up. “Woah, dude, put me down first off-” Percy dropped him on the floor, “Second, I don’t know who you guys are. I have never even seen you people before,” he continued. “Liar.” You called out. He may think he was good, but you knew better. Suddenly, you remembered something else. “Ghost King,” you muttered, grasping on to the two words as they popped in your mind. “What did you say?” Percy asked you. “Nothing,” I lied to him. I had just lied to my big brother for a boy I didn’t even know. It was all so confusing. “Why did you scream when you saw him Y/N?” Percy looked at you. “Why?” “He just scared me. That’s all. It’s fine.” you replied, while also trying to sound believable. Hazel finally piped up after watching this entire scenario go down. “ Guys, this is my brother Nico. Clearly y’all got off on the wrong foot, so, um, be nice.” You shot her an apologetic look as you walked over to the boy and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Y/N Y/L/N.” you shook his hand. “Nico di Angelo,” he replied, not once taking his eyes off you. “Guys, I don’t mean to be rude, but you both seriously need baths. Why don’t you go down to the bath house and get nice and clean,” Hazel told Percy and you. You nodded and dragged Percy through the door as he shot daggers at the son of Pluto, Nico di Angelo. 

…

After one of the longest showers you had ever taken, you felt like Venus herself. You styled your hair into some intricate braids before heading to where you thought you would find the legion. When you got there, you matched almost everyone else in your purple t-shirt and jean shorts, hoping that they might welcome you if you looked a little like them. After being approved by Octavian, he asked if you and Percy had any letters of recommendation. He knew you didn’t, so you responded by quietly mumbling no. “Does anyone stand for these pathetic Greeks with nothing to fight for?” Octavian yelled to the legion. This stupid, pale, skinny little jerk think he can talk about Percy like that? Oh hell no you thought, blood boiling. You opened your mouth to rant on him when you heard Frank. “ I stand for them! They saved my life!” Frank shouted. “Frank, you’re still on probatio, you can’t stand for them yet,” Octavian replied, which only made you want to punch him more. “I’ll stand for them!” Hazel cried out, and you could not be more grateful to see the golden-haired girl as she glared at Octavian, daring her to challenge him.

Before Octavian could say anything to her, Reyna responded. “Hazel may stand for them, so they can join the Fifth Cohort if the centurion will accept them.” You saw a tall boy step forward and nod to Reyna. His lips were stained red, which gave you a bad feeling. It triggered something in your memory, but you didn’t know what. You put it into the back of your mind and focused as Reyna told everyone that Dakota has accepted Percy and you into the Fifth Cohort. “All hail legion ultima!” the legion yelled. Hazel made eye contact with you, giving you a wave and a “come here” signal. You grabbed Percy’s wrist and dragged him over to Hazel. “C’mon, I’m sure you guys are starving,” she said as soon as Percy and you joined her. “Follow me.”

…

Food. Glorious food, you thought as you sat down. You hadn’t eaten since yesterday and really wanted some sushi. You were about to ask Hazel where to find the food when a wind spirit came passing by. She threw several different sushi rolls on your plate, including 2 spring rolls. Another one came floating by and there was suddenly blue cream soda filling the cup. When you took a sip, you felt home. You looked over at Percy, who was shoving handfuls of fries into his mouth, having no manners whatsoever. You giggled and popped into tuna roll into your mouth. You felt a sudden chill next to you as the boy from earlier sat down next to you. Percy looked at him and then looked back at you. You gave him a look to tell him you would be fine, and turned to the boy. “Hi,” you smiled at him, even though he had a face like he hated everyone there. “Hi,” he mumbled. You offered him a piece of your sushi, and he shook his head. “I’m not a huge fan of fish,” he said, looking at you as if you should know that. You thought he was crazy. You may be a daughter of Neptune, but fish was still pretty good. “Look, after War Games, can we talk? I know we just met, but it’s, uh, really important.” He almost whispered. You didn’t know why, but he was really cute when he was nervous. You also didn’t know why you were think that. It was not something to be thinking about when you had amnesia and didn’t know if you even had a boyfriend. Well. You kinda assumed the boy from the memory was your boyfriend, but this boy was acting like he had never seen you in his life, definitely not acting like a caring boyfriend who hadn’t seen his girlfriend in 6 weeks. You wanted to know what he was really doing here and why you knew him, so you nodded your head in a quick yes. “Ok, I’ll, um, find you after the War Games ok?” he quickly responded. “Okay,” you replied, not looking forward to the fight ahead. You ate a couple more rolls before Frank dragged your to the armory to stock yourself up for the War Games.

…

The plan your team came up with was stupid. It was completely and utterly stupid. The Fifth Cohort being used as a “distraction”? You thought it was super dumb, but had to prove you were loyal to your team. That’s how you ended up blasting water canons from outside of the stronghold with Percy. The First and Second Cohorts would be out, but not for long. You got Frank and Hazels’ attention before telling them to go, so they could get the banner. You knocked a couple more guards out before following them up the wall. After almost being cut down several times, you made it to the top of the wall. With the Fifth, Fourth, and Third Cohort backing you up, you all barreled through the First and Second Cohorts defenses. You climbed up the wall to get better positioning when you saw Frank, Hazel, and Percy riding Hannibal our the front gate of the bunker. In Percy’s hand was a large banner, signifying the Cohorts winnings. You smiled, only to be interrupted. You didn’t have enough time to fight before you were stabbed straight through the chest with a spear.

taglist:

@mariesunflowerchild​ and @subjecta13-thefangirl that’s it. Please inbox me if you wanna be added to the taglist :D

[saeyoungs-sunflower]

A Piece of You: Chapter 2

Pairing: Zen x MC

Synopsis: After the death of his sister, Zen is entrusted with raising her daughter. Six years later, MC has now settled into the RFA, but she just wants to be back on the roof with the love of her life like she was two years before. But dealing with teenage years, dragged out engagements and a lot of unsaid feelings, you start to lose a piece of you. Or, perhaps, find a piece you had that had been missing the whole time.

Warnings: Only that this chapter is beefy. I’m sorry but I couldn’t find a good place to end it earlier, so it is a little longer than usual! Next chapters probably won’t be this long don’t worry haha.

Song: Leaving My Love Behind - Lewis Capaldi

⇦  Previous Chapter

***

The dense scent of coffee intertwined with the fresh air that soared through the open windows of Jaehee’s car. The radio, though quiet, was babbling away to itself — not unnoticed, but not entirely present either. The two women sat in a weighty silence.

Jaehee sighed, “I’m sorry, MC, it hurts me to say this but I just don’t think it’s going to work out the way you want it to.”

To be honest, MC knew it was coming. She had been waiting for months for those words to be said to her by someone. By anyone. But it still stung.

To an outsider looking in, Jaehee’s words would have sounded cold, cruel even. But in MC’s eyes, her honesty was the most loving gesture she could ask from her best friend. MC wanted her honesty, needed it in fact. It was going too far.

Once Jaehee had finally opened up to the idea of Zen and MC being in a relationship, their friendship skyrocketed. The two could finally bond, with all guards down. It was like they were giddy teenagers again, having sleepovers and talking about boys — or rather, talking about one boy in particular. They would discuss for hours about ‘the look he gave her during the meeting’ and how he ‘doesn’t just take any girl onto his roof’; that he was ‘obviously interested in her!’

However, more time slipped away and their evenings of gossiping turned into nights of consoling. It had been two years since Zen took MC onto his roof to watch the stars, and nothing had escalated from that. Jaehee would reassure her, tell her that Zen just needed time to raise Gi and work on his career, that they had grown apart after MC spent months helping Saeyoung get Saeran back on his feet. She would tell her they just needed to spend more time together like they used to, and things would pick up again.

But they didn’t, and it had been too long. Two years of nothing, and Jaehee couldn't bare to see MC tearing herself apart anymore. She would constantly check her reflection before turning away with a gentle frown, she would type then re-type messages before throwing her phone away from her. Her smile faded, her light dimmed. MC hid it well, but they noticed, all of them did. Of course they noticed, but only Jaehee knew the reason why. It was time to stop this and allow her to move on. She had to before she faded away completely, becoming nothing more than a shell of what she used to be; what she could have been.

After a long sigh, MC finally spoke up, “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“He still cares deeply about you, MC, you haven’t lost him. I know he still loves you, even as much as he loves Gi, he just might not see you in the same way you see him. You love each other equally, just differently.”

“…A bit like Newton’s third law of motion?”

“Oh my God I swear if Saeyoung doesn't stop giving ‘free physics lessons’ in the messenger I’m going to kick him straight into orbit.”

The women laughed, just like they always ended up doing, no matter what life threw their way. Jaehee knew how to cheer MC up and how to make her laugh until her tears ran dry. Jaehee stopped the car in front of Zen’s house before turning to her friend and giving her hand a comforting squeeze, “I don't think it’s as bad as you think. I think you just need to put yourself out there and I’m sure someone will come along and surprise you.”

MC looked back into her eyes, not finding an ounce of dishonesty in them. She knew deep down that Jaehee was probably right, she always was. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed Jaehee’s hand in return, “Okay, I’ll try.”

***

“Hey, Gi! Look who’s here!”

Gi had the biggest grin on her face as she charged towards the door and jumped into MC’s arms, almost knocking her over from the impact. MC scooped her up and spun her around, blowing raspberries into her tummy, making the young girl squeal and wriggle in her arms.

Gi was six now, and was four when MC met her after nearly being kidnapped in Rika’s apartment. From the moment Gi saw her, she instantly took a liking for her, constantly asking Zen when “pretty MC” would next visit — which made MC an absolute blushing mess when Zen revealed this in the chatroom.

Gi had also managed to worm her way into MC’s heart and made herself at home there. MC loved that child like she was family, which she was in all fairness. The RFA was her family, and therefore anyone they loved, she loved too. She was always up to babysit her or take her on girly days out whenever she asked.

Today was a little different though.

“How’s the little madam today then? You excited for your day out with Jaehee?” MC asked, still trying to hold on to the wriggling child.

“Yay! Where are we all going?”

“Well, I’m going to watch your dad’s rehearsal whilst Jaehee takes you out for ice cream and a movie, is that okay?”

Gi watched the two women carefully, before nodding confidently, “Okay, but you have to come next time!”

MC laughed, “Fine, diva.”

“I’m not a diva! Dad’s the only diva in this house.”

“HEY!”

The three girls burst into laughter, and MC watched Zen as he feigned offence, but he was unable to control the sides of his mouth as they curled upwards. His eyes locked with MC’s, and she felt her heart stop for a split second. When was that going to stop happening? He gave her a warm smile, which she happily returned before placing Gi back on the floor, ruffling her hair.

Gi then darted to Jaehee and embraced her leg, waiting to be picked up. Jaehee chuckled before granting her request, earning a satisfied chuckle from the excitable young girl. Both Zen and MC felt a pang of affection as they waved the two goodbye, Gi’s babbling fading away the she walked hand-in-hand with Jaehee on their way into town.

MC turned to Zen who was rummaging around for his keys. She chortled at him, “How is everything? Gi doing okay at school?”

“Yeah, she’s doing pretty well actually,” Zen replied, still searching for his keys, “She’s very popular, according to her teachers. Stirring up trouble though.”

“In what way?”

He sighed, “Well there’s a group of them, apparently, and they like to wreak havoc for the teacher’s and get up to all kinds of mischief. Hiding the teacher’s supplies, little things like that. They say she’s an angel when they talk to her one-on-one, but she likes to follow this group around, copying what they’re doing. They're in the older group I think,” Zen said as he sifted through the draws, and MC could see a crease form between his eyebrows. He was worried about her.

“I’m sure she’s just enjoying herself. She’ll grow out of it, I’m sure. She’s a bright kid.”

“I know, I should have more faith in her,” now he’s patting his jean pockets, “She’s getting good grades for her work anyway. You know, when she doesn’t lose her exercise books or pencil case or whatever.”

MC chuckled, grabbing his keys from the trinket box on the windowsill, “I wonder where she gets that from,” she said, chucking the keys to Zen.

He caught them with ease, grinning at MC, “Thanks. Ready to go?”

MC smiled back, though it didn’t feel as bright, “Ready.”

She turned to the door, but felt a hand on her bicep, turning her back to him. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze and rubbed it with his thumb, “Hey, you okay? You don’t seem yourself today. Did something happen?”

MC plastered a smile on her face, beaming up at him, “Of course I’m okay! I’m just excited, that’s all.”

Zen returned the smile, although he wasn’t convinced by her answer. She slapped his arm playfully, “Come on, you. You can’t be late for your rehearsal,” she said, turning on her heal and walking out of the house.

He watched after her, wishing she would open up to him more. Just like he did with her.

Just like they used to.

***

The two walked to the theatre in a comfortable silence, the only sound heard was the leaves crunching beneath their feet and the wind rustling through the trees over them. MC closed her eyes briefly as she let the breeze caress her skin and her hair, a sense of peace washing over her.

“Thank you for coming to my rehearsal,” Zen said unexpectedly, catching MC a little off guard.

“You don’t have to thank me, I wanted to come! It feels like ages since I’ve seen you perform,” she exclaimed cheerfully, “Although, I admit the offer did come a bit out of the blue. What made you want to invite me now?”

“Well,” Zen started, scratching the back of his head, “you’ve always been so supportive of my career, more than anyone else I think…and I’m really proud of this show. I guess I wanted you to see that your belief in me wasn’t in vain, and all your support hadn’t gone to waste,” he stated, his eyes locked on the path in front of him.

MC stopped, grabbing his sleeve so he would stop and turn to her, “You don’t have to prove anything, especially not to me, you know that. As long as you’re happy, then it would have never been a waste, okay?”

Zen smiled fondly at her and let out a little chuckle, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into his side, “And that’s why I love you.”

And with that, MC felt like a bullet had shot through her chest. Because she knew what ‘I love you’ meant when it came to Zen, and it didn’t mean what she longed for it to.

Because yes, she loved him too. Painfully, hopelessly, quietly.

Equally, but differently.

***

When they entered the theatre, MC’s eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. The theatre was really very beautiful. It was old-fashioned, but had clearly been done up recently. She could tell by the even gold paint, the vivid red seating and the perfectly polished stage where the set that she had painted stood proudly.

Art and painting had always been a huge passion of MC’s, and she would often sketch Zen when he was focussed on playing with Gi when she would visit. She accidentally left a sketchbook open at his house once, and he was dumbfounded by her skill and artistry. Unfortunately, MC was never able to make a career out of her art, and she was also way too modest to sell her artwork, so Zen made it his mission to give her as many opportunities to express her art and passion as he could, just like she helped him. The company obviously paid her for her work, but Zen couldn’t help but feel that her art deserved a place in a gallery rather than a tucked away theatre. He told her numerous times to ask V for help, but she always refused. He wondered why.

Zen chuckled at her loss for words, “It’s amazing, right? Come on, I want to introduce you to the cast and director!”

“Oh, they must be busy, I don’t want to interrupt-“

“Don’t be silly! They are so excited to meet you!”

MC frowned, confused, “Wait, really?”

“Of course! Without you I might not even still be in this company, and besides, look at your beautiful set! You’re a part of this show too, MC. Of course they’d love to meet you.”

This theatre company was actually founded by Zen and the director, and it was well known for the way it defied typical theatre conventions. They didn't do a show every night of the week with a matinee on a Wednesday and Saturday, instead they did a matinee every weekday and an evening show on Saturday. Zen said that it was partly so that he could be take care of Gi in the evenings and work whilst she was at school, but also because it meant that schools could watch their shows during school hours, as an educational trip. He was always passionate about allowing kids to fall in love with theatre like he did. And to hopefully save some like it saved him.

Giving Zen a shy smile, MC finally let him lead her backstage. The cast were genuinely very lovely, praising and thanking her for the set and for being by Zen’s side over the last two years, making MC blush fiercely. Even the director said that he had heard so much about her and was glad they finally met. Did Zen really talk about her this much? She tried not to think about it too much.

Just when she thought they had spoken to everyone, Zen took her to his dressing room that he shared with the other male lead. His name was Chul, Zen told her, and he had given her a little talk before going in.

MC laughed, “What do you mean?”

“Listen, I love Chul to bits, but he is a man after all. You can imagine what actors are like, and male leads are even worse.”

“Aren’t you also a male lead?”

“Yes, but I also have sharpie on my kitchen wall and stuffed animals scattered across my living room. Did I also mention that I live with a six year old?”

“Fair play. But seriously, Zen, it’s fine. So what if he’s a bit of a flirt?”

“He can just get carried away sometimes, and I don't want him to get any ideas. All men-“

“-are wolves. And I’m a grown woman, Zen. You don't have to protect me like that, I can handle it,” MC chuckled.

“I know babe, just…if he bothers you you have to let me know, okay?”

“Fine, dad.”

Zen made a face at that and MC laughed even more. She knew how to push his buttons. But seriously, she wasn't a teenager, she could keep her cool in front of a man. Zen knocked on the door briefly and they both entered.

“Hey, Chul, I’d like you to meet my friend, MC.”

Oh, good Lord. She definitely should have prepared herself more for this. Sitting at his dressing table was Chul. Six foot tall, brunette, buff as hell Chul, getting his makeup done for the dress rehearsal. Did I not mention that he was also shirtless? Whilst a lot of women would be drooling at this point - understandably so - MC just felt embarrassed.

Catching his attention, Chul looked over at MC and gave her a bright smile, making her heart race and her face burn. He chuckled, standing up and heading towards the door.

“Ah, the famous MC! It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Chul,” he offered his hand for her to shake, which she did. His grip was firm, yet soft at the same time as he stared directly into her eyes. It was intense, to say the least, and MC mentally scolded herself for how red her face must have been.

“It’s lovely to meet you too, Chul,” she replied, surprised at how smoothly the words came out of her mouth despite how flustered she was.

He kept his grip on her hand for a moment longer than necessary, making Zen strangely impatient, “Okay, great, well I have to show MC around the rest of the theatre so we’ll catch you later.”

“Of course, I need to finish getting ready anyway. I’ll catch you later, MC,” he said with a wink, returning back to his seat. MC could feel Zen’s blood boiling next to her, so she ushered him out of the room swiftly.

“He seems nice.”

“Hm.”

MC rolled her eyes at him and gave him a playful nudge, giving him the silent reassurance that he needed. Both of them continued on the tour, but inevitably Zen was called to the stage for the rehearsal to begin, leaving MC on her own.

“You can sit anywhere, babe. There’s drinks and snacks on the table over there, so help yourself. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

Her smile grew at his concern. He really was very sweet, “Thank you, Zen, but I’ll be absolutely fine, don’t worry. Enjoy your rehearsal, okay? I can’t wait to see you get up there!” she beamed, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze before he ran off to join the rest of the cast.

She watched him as he went, a gentle thumping in her chest and a numbness in her spirit.

***

The first couple of hours of rehearsal were truly fascinating. Despite what some may assume, whilst Zen was incredibly good-looking, his acting skills were definitely his biggest strength (apart from his parenthood, of course). MC had no doubt that he would have been successful regardless of his looks, and it frustrated her to no end that he was primarily praised for his face and body rather than his talent and hard-work. The way he could show so much emotion and character and make her feel so much through just one look was, quite honestly, extraordinary. For a moment, she forgot he was her best friend at all; she was completely absorbed in his character.

The scene they were currently rehearsing was one where Zen’s character confesses his love to the female-lead’s character — a woman stuck in an arranged marriage who longed for freedom. The scene ended in a passionate kiss, bringing MC back to reality. It sent an ache through her chest as she watched Zen fall in love with someone else. For goodness sake, MC, he was acting. He wasn’t actually in love with her. And even if he was, what would it matter? He wasn’t hers, and she wasn't his. He was free to kiss whomever he pleased.

The director called for a short break so he could discuss the scene with Zen and the female-lead, and MC took this opportunity to get a coffee and to focus her mind on something other than Zen kissing another woman. Ugh, stop being so pathetic. She had no right to be jealous. She had no right to regret what never existed.

She made her coffee and searched for the sugar, deciding that a little sweetness in her coffee might lift her spirits a little. However, even after scanning the table she couldn’t seem to find-

“Looking for this?”

MC turned her head to find Chul standing there, sugar in one hand and his own coffee in the other. She took the sugar, offering him a kind smile, “Ah, yes, thank you.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Chul watching her face closely. He frowned a little, an eyebrow raised, “Rough day?”

She chuckled, she tried her best to hide it but clearly she wasn't as good of an actor as Zen, “Nah, it’s just tiring watching other people run around and dance all day,” she joked. He laughed at that.

“What about you?”

“Well, my wife is currently over there making out with the gardener’s son so, yeah, I guess you could say it’s been a rough day,” he also joked.

Ah yes, he must have been playing the female-lead’s husband. MC looked over at the stage where the other two leads were making out again, sending a shiver down her back. Trying to conceal it, she laughed, “Arranged marriages, huh?”

“Tell me about it.”

They both chuckled before a silence fell over them as they drank their coffee, but MC couldn’t help the occasional glance at the stage. Chul turned so he was face-to-face with her, shoving one hand into his pocket, “You’re the one who painted the set, right?”

“I am indeed.”

“It’s really beautiful, you have an incredible gift,” MC could feel her face turning red again, so she turned away slightly.

“Ah, thank you, but I really don’t. I just…have a lot of practise I suppose.”

“You also have a lot of modesty,” he stated, nudging her playfully with his elbow, “we’re not used to that in this industry.”

She let out a small chuckle before sipping on her coffee again, trying to hide her smile behind the cup. Zen would be so mad if he saw them both right now.

But really, he had no reason to be mad. MC and Chul talked casually for around half an hour and it was harmless, enjoyable even. She discovered that they both actually had a lot in common. They both enjoyed painting and drawing, they had a lot of the same favourite bands, and they even went to the same high school.

“No, no way. I refuse to believe it. You were NOT the kid playing Oliver who fell off the stage during ‘Where is love?’”

“I absolutely am, and don't forget how I brought the whole set down with me.”

“I was so pissed off at you! I spent hours making that set!”

“Hey! I was seriously injured! I couldn't walk for a week after that, I’ll have you know!”

“Once a drama queen, always a drama queen.”

MC actually enjoyed laughing and joking with Chul, it felt natural somehow. She couldn't help but feel that Zen was wrong to tell her to be so cautious around him. He was sweet, and didn’t say anything suggestive or try to flirt with her once. She found it easy to talk with him, and she was even disappointed when he had to head back to the stage.

“Well, I really enjoyed our chat, MC. If I don’t catch you before you leave then I hope you get home safe. I’ll see you around,” he said leaning in for a hug which she happily returned. It was, she noted, a friendly hug. No agenda, no sneaky touches or grabs, just…comfortable.

He ran back to the stage and her eyes couldn't help but follow him. She felt a warmth inside her, mixed with a fondness and excitement after their conversation together. She hoped they could keep in contact somehow, maybe she’d ask Zen for his contact information later.

MC reached into her pocket for her phone to check the time, but she found a folded piece of paper in there too. She took it out, reading it’s contents:

I didn’t want you to feel pressured into giving me your number if I asked, so here’s mine. You’re more than welcome to ignore this if you’re uncomfortable, but I couldn’t let you get away without trying ;) If you want to contact me, I would love to talk more, if not, then no hard feelings. Take care, MC. C x

She tried to control herself, but it was no use. The corners of her mouth curled up as she read the note, and she bit her lip like she was a teenager with a crush. Sneaky bastard. She felt flattered though, and she noticed her heart thumping a little harder as she placed the note back in her pocket and took another sip of her coffee.

Sweet indeed.

***

“You were incredible, Zen!”

Zen twirled around to find MC running towards him at full speed. He caught her easily as she jumped into his open arms, “Thanks, babe. You didn’t get too bored or anything?”

“Of course not! I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! Ah, aren’t I lucky to have such a talented best friend.”

Ouch.

Wait…why exactly did that hurt? He liked that he was her best friend, didn’t he? Of course he did.

He mentally shook the thought away as he continued to hug her, his hold on her tighter than before,  “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m sorry for keeping you so long, I didn’t expect for us to run over time. Let’s get you back.”

Zen noticed MC had more of a spring in her step as they walked back to his house, and how she seemed more chatty than usual. Definitely a change from her mood that morning. Maybe she just really enjoyed the show; she always did have a soft spot for theatre.

When Zen opened his door, they both found Jaehee and Gi fast asleep on the couch. Gi was lying on Jaehee’s lap, surrounded by crayons, whilst Jaehee limply held an open children’s book. Zen looked at MC and they made eye contact, trying with all their might to suppress their laughter, both their hearts warming at the pure sight in front of them. MC moved carefully, gracefully towards the mess on the floor, “I’ll help you clean up and then we’ll wake them.”

He couldn’t help but smile as she started to pack toys away and collect crayons. She really was an angel.

About halfway through clearing, Zen noticed that she had stopped and was completely spaced out. He raised an eyebrow, “MC? Are you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, right, yeah I’m fine. Sorry, just zoned out a little.”

Again, he wasn't convinced by her answer, especially since she had been acting strange all day. He knew her very well and had never seen her like this, so he continued to push, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know. Thank you, Zen. I just…,” she paused, considering whether or not she should continue, “I just don’t want to make you mad…”

Okay, that hurt a little. He didn't want or mean to make her worry about something like that, “MC, I don’t want you to be afraid to talk to me. I promise I won’t be mad, I just want to know what’s bothering you so I can help.”

MC watched him cautiously for a moment and then sighed, she would have to tell him eventually, “It’s about…Chul.”

Instantly Zen felt the hairs on the back of his neck shoot up, his hands already twitching to make a fist, but he held back. She gave him a pointed look, “Stop freaking out, silly. It’s not a big deal, he didn’t do anything wrong. He was actually very nice to me. He just gave me his number, that’s all. I don't even think I’ll call him, I just wanted you to hear it from me before you found out on your own and decided to kick his ass,” she laughed.

Wow, was he really that overprotective? He always warned MC to be cautious and all that, but he hadn't realised it got to the point where she felt the need to reassure him when a dude gave her their number. She was an adult, after all, and a very capable one. He made a mental note to go easy on her from then on, “Ah, I see.”

“But like I said, I probably won’t call him anyway so you don't need to worry.”

He paused for a moment, watching MC closely as she continued to pile up books. This was the first time she’d talked openly with him about dating. In fact, he didn’t think she’d even been on a single date in the two years he'd known her. She did always seem reluctant, perhaps even anxious to put herself out there, especially when it came to men. But finally, there she was with the opportunity to start something with someone. Someone who, he had to admit, would take care of her. Someone who gave her a spring in her step after what felt like months of dragging herself from place to place, and he wanted that spring to stay. He considered his words carefully, “Do you like him?”

“What was that?”

“Do you like him? Would you like to call him?”

MC cleared her throat, “Uhm, well, I've only known him for a few hours and we only spoke for a short time but, he seemed sweet and I enjoyed talking to him I suppose…but, I dunno…”

Her sentence drifted off, and he looked away. She’d always been so supportive of him, it was his turn to return the favour, “Well, if you'd like to start something with him, I think you should go for it.”

Her eyes shot to his so quickly he couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, he really needed to back off on the whole ‘all men are wolves’ thing, didn’t he? He gave her a soft smile, “I mean it. If it would make you happy, I’m all for it.”

She tucked a loose piece of hair behind her hair as she smiled, the action completely mesmerising Zen. She continued to clean up, breaking Zen out of his trance. It wasn't long before everything was tidied away and the two sleeping beauties were awakened from their slumber. MC gave Gi a warm hug before she left, a sight that always made Zen’s heart ache more than he cared to admit. She moved to hug him, and he held on to her more tightly than usual, only then noticing the smell of her shampoo and how perfectly she fit into his embrace. MC pulled back, looking him dead in the eye, “About what I said earlier, you sure you’re okay with it?”

His eyes stared straight back into hers, desperate to keep her from looking away. Why did the thought of her turning away hurt him so much? “Absolutely. Go get ‘em.”

Little did he know, that that was all she needed. All she needed to give up. She was so hoping he fight a little harder, that it would be more difficult for him to accept it. She was praying he would change his mind, that he would want her to choose him instead. But Jaehee had told her to move on, and now he had told her that too. There was no way she could justify it anymore.

In the car, Jaehee placed a hand on MC’s arm, concern etched all over her face, “MC? Is everything okay?”

She’d been asked that a lot that day. Maybe she actually wasn’t.

MC smiled sadly at her, blinking away any tears that dared to fall.

“Yeah, I just need to make a call.”

***

Zen sighed as he made himself and Gi their meal, absent-mindedly stirring the pan. He felt odd, almost unwell after his conversation with MC, but he pin point why.

“Is MC getting married?” Gi said sweetly as she continued her colouring at the dining table.

Well where did that come from.

“Um, no, I don’t think so. Unless I really haven't been paying attention.”

“But she will though, won’t she? She’s gonna marry that man from your work.”

Zen laughed, “No, sweetie, they are just going spend some time together. And…hang on, were you pretending to be asleep that whole time?”

Gi ignored the question and continued colouring, “Do they love each other? Like Prince and Princess?”

Zen started plating up the food,“No, not…not at the moment anyway,” he poured himself a glass of water, suddenly slightly bothered by this conversation.

Gi sighed, clearing away her things and setting the table, “That’s a shame. I was hoping you would marry her.”

He choked on the water, looking back at Gi who sat as sweet as a peach at the table. Little terror.

“You, little miss, need to stop watching so many movies. Come on, eat your food, you squirt.”

They ate as Gi prattled on about her day with Jaehee. Zen tried to listen carefully, but his attention wandered as he considered Gi’s previous confession. Why did the thought of Gi wanting Zen to marry MC make him feel so uneasy? Anxious…excited?

Well whatever it was he was feeling, for the sake of Gi and MC, he would have to endure it by himself until it went away. Painfully, hopelessly, quietly…

Equally, identically.

***

Masterlist || Next Chapter

[maydaymemer]

Hitman 3 - First Impressions w/ Spoilers

I’m posting this just after I’ve beaten Hitman 3, and I wanted to do something productive with my experiences playing it both for when I look back on my first time playing this game and also to do something more than just play video games like a degenerate

If you want my basic yay or nay opinion I think Hitman 3’s great, maybe the best of the trilogy but I might just be burnt out on replaying 2’s levels and am not thinking right, but keep in mind this is after playing thru each level once. Not to say these levels don’t make good or bad first impressions for a reason but I know not to trust myself when I say I enjoy or dislike something especially a Hitman level after only a little time with it. Keep in mind I didn’t like Sapienza and liked Colorado at first, but at the same time my opinion of Whittleton Creek and Marrakesh either haven’t changed much or only gotten more positive with time. So it’s a roll of a dice

Anyway I’ve written down my notes on every level I’ve played right after finishing it, which I’ve put below. There are going to be spoilers of elements like mission stories (which I dabbled a little bit in) and objectives and I’d recommend going in as blind as possible with Hitman. I don’t mind spoilers myself but I think you feel smarter when you stumbled on half the shit you do in these games

Dubai: very strong opener. I think that some of the shortcut design, one of the few new features of 3, kind of limits up front exploration but I still really liked the verticality and how climbing up pipes could take you up like two floors. Targets seem to have the appropriate amount of blind spots, tho I’m not sure how I’d tackle Marcus in that big open area. To me this level reminds me of House of Cards but better, out of the other first levels of the trilogy (Paris, Hawke’s Bay and Dubai) I choose this as my favourite so far. I killed Marcus by snapping his neck after knocking him out in that white room near the elevator, I got caught and killed some witnesses only for Omar to find the bodies. I killed Carl by throwing him off the building, sacrificing his waiter to do so

Dartmoor: Actually managed to SA this one, I didn’t go forward with the murder mystery just yet as I wanted to see 1) if it could be cheesed since it’s a one target mission and b) to see how well it holds up without doing that. To see if it’s just a gimmick or not. Turns out? Pretty darn well. I did encounter some of the stuff I didn’t like about the Hitman 2 AI with Alexa, namely if you have a weapon out and she gets a slight glance at you she goes into lockdown and while trying to cheese her under a chandelier when she goes to meet with you/the detective. However, it was at least consistent this time until in WoA2, she never fell for me trying to cheese it whereas if this was Hitman 2 it’d work 50% of the time and drive you mad. I did manage to get her under a chandelier, because in this game’s case personal bodyguards are easier to get rid of and there’s usually only one if they have one so I was proud of that. I love doing non-laid out kills in Hitman, one of my favourite things. I love the level design here, the mansion is big and brooding and so is Alexa’s route it seems. I loved finding out the secrets like using the cane to open doorways and using the camera to find pieces of the code for the Edwards safe. I got the 9, 7 and 5 ones and was going to brute force the code but turns it the solution was 1975. The level takes atmospheric cues from Beldingford Manor but I got real Paris vibes from the verticality which I loved

Berlin: I thought this mission wouldn’t impress me with its gimmick but it’s my favourite so far. The atmosphere and rave soundtrack gave me chills, and THIS is how you do target AI. There are a total of eleven or twelve potential targets I think, and all of them use guard AI. You have to track down and kill at least five of them, giving a unique and dynamic gimmick for this mission which I’ll love to replay. Target routes seem good too and your first playthrough where you’re winging it is even more fun here when you don’t know where your targets are really coming from. The mission is also really surprisingly massive, it might be the biggest one so far despite only having ten disguises (I don’t think we’re going to top Miami’s 29). I also loved that you could poison some fast food and have a biker take it inside

Chongqing: this is a great example of the knee jerk nature of these first impressions, not that this level will be bad but I feel like I’m speaking a little too soon when I say this might be one of my favourite levels of the trilogy. I was a little disappointed when the level wasn’t Mumbai 2.0, being more vertical than horizontal in scale but I ate my words when I experienced it. This is probably the weirdest level of the trilogy but so cool at the same time. At first I tried getting Hush with his satellite dish, and sniping him from his little area. I died. Then I became a test subject and started messing with his brain, making him take a break and killing him when he’s at his desk. I got caught however and had to make a break for it. Then I infiltrated the ICA data banks by becoming the board member, but then I had to sneak into his apartment since I didn’t know the code, but then I heard the code when I answered his answering machine. I really like the introduction of keypads and hope they stay, they reward map knowledge and let you skip having every door be locked via lockpick. Then I distracted and KO-ed Imogen’s guard and pushed her off the data core railing. What proceeds is a great bit of fan service where it shows almost every target from the trilogy as 47 deletes the info ICA has on him and then one of my favourite moments of the series (in terms of scripted stuff, I’ll always prefer stuff like sniping Rico from the jungle) where you have to escape the burning facility while avoiding the now entirely hostile guards. I’m super glad this and other story beats are confirmed optional on replays, but I’d happily replay this regularly because it was so fun to Splinter Cell the level for the last minute

Mendoza: Another great level. I wasn’t expecting it to be so big but even that big field you can see over the balcony is explorable. Feels more like A Vintage Year throwback than Santa Fortuna was. I quite like the kill opportunities that I saw, sniping Yates from the top of his house and finding wine to serve Vidal was what I went for. Also love that Diana is in the level physically, she even hides behind a box if you caught an alert. Yates’ house is very intimate but very well designed. Wasn’t expecting the tactical wetsuit to be here as a disguise but it was a cool thing I found

The Train: this level is simultaneously an awesome and disappointing end to the trilogy. The idea itself is great and the hallucinations that begin the level are really imaginative, but that nightmare intro gameplay wise is just you walking forward. It’s the exact opposite of the reason why I like Hitman, I like Hitman because it isn’t like those triple A “walk forward while dialogue plays” kind of games. It’d maybe work better if they had you shoot every target you’ve ever killed in this dream and then top it off with the one proper gameplay moment that’s in the real thing where you press the button that kills Diana’s parents. Then the level itself after that intro is way too linear, I know it’s a train but there could’ve been way more options with how to go about it. There is a great final moment with Edwards and I love that it encourages combat for the first time in the trilogy, but it could’ve been a lot better. Ideally this would be the seventh level after a proper sixth but I think it’d be more palatable if it was more replayable than it is. Because at the moment it doesn’t have Contracts mode, probably won’t get escalations and definitely won’t get an ET. Which puts it behind Hawke’s Bay, which is a regular punching bag for its lack of content

The Story: surprisingly, I loved it. I’ve always thought this trilogy had excellent worldbuilding but used some plot contrivances to get from level to level. This time while the worldbuilding isn’t quite as solid the story is actually pretty great and goes in a lot of interesting directions which I think would make great sequel material. 47 essentially kills the ICA and the game ends with him and Diana becoming independent agents. So they’ll be doing the same thing without the immunity a giant organisation like the ICA has, which could lead to interesting conflict in the ninth Hitman game. I also like this game’s portrayal of the ICA, they’re a lot more professional than in Absolution but it goes for a similar take of showing how brutal they are

In Conclusion: For the most part Hitman 3 is excellent and I loved it, probably about as much as the previous Hitman 2 and the Paris level of Hitman 1 in terms of first time experiences with these games. There were some downs with the Carpathian Mountains and elements of the game design but it’s still another solid new Hitman game. I can understand why the reviewers loved this one over Hitman 2, while I loved that game’s levels this game’s levels feel a lot weirder and that’d leave a much stronger first impression. Ofc being the second sequel to 2016 nothing’s really changed much. While there are improvements to the way guns feel and the fluidity of 47’s movement it’s nothing groundbreaking. The new map features, while cool, aren’t selling points IMO. If you love Hitman buy this, if you love stealth buy this, if you love mucking about in a sandbox buy this, but if you’ve never been interested in Hitman or this gameplay style of Hitman it’s best to avoid this. It’s a very good third season of Hitman, whether you like it or not. In terms of my thoughts on the levels my personal ranking rn would probably be Chongqing > Mendoza Berlin> Dubai > Dartmoor > Carpathian Mountains (AKA the Train level)

[blackbatpurplecat]

What do you think of Catwoman in the video games (Arkham City & Knight, Tell Tale, Injustice)? Which are you favorites and do you think TPTB would ever come out with a solo game of her's?

Yay, finally I get to say something NICE! XD Short answer: They’re (almost) all great! My absolute favorite is Catwoman in the Telltale games!

Very long answer incoming:

Lemme rank them from the one I like the least to the one I love the most. That’s probably the easiest way to answer this. There are many more games Catwoman is appearing in but they’re not really worth mentioning here.

3) Catwoman in Injustice 1+2

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of Catwoman in those two but that’s no big surprise when the cast is bigger than the one in Avengers: Endgame. She’s fantastic in the tie-in comics but I can’t count those here.

So in part 1, she’s Bruce’s ex who ratted him out to protect him and after everything, she still wants to redeem herself and get back together with him. I liked her purple-gray costume (the weird steampunk one with the tail... not so much), I liked her voice-actress who also voiced her in the Arkham games, Grey DeLisle. I liked her cunningness, how she quickly figured out that Cyclops was a different Cyclops and made him blow his cover.

I understand that Selina would do something more selfish to protect the man she loves. She wanted Supes to spare Bruce and for that, accepted that many other people would die - BUT I will never understand WHY they wrote her arc like that. Why not write her as Bruce’s loyal partner and girlfriend? Why couldn’t she be on his side in the fight against Superman and the Regime? Even Harley and Luthor were! At least, they didn’t make her entirely evil, she did have good intensions but was misguided. And her ending had a feeling of hope in it.

Years later, she’s apparently reached her goal of redemption, found her way back to Bruce, and is now working as a double agent for the Insurgency. This time, she has more than only two scenes but we don’t learn much more about her, her relationship with Bruce, or her arc. You gotta read the comics for that... And again, not a huge fan of her costumes in this one but it’s cool that you can modify them to your liking. 

Her ending is the worst in this however. After what she’s been through with Bruce, after fighting with him, against him, redeeming herself, earning his trust again, and getting back to his side, she... just leaves him because she got bored. Wow. What fucking idiot wrote that?!

All in all, she’s a minor character in both games, her arc happens mostly off-screen, they don’t do anything new or outstanding with her but I enjoyed seeing her. Too bad, you can’t play as her.

2) Catwoman in the Arkham games

Now THAT’s more like it! ❤️Back then, I only bought Arkham City because you could play as Catwoman in it. I didn’t know much more about the game, I had never played its predecessor, I only wanted to play as Catwoman - and boy oh boy what a glorious purchase that turned out to be!

To this day, I still adore Arkham City, so much so that I bought it three times (CD + Steam + PS4). I can play it in my sleep! And it made me buy Asylum, Origins, Blackgate, and Knight, half of them were good and some also had Catwoman!

City - Her part in the game is a short side quest that’s not really connected to the main story: Catwoman wants to steal from Hugo Strange’s vault, convinces Ivy to help her break into it, then she leaves her loot behind to save Batman’s life, then tracks down Two-Face to get her stolen loot back, and after finishing him, retrieves her loot. She then decides to stay in Arkham City because it’s still dangerous there a.k.a. fun!

While it’s a shame that Catwoman and Batman only meet twice, they do save each other’s lives. The banter and flirting could certainly be better in this though. Her story isn’t anything new BUT it’s perfectly executed and it’s exactly what Catwoman’s like. She’s playful and seductive (they could have turned down her horniness about a few points - but you gotta please the fanboys *sigh*), she’s looking after herself, she only does what she wants (so she won’t return the plant to Ivy who had treated her so badly), but in the end, she does the right thing by saving Batman because she has a good heart.

While her side story felt tagged on, I really enjoyed it! I just love playing as her, beating up thugs, using the whip, and crawling on the ceilings. Also you get to wear the BTAS suit AND the purple Long Halloween suit! YAY!

Blackgate - It starts with Batman chasing Catwoman across the rooftops for the very first time, that’s just a fantastic intro! And I really liked their fight towards the ending for its very interesting execution. This time, Catwoman is not playable but both a suspicious ally who helps Batman with information and an enemy Batman has to defeat. Which I get because they’ve basically just met and don’t know each other yet.

The lack of trust is also the reason why Catwoman’s playing him like she is in the game. She figures him out rather quickly and cleverly uses his urge to save and protect others against him to get access to what she had been told to get from Blackgate. Manipulating Batman into helping her completing her mission is a real Catwoman-y move so the Arkham games continue the trend of “getting” her character. Well, except for having Catwoman lick herself like a cat.

Knight - Selina’s third and last appearance in the Arkham games. She’s kinda playable and she’s no enemy BUT she’s a damsel in distress... ... ... Okay, Knight, what do have for us?

Riddler, of all people, has captured Catwoman and uses her to play with Batman. Well, at least it proves that everyone knows about the relationship between the Bat and the Cat (yet Catwoman keeps saying they’re not close - oh honey, no one believes you). Selina’s wearing an explosive collar and Batsy has to find Riddler trophies and complete riddles (and for some fucking reason drive races!) to unlock the keys to set her free.

Catwoman’s kinda playable since you can’t explore the city with her but you can switch to her while you’re solving Riddler’s contraptions or fight his robots. The dual team feature in the game was magnificent in general. I would have loved to play more as her but at least, she’s not just sitting around waiting for Bruce to save her but is partaking in her own rescue.

The chemistry between Bruce and Selina is the best part of this Riddler mission. Neither fears nor takes Eddie seriously and especially Selina drops so many awesomely annoyed comments and jabs against him, but gets increasingly more worried. While we saw BatCat meet in Blackgate, in Knight they’ve known each other for years and it shows. There’s no other character in the game Batman talks to in the way he talks to Catwoman. It’s... casual, funny, flirty. Additionally, you can clearly hear his worry for her in his voice. In the end, Selina even comes back to help Batman with Riddler even though she didn’t have to - she wanted to! And offers more of her help, it’s so obvious how much he means to her.

I love Batman and Catwoman working together and flirting and bantering while fighting other Rogues but the only thing that’s holding this back from being perfect is the series’ idiotic insistence that Bruce is still mourning the al Ghul chick which we all know is bullshit. And Selina doesn’t know Batman’s identity?! Come on.

To sum it up, I really liked Catwoman’s attitude and portrayal in Knight but would have loved to have more of her in the game. What we got was passable enough to have fun with. Bonus points for the 90s Balent suit you can put her in!!! If only there was an Arkham game in which both characters were playable and constantly working together, now THAT would be my dream!

1) Catwoman in the Telltale games

Where do I start? The voice? The charm? The complexity? 

She’s not playable but that doesn’t make this game and her in it less perfect. We again meet a clever, confident, I-mostly-care-about-myself Selina who’s great at fighting and stealing and manipulating. She’s caught Harvey in her trap to get close to his buddy, rich boy Bruce Wayne. She instantly finds out that he’s Batman (same way he finds out that she’s Catwoman) and they form a rocky alliance which either blooms into something deeper or not, depending on your decisions.

The makers of the game understand her the way Rocksteady did but add a softer layer to her. She’s playful, seductive, and doesn’t take no shit from anyone and in episode 3 of the first season, we see a vulnerable Selina for the first time. A woman who doubts she could ever be more than a cat burglar. She does take pride in her skills and doesn’t apologise for what she does (she even says “you shouldn’t trust me”) but you notice that she’s longing for a connection, for someone who trusts and relies on her without weighing her down. 

I personally had the impression that she felt a bit honored that Batman would support her and have faith in her the way he did in my playthrough. It gave her a chance to prove to herself that she could do more, be more. And that it felt good to have someone she in turn could rely on and trust which proved to her that the world maybe wasn’t as bad as she’d thought, that she could let her guard down once in a while. There was also another side we don’t see often on her: She didn’t want to face Harvey at the hospital. Maybe due to cowardice, shame, you decide.

Her last scene in season 1 wasn’t the best, it was just her going back to her old ways, seemingly leaving behind her character development from previous episodes but she probably wasn’t at the point of staying and saving people yet. It was the usual move to save herself and telling herself that she’s a bad person who doesn’t have feelings for Bruce. Changing yourself isn’t hard, it’s not changing back to your old self that is, and I think that’s what happened there, she simply fell back into her old self. 

In season 2, she returns as the thief we all know and love. They didn’t change her, her actions and dialogue lines fit the character we met in season 1. This time, we also see her vengeful side as she’s trying to get revenge for her dead friend, Riddler, and she won’t let anyone get in her way, not even Bruce.

Later, she wants Bruce to tell her that he needs her and he can’t take down Harley and the rest without her, proving she wants to be needed and trusted as I’d mentioned before. Same goes for admitting that it means a lot to her that he lets her into his secret life. Season 2 shows us that everything from season 1 did leave an impact on her and her development is slowly moving forward. One lovely example is her being surprised by a hug in S1 and in S2, she hugs Bruce first.

To put lots of rambling briefly I LOOOVE Telltale’s Catwoman! She’s not just a cunning thief but a woman with feelings, hopes, fears, layers. I really hope we will get a third season someday, especially since we didn’t get any closure scenes with Selina, no matter which Joker we fought in the last S2 episode.

---

Now regarding her own game... She had one already with a 1999 Game Boy Color game. Nothing huge but I count it. Especially since she’s wearing her 90s suit in it. 😉

I would very much welcome a Catwoman game with her as the lead! An Arkham like game: open world Gotham, you get to meet many Rogues, you have to flee from Batman and/or fight his kiddies. Maybe you need to team up with Harley and Ivy, or with Batgirl! OR make it like a Lara Croft game with lots of breaking and entering, and stealing valuable artefacts.

Alas, I think the chances of getting a Catwoman game are very slim! DC are so focused on Batman and Superman, they won’t spend millions of dollars on the production of a game that’s... not starring at least one of those two. I mean there’s not even a Wonder Woman game so why would they make one starring Catwoman? A shame really.

[unsettledink]

Back in the days of LJ, I used to try and do a post at the end of each year, looking back primarily at fandom and fic. I fell out of the habit when everything moved to tumblr, and then it seemed like I didn’t have anything to say since I wasn’t writing or really participating any. 

But I always liked the idea of it, because I love to be overly reflective on stuff. And talk about my fic. Any excuse! I shuffled around some of the topics I used back then and added a few I’ve seen around that I liked. It got… long, because I TALK, so I split into two sections. 

*

Your main fandom of the year? 

    Marvel (MCU) for sure. Primarily with characters from Spider-Man and Iron Man movies.

Your favorite film watched this year?

    The Old Guard - I saw a couple trailers and everything about it looked like catnip. ‘It’s probably going to be so dumb, but I don’t even care,’ I thought. And then it was so good. It was so much fun and so much smarter than I expected and I loved each and every character and it just made me happy in so many ways.

Your favorite book read this year?

    Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston - I read it twice this year actually. It’s so… cute isn’t the right world. Sweet and hopeful and soft and comforting and intense. I liked every single character which is pretty rare. I cried during the sad parts and then again at the happy ending, like straight up sobbed - both times. I already want to read it again.

Your favorite tv show watched this year?

    Schitt’s Creek - I started it on a whim and because a lot of people had said it was good. The episodes were short so it wasn’t a huge time investment. The first season was a little rough, but there were enough funny moments that I hung on, and then… I kept getting fonder and fonder of these idiots as they grew. And THEN… it kept not disappointing me? 

     You grow to expect certain scripts, twists, jokes, especially in queer story lines. To wait for the bad thing to happen, because it always does. Instead, Schitt’s Creek kept going, ‘hey, here’s the set up for that! Guess what? We’re not doing it. Here’s the happy version instead.’ The relief of having that happen again and again - the last season I’ve watched (I’m sort of saving 6) I cried a bunch but it was always because I was happy. 

Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?

    1896 - I’ve been waiting for the new Steam Powered Giraffe album so eagerly for aaaaaages. Finally getting recordings of Zero’s songs! Lying Awake remains my favorite off the album, with Eat Your Heart and Bad Days on the Horizon high up there as well. I’m loving what Zero brings to the band.

Your best new fandom discovery of the year?

    I don’t know if I really did discover that much? I stuck pretty closely to old fandoms and the ones I picked up in 2019. Maybe Zodiac? It was definitely inspiring, and I want to write and read more in it. 

    Maybe the couple discords I joined? I still really dislike discord and am not on there much, and mostly lurk when I am, but having somewhere vaguely like the comms I remember makes me feel a little less isolated. It’s the potential, that maybe if I said something I might make a friend, or someone might actually want to hear what I say. 

Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?

    The Watch - I mean, I knew it was going to be a disaster with every word said during pre production. I wasn’t ever going to be happy with it. And then it came out and was even worse and uglier and … disrespectful not just of the source material but of actual people connected to Terry. I’m beyond disappointed that this is what we got, and it’s probably going to be a long time before we get anything else. 

    Devil All the Time was terrible, but I didn’t have especially high hopes. It still didn’t manage to meet them. Yikes.

The most missed of your old fandoms?

    Maybe MASH? Someone I follow started talking about it and I was reminded all over again of the wonderful fics in that fandom. I went looking and a lot are gone (still on my computer, lol, but not online), but rereading was such a trip. A slightly depressing trip, but still. 

The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?

    Hmm. I’ve kind of not had the energy to invest in other fandoms at the moment? When The Witcher was having it’s big moment back in January, I had a feeling I might enjoy it enough to fall headfirst into the fandom, so I avoided watching it. Ikr? I don’t have the time or the energy to actively seek anything out. 

Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?

    SO EXCITED about Winter’s Orbit. I mean, the third Spider-Man movie for sure, with worry. The second Venom movie, ugh yes. I have tentative hopes for Jungle Cruise? Jumanji was stellar and I always enjoy Dwayne. I have both hope and dread for the new Suicide Squad - I did love Birds of Prey, so if it’s along those lines, yay. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard because it should be some fun garbage, my favorite kind. I don’t know how I feel about Dune, but, uh, I’m anticipating it. It seems highly unlikely it will actually happen, but The Wheel of Time TV series. 

I want to be excited about Black Widow but it’s hard. It’s not the story I’ve been wanting to see, and I’m angry about Natasha not getting a movie until she’s dead.

You know. If any of it is released for real.

The Good: 

I moved to a better place. I got a better paying, better benefits, better environment job that lets me work from home. The house acquired 3-7 more cats depending on the month. I was able to get some serious problems on my car fixed. I have insurance and was able to start on some health stuff. No one I know got sick or died. I wrote a LOT.

The Bad: 

Aside from the obvious? Depression hitting extra hard during the winter. Having to put two kittens to sleep. Have my car be hit three times in our parking lot. Being driven INSANE by one of the cats for months while the vets were all closed. Kidney stone. Dealing with several health problems. Stalling for months on Gotcha.

The Indifferent: 

Not leaving the house often or easily. Enjoying a new fandom but not doing great at making connections (still real awkward, bud). Raising kittens and saying goodbye. Need new tires. Reading a lot of fic but not a lot of books. Having more pay but more expenses as well (wth insurance??). 

*

2020 fic stats

Number of stories: 39

Number of fandoms: 6? Or 2, if you cluster the others under mcu

Total number of words: 152049

Average word count per story: 4kish

Longest fic: Causality (18k, P/Q)

Shortest fic: Can’t, Won’t (1k, P/Q)

Most comments received: Sieche (49, T/P)

Fandom you wrote the most of: MCU Spider-Man - I only wrote TWO fics that didn’t feature that fandom, wow. And one of those was still MCU.

Fandom you wrote the least of: Zodiac (1!)

Events you participated in: Marvel Trumps Hate, Kinktober, IornspidersGeorg Exchange, Starker Festivals Exchange, MCU Secret Santa, Spiderio Big Bang

*

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?

    SO MUCH MORE OMG. I mean, even just counting posted stuff! (I probably wrote a solid 300k of Gotcha this year.) I did not expect or plan on doing Kinktober, so that’s a whole 31 fics right there. I also wasn’t planning on doing any exchanges - I have a History - but then I did three? And beyond that, I did not expect for everything to get so LONG.

Topic you wrote that you would never have predicted in January:

    Tony/Quentin. Goddammit @the-me09 They were like hey, they could be interesting! And while I agreed, I had no ideas for them. THEN they had to go and write Just Bodies That Collide and next thing I know, I’ve got ten fics featuring them and two-six series focused on them or Peter/Quentin/Tony. What the fuck. 

Leitmotif of the year:

    Vulnerability, I think. I had a bunch of things typed up and they all circle back to vulnerability in the end; sex, being seen, being wanted, sharing trauma, asking for help, trying something new. Offering a soft spot in the hopes it won’t be hurt. 

Favorite character to write about: 

    Tony Stark, for sure. There are just a bunch of slightly different takes, and a lot of canon to work with (kind of frustrating too though). And I’m a sucker for emotionally damaged snarky traumatized characters that are viewed poorly both in universe and out. 

Favorite kind of fic to write:

    This year? Fluff and smut combined. Maybe that’s not the right term really. I keep looking for and writing, even in the angstiest fics, for those soft moments. Sure, maybe it’s a super smutty kink scene, but I want the affection to be obvious. Maybe everyone is consumed by guilt, but I want it to be based in caring too much. Maybe there’s no real love, just sex and even that’s messed up, but I want to find that tiny bit of fondness. 

    And I want happy endings. Or endings that look like they’re going to be happy, at least, even if there’s all the angst first. I don’t think I’ve killed anyone this year? Who AM I? 

Biggest disappointment:

    Not finishing the rough draft of Gotcha. I was making such good progress in 2019, from August to December. Even after the move, I basically finished part 6 in January. I fumbled around and fussed with 1 a lot, but that had already been given one draft, really, and I got through half of 4 before I slowed to a stop. I’ve barely gotten anything accomplished on it since June. Bits and pieces here and there, but nothing significant, not like I was doing. I can excuse October, due to 80k invested in Kinktober (yikes!), but aside from that… I’m sad. I’ll finish it eventually, but I really thought I could have the first draft done in a year. I’m sitting at about 480k out of what I’m almost certain will be 700k. 

Biggest surprise:

    Kinktober! It was kind of spur of the moment, decided just a week in advance. I’ve tried month long or even like, 20-25 day long challenges and I don’t think I’ve ever completed one. I thought there was a good chance I’d do so again, so I gave myself a little help and made my own list of prompts, things I knew I liked and hadn’t done much of yet. And it worked? I actually completed it, what the hell? Despite spending five days travelling near the end! Despite falling behind in getting ahead and writing a bunch of stories the day they were to be posted! Despite apparently forgetting how to do short form! 

    I, uh, could have done without the spawning of eleven series or sequels or continuations jfc WHY SELF.

Something you learned this year:

    Ideas breed ideas. I swear to god, the second I sit down to think through a current idea, I wake up the next morning with three more. 

    Words need to be restocked. I need to consume new - not rereads, not fic - content every so often to refresh my word bank. It is astonishing how quickly writing goes again after I’ve done so.

    I can write so much more than I thought I could. I can do so much more than I thought I could. Yes, I can complete challenges without dropping out early. Yes, I can do exchanges and not regret it. Yes, I can write more than 100k, more than 200k, more and more - and I can write 10k+ easily too. Though I wouldn’t mind if I could once again write less than 10k without feeling like I’ve cut off in the middle. 

    My time is shrinking, and if I want to write as much, I’m going to have to make the time. I can’t rely on three days off a week, on seven hours of uninterrupted overnight shifts, on hyper focused writing binges that leave everything else around me on fire. 

Most memorable comment: 

    So, so many! I can’t pick one. I’ve been really lucky to get a bunch of really detailed, enthusiastic, analyzing comments across all different fics. One of the types that always sticks with me are the ones like ‘I didn’t think/know I liked this ship/kink/twist, but fuck, apparently I do? You made me, what the hell?’. 

What, if anything, are you going to try to do differently in your writing in the new year?

So with writing Gotcha but not posting until it’s done, my view of what I’ve written vs anyone else’s is extremely skewed. I’m sitting here thinking, hey I’m 400k in and got another 10k done today, so much writing! While anyone looking at my AO3 account (for most of the year) is like, you’re averaging three months between fics :(

    All that to say I want to try and get something posted more frequently while I’m working on Gotcha.

    Also, writing for kinktober was really interesting - pushing myself to write every single day, often for that day’s post, forced me to get back into shorter form fic. Which used to be all I did? But it was surprisingly hard to just stop and not write more. So I’d like to challenge myself to write more fics under 10k at least. Maybe even under 5k though that might be asking a lot lol. I might get there with the many continuations of those fics I’d like to do. Does that count?

Goals:

   I want to hit 365 fics. :) I’m only 32 away!

    Aside from writing - 

    I’ve really enjoyed the reading record sideblog I started this year. I’ve let it lapse a little the past month or so, but I’d like to keep it going strong. 

    I’d like to leave a lot more comments. I want to get better about allowing imperfection - I want to write The Best Comment, but in the end? Probably 90% of fic writers are going to be happier with a comment expressing enjoyment in any way over no comment at all. 

And not just on fics, but on general posts as well. It’s hard not to feel… weird and stupid and invasive and rude leaving any sort of comment on someone’s post if I don’t know them at least a little. I have godawful rejection sensitive dysphoria and a lot of interactions that ended poorly; I’m really not good at people. But as dumb as it feels to say those things, I know I am thrilled and warmed and happier when there’s a reblog with tags or a note or a comment or an ask or just, any small interaction that shows someone out there notices and cares, at least a little. There’s no reason I can’t at least try to offer that to other people. 

    I’d like to make/run a couple challenges of my own, later in the year. I’m still figuring out what I want to do and what I could do. I’m really interested in doing something that’s not focused on creators, but the readers; some sort of comment or rec challenge maybe.

    I want to find a cheerleader for Gotcha. I’m struggling to keep up my motivation to write it when it’s already in my head, where I can ‘read’ it any time. There’s a line between depending too much on external validation and trying to generate all your validation yourself, and I’m getting to a point where I think I need to ask for help (gasp! The hardest thing EVER). 

*

(Part Two: Pick Some Fics)

[nekoabiwrites]

Battle Bonds

Ahhh! It feels so good to be back and writing again! Panto was great fun and I’m kinda missing it but also, I’m so happy to not have to watch the same show 60 times anymore...

Anyway, this fic was inspired by a freaking adorable piece of art by @artistictaurean with Roman and a lil cute Swablu: https://artistictaurean.tumblr.com/post/190329454010/holy-crap-i-actually-finished-something-just-a  Mega thanks to them for not only being super talented at making such darn cute art, but also for being chill with me writing this (even tho I was on anon asking but mehhhhhh details)

AU: None Pairing: None Words: 2644 Warnings: Remus and Deceit are in here. Anything else, please let me know!

Summary: Thomas has been on a bit of a pokemon kick recently and it has affected his imagination more than he would ever think of...

---

Due to the recent release and information about new titles in the Pokemon franchise, Thomas had been thinking about and playing a lot of the series – much to Logan’s dismay. It had just been something he was doing, not once did Thomas even give a thought to how his gaming habit would affect his sides.

Roman lightly chewed on the end of his pencil as he tried to work out the perspective of the next detail to his sketch. It was rare to have all of the sides in the imagination with him after all, even more so that it was for social reasons rather than important ones. He dropped his head and added detail to the figure of Logan in his artwork, doing everything to capture the bewildered expression that was currently resting on the logical side’s features and the open book in his hands.

The prince couldn’t fault Logan for this, as he could hear the excited squeals of Patton off to his left as he discovered yet another new species that he didn’t realise existed.

“IT’S A PUPPY!” The paternal side yelled, holding Rockruff high above his head in order to show it off to the others. An amused snort and swishing of grass told Roman that Virgil was heading towards Patton to get a closer look at the small animal.

Time passed leisurely as the cycle of Patton finding new species, calling out that he found a new one and then being told which pokemon it was continued to repeat itself, all while Roman continued sketching. Eventually, Patton and Virgil settled down in view of Roman, allowing him to finally add them to his piece. Then there was an odd breeze that ruffled his hair and a weight was added to the top of his head.

Roman dropped his sketchpad and held his arms up, yelping loudly in surprise. He knew deep down it was fruitless to try, but his instinct was to attempt to look up and see what was perched upon his head.

Another Patton squeal had Roman freezing in place. The moral side jogged on up to Roman and coo’d at the creature on his head, “It’s so fluffy and – Oh! – It’s just like a cloud, and its so soft! Virgil, Logan! What’s this one?!”

“If memory serves, it is a swablu, Patton.” Logan approached, flipping the pages. It took seconds for him to find what he was looking for and he began to read aloud, “It is a primary normal type with a secondary flying type that was introduced in the third generation. Its category is the cotton bird pokemon. According to several entries in the pokedex of various games, swablus are very concerned with cleanliness and enjoy perching upon the heads of people.”

“I thought you didn’t care about this stuff?” Virgil asked slyly, gently brushing a finger along the tops of the swablu’s fluffy wings.

Logan flushed slightly and cleared his throat, “I do not recall saying that I didn’t care about it. I was simply attempting to get Thomas to understand that playing such a game for long periods of time is unproductive and-”

“I was just messing with ya, Logan. It’s okay.” Virgil snorted and rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Roman was remaining fairly motionless as the others fawned over the pokemon perched upon his head. After getting confirmation on what pokemon it was, he’d regained his composure, sure that there was little to no threat. The prince reached up to pet the extremely friendly pokemon, feeling the cloud-like wings for the first time while also bringing the attention back down to himself with an exaggerated clearing of his throat. “Not that I mind being surrounded by attention, but my art was almost completed and now you have all moved from your positions. I place the blame upon you all if this turns out absolutely horrendous.” He gestured to the forgotten sketchbook resting in the grass.

Shortly after Roman had begun yet another round of bantering back and forth with Virgil and Logan, Patton saw a new pokemon that excited him, and he ran off. Virgil trailed behind, watching with amusement. Logan eventually moved in the same direction once Patton called for him yet again. Roman was now alone with the creature atop his head.

He summoned a floating mirror before himself and saw the blue bird for the first time. It looked to be starting to dose off, clearly comfortable in its position. The royal reached up again and gently stroked the bird, who seemed pleased with the gentle attention as it chirped in response. “How do you like the name Alto?” Roman asked rhetorically. The swablu perked up and flew in a small circle, just above Roman’s head, before seating itself again and almost nuzzling into the creative side’s hair. “I’ll have to take that as a yes.”

It wasn’t long until the hype died down and Thomas went back to his usual level of enjoyment of the series. This meant that if the sides wanted to keep all the random pokemon, Roman would have had to start working extremely hard to keep them all around. Thankfully, Patton wasn’t going to push his fellow side like that, and they all compromised on only keeping certain pokemon that they’d all become attached to – mostly due to the fact that their attachments would take some of the strain off of the creative side.

Out in the dirt courtyard of the castle located near the entrance to the imagination, Roman had placed a battling area for the pokemon, giving all of them a place to battle in a regulated, enclosed space.

“Servine is unable to battle.” Patton called out, “All three of Deceit’s pokemon have fainted! Roman wins! Yay Roman!” The moral side applauded, causing the Lillipup currently resting in his lap to yap alongside.

Roman laughed heartily, “Of course I won. What were you thinking, putting your grass type out against my superior flying type?” Alto soared over to rest upon Roman’s head, allowing her trainer to give her well earned scritches.

Deceit rolled his eyes, “It was because I have no knowledge of typing and most definitely had nothing to do with the fact I only had one pokemon left and therefore had no other options.” As he spoke, he returned the pokemon to its pokeball

“Now Deceit, be nice…” Patton chastised.

“Apologies.” Deceit sarcastically responded before stalking off to who knew where.

Patton went to say something to Roman, but was cut off by the creative side, “It’s quite alright, Patton. Not even the attitude from a slippery snake can dampen my mood!”

“Well, good! Let’s heal everyone up before the final match!” Patton hopped up from his cross-legged position on the ground and took Roman off to the side. Instead of battling on his own, Patton had taken the role of judge and healer. He found it was far more rewarding to help the fainted and injured pokemon than be the reason why they were hurt in the first place. Due to the fairly decisive victory, Roman’s pokemon took very little time to heal.

“There you go! All better now!” Patton handed the pokeballs back over to Roman, who replaced them back into their places on his belt. The moral side then looked around and bit his lip a little in worry, “I’m sorry, kiddo… but I need to go and find out where Dee went. Are you alright to wait just a little longer?”

“Of course he is!” came a third excited voice, who made both sides jump with his sudden presence and arms over their shoulders.

Roman’s smile fell and he sighed heavily, “I hate to admit this… but, for once, my brother is right… It’s more than fine for you to attend to business, Patton.”

“If you require a moderator, I am free to fulfil that role in Patton’s absence.” Logan cut in.

“Ooo! Yes! Let’s murder both of these birds with the stone!” Remus gleefully clapped his hands and hopped in place, whilst the other sides simply agreed to Logan’s proposition.

The two sides of creativity took a spot at each end of the field, staring each other down; Roman with a hardened glare that aimed to strike fear in his brother, Remus with his signature unhinged grin and twitching fingers hovering just over the balls resting against his side.

“The usual format and rules apply. Three pokemon per user, first to have all three faint is the loser. Are we agreed on this?” Logan called out. Both of the participants nodded. “Let the battle commence!”

Roman tossed out his first ball, summoning his precious swablu onto the field. Both looked as determined as the other. Remus, on the opposite side, released his first pokemon and everyone in attendance immediately grimaced.

“What in the heck is that thing?!” Roman yelled.

“It’s an Arctozolt! Isn’t he just a precious little monster?” Remus coo’d, making kissy faces at the abomination before him.

Logan’s eyes darted between the two for a moment, clearly having knowledge that Roman did not. The prince was going to ask what had the logical side looking as though he was nervous for him but decided against it. Instead, he steeled his resolve.

“Alto, Cotton Guard!”

Using her wings, Alto managed to surround her entire body in layers of almost invisible cotton, using it almost as a shield against anything that would attack her. She then seemed to brace herself, watching the pokemon before her carefully.

“Thundershock!”

Time seemed to stop for a second as Roman heard the command. He hadn’t even considered the fact that Arctozolt had the type advantage, especially since he’d never seen it before. Now that he was helpless to do much other than stare, Roman managed to notice the thunderbolt-like growths on the pokemon’s top half and that it was shivering, which may indicate that it was also partially ice type. His thoughts were cut short as Alto screeched in pain as the electric attack hit her square on.

“Alto!” Roman cried out. He watched as the swablu dropped in the air slightly but managed to catch herself before hitting the floor. He let out a soft sigh of relief, “Shake it off and use Round!”

Alto did just that, physically shaking her body to clear herself of the shock before soaring in circles for a few seconds, ending up heading directly for Arctozolt, hitting it square in the chest. The odd pokemon recoiled slightly after the hit, but still seemed to be feeling alright. The same could not be said for Roman as he saw the smile on his brother’s face grow even larger.

“Arctie, use Avalanche!”

Once again, Roman cursed himself internally. “Alto, avoid as much as you can!” He called out, trying his best to get his beloved swablu to not take as much damage as humanly possible.

It was effective somewhat as Alto did avoid several hits, but it always put her in the path of another part of the attack. Overall, it was a severe hit and Alto’s energy seemed to be waning as she was taking far more effort in order to keep herself in the air. Thankfully, the cotton that surrounded her body did help in staving off some of the damage.

Racking his brain, Roman tried to think of the best way to win the battle that seemed almost completely impossible.

“What’s wrong, brother?” Remus jeered from the opposite side of the field, “Having problems?”

Roman glared harshly at Remus before issuing another command, “Alto, sing!”

Alto responded immediately. She swooped in to hang in the air just a short distance from Arctozolt and began to sing a soft melody, attempting to put the creature to sleep. However, before it could really take effect, Remus called out for Arctozolt to use another move.

“Use Echoed Voice!”

The abomination began to screech loudly, the sound causing most everyone in the surrounding area to cover their ears. Alto drifted backwards, clearly in pain from the hit to her senses, her song being cut short. She began to float downwards towards the ground, looking as though she were about to admit defeat. She turned slightly and was able to notice Roman staring at her, worry coursing through him. Her eyes started to shut as she fell closer and closer to the ground.

“Alto, no!”

Her body touched the ground for a brief second before erupting in a flash of light. Yet again, everyone in attendance flinched and avoided using one of their senses until the light died down.

Remus’ grin dropped completely off of his face as his mouth fell open once he’d caught sight of where Alto had once been.

In place of the small round fluffy-winged bird was a far larger version. Its neck extended upwards, causing her to look far more intimidating as she could look down upon him and its cloud like wings curled around its lower body, looking as though the wings were what made up the creature instead. Just behind, his brother was also as shocked.

“Uh Logan. Information please!”

“Alto evolved into her final stage, that being an Altaria. Her typing has now changed, becoming a primary dragon type with the same secondary flying type as its pre-evolved state.” Logan offered.

“That has to be cheating! That’s his second pokemon now, right?!” Remus pouted, stamping his foot like an angry child.

“Not at all. Evolution is a natural process of the pokemon species as a whole and it cannot be timed, at least in the case of the majority of evolutions. In terms of our ruleset, it is the amount of fainted pokemon that provide us with the final result. As Alto has only evolved and is, in fact, still very much present and aware, it still counts as Roman’s first pokemon.” Logan side-eyed the moustached side as he explained.

Roman was still a little surprised but was more than ready to fight back with his now larger cloud bird. Something in him just knew that Alto had learned something new, so he acted without much thought, “Alto! Dragon Breath!”

Alto reared back as she took in a large breath, physically puffing herself up in preparation. She stared straight ahead at the Arctozolt before letting the blue flames pour from her beak, engulfing the odd creature entirely. Remus also yelped and attempted to shield himself as the edges of the attack came close to reaching his position. The flames dissipated after a moment and Arctozolt seemed to be wobbling back and forth slightly before it fell over and was removed from the competition.

After two more quick battles, Roman was declared the victor of the small tournament and Remus went off to lick his wounds – everyone was sure that wasn’t just a turn of phrase when it came to the intrusive side. Patton returned shortly after the match and was more than a little enamoured with the giant cloud bird. Shortly after, the sides returned to their jobs and things went back to normal.

Later in the evening, Patton headed back into the imagination to call Roman for dinner, since he was nowhere to be found in the regular mindscape.

“Roman? Where are you? Dinner’s ready!” Patton called out into the distance as he wandered around the edge of the castle. He rounded a corner and had to clamp a hand over his mouth in order to muffle a happy squeal.

Alto was sleeping soundly, resting at the base of a tree on the edges of the forest. Curled up in her cloud-like wings was the figure of Roman. Evidently, he’d tired himself out and Alto had offered her soft wings as a base for him to nap. Patton quietly headed back, making a mental note to put Roman’s plate in the fridge for when he woke up.

---

My other stuff: http://nekoabi.tumblr.com/myworks Mobile Accessible Masterlist: http://nekoabi.tumblr.com/post/181954641376/fic-masterlist

General Tag List: @not-so-innocent-bi-sander @didsomeonesayprince @llamaly @justanotherpurplebutterfly  @iaminmultiplefandoms @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @lowkeyvirgilobsessed @louisthewarlock @fangsandrainbows @xxladystarlightxx @sleepyssnail @ao-koshka @notalwaysthevillian @pumpkinminette @doces-e--tuga @coloursintheblur @safesandersides @hogwarts-my-love

[quilloftheclouds]

The Side Cast of One Siren’s Soul

“Colin! Nice to see yer up. Or, well. Down.” George offered a hand to help me to my feet. I accepted it gratefully.

“Sun got in my eyes, that’s all.” The sailor chuckled as he cocked his head, a wide smile crossing his freckled face.

“Riiight. And I’m the captain.”

NAME: George Atkins PRONOUNS: Cis Man - He/Him AGE: Mid-forties OCCUPATION: Deckhand on board the Diluculo DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Loads of freckles; bright red hair; very tall and very strong. Known as “the gentle giant”.

Tag | Intro/Playlist | Basic Stats

Isabel García-Ramírez reached only to Dione’s chest when the woman stepped up to her. The height difference did nothing to sway her dread, particularly when the pirate unsheathed her massive cutlass to whip the blade up to the witch’s chin, forcing her to tilt her head back.

“You never did answer where Colin went.”

NAME: Isabel García-Ramírez PRONOUNS: Cis Woman - She/Her AGE: Late thirties OCCUPATION: Deckhand on board the Diluculo DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Missing right arm; brightly embroidered dresses and sashes; giant heckin’ cutlass; dark eyes (that are always glaring at something)

Tag | Intro/Playlist | Basic Stats

“Mr. Everett.” Her voice was smooth, her tone cold as she lifted a small, anchor-shaped paperweight from our reluctant business partner’s desk. The bronze of its surface glinted menacingly in the candlelight as she twirled the object in her pristinely white gloved hand, disinterested. “I trust you have the contract for what we agreed on? It would be best for all parties concerned if you did not simply invite me here to waste the Royal Navy's time.”

NAME: Captain Io Sørenson... as far as we know. PRONOUNS: Cis Woman - She/Her AGE: "Almost 30" but does not look it OCCUPATION: Captain of the Royal Navy’s Compass DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Very tiny; hazel eyes; always wearing white gloves; seems near emotionless.

Tag | Intro/Playlist | Basic Stats

Rose shifted her jaw, eventually settling with a huff.

“I don’t have time for this.” Her smirk soon returned, though, her eyes narrowed. “I can’t wait to see how you find your way out of this one, Solarin. Good luck with the gallows.” She turned with a shrug, her giggling followed her down the hall as she left, waving a farewell of ill-will over her shoulder.

NAME: Damini “Rose” Acharya PRONOUNS: Cis Woman - She/Her AGE: Unknown - Looks around late twenties OCCUPATION: Second Mate of the Royal Navy’s Compass DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Always wears dark hair in some sort of braid; black eyes; climbs things Very Recklessly all the time; giggles like a child (usually when bad things are happening).

Tag | Intro/Playlist | Basic Stats

Though his slight smile would usually signify otherwise, his creased brows carried a deep sorrow---or a shallow guise, attempting to gain my trust for later manipulation. I narrowed my eye further.

“It’s… it’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you.” Soft, compared to the terse words he had spoken to the guard.

NAME: "Sindre"...? PRONOUNS: Cis Boy - He/Him/They/Them AGE: Unknown - Looks about 17, acts older OCCUPATION: Third Mate of the Royal Navy’s Compass DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Long, snowy blonde hair; lanky build; eyes that aren't quite blue or green or black or white. You forget he’s there half the time because he’s so quiet.

Tag | Intro/Playlist | Basic Stats

Find links and tags for One Siren’s Soul under the cut!

WIP Page | Link Directory | General Tag | Excerpts | Worldbuilding

Hey, remember when I made these for the narrators of One Siren’s Soul? Look! I finally made the rest of the main cast! Yay! Featuring some lovely out of context spoilers, ooh~

OSS Taglist; @scottishhellhound​ @mvcreates​ @half-explored​ @waterfallwritings​ @runningonrain​ @bookish-actor​ @bookenders​ @mouwwie​ @onfablesandfictions​ @anaestheticdisaster​ @yearlyaquariace​ @elizabethsyson​ @your-local-imagination-station​ @imaghostwriter​ @orphicodysseywrites​ @esoteric-eclectic-eccentric​ @elisabethrosewrites​ @lookslikechill​ @fuyuuki513​ @purpleshadows1989​ @fiama-l-hernandez​​ @tenacious-scripturient​ @mackerelwrites​​ @writingwitherebus​ @lady-redshield-writes​ @bloomseey-writes​ @livvywrites​ @planets-and-prose​ @halfbloodlycan​ @penzag​ @sunlight-and-starskies​ @pen-in-hand​ @scribe-the-write-thing​ @leave-her-a-tome​ @royalbounties​ @ardawyn​ @klywrites​ @dogwrites​ @semblanche​ @tricksexual​ @writingnosefreak​ @nicxtii-ine​ @hecataes​ @dove-actually​ @kriss-the-writing-nerd​ @vhum​ @writinginslowmotion​ @wrenegade-writes​ @wildswrites​ @kowlazovdi​ @weathershade​ @thewritinggodmother​ @ettawritesnstudies​ @belles-library​ @emdrabbles​ @iced-ginger-tea​ @griffinwriting​ @aepreall​ @milkyway-writes​ @writeblrbraindump​ @dowings​ @evelyn-paine​ @eluari​ @mavenbarrow​ @rainydaydarling​ @reeseweston​ @surroundedbypearls​ @septemberliterature​ @romildas​ @books-of-lunacy​ @stardustscribes​ @cirianne​ @authoressasusual​ @velvetinewitch​ @crystallized-ink​ @drowsy-quill​ @the-writers-blocks​ @wildswrites​ @wiseauthorowl​

[ladyaudentium]

Confectionary Affection

Title: Confectionary Affection Fandom: Final Fantasy Crisis Core Rating: T Pairing: AngealxOC Characters: Angeal Hewley, Zack Fair, Genesis Rhapsodos, Original Characters Links: A03, FF.net 

"Morning, Kali!" the bell above the bakery door jingled a girl's entry. The sun had only just risen, and the misty light was beginning to illuminate the darkened dining area. She turned on the lights and the cafe was brought to life.

The colorful pictures of flowers and fruit backed by a cheerful, pastel blue paint with fluffy white clouds adorned the walls; an attempt to help people forget about the metal jungle they lived in.

Another young woman was already present, working diligently in the kitchen, "Good morning, Anri!" Kali -a nickname for Kalika- called from the kitchen where she was just pulling a fresh batch of cupcakes out of the oven. The previous batch was still cooling on the counter and there was enough batter left for a half batch afterwards. Carefully pulling the red velvet cupcakes out of the tin, they were gently set on the wire cooling rack.

"It smells so good in here! I don't know how you can be so productive so early!" the cheery girl announced from behind the blue haired baker as she entered the small, but well equipped kitchen.

"Don't touch those scones!" Kalika warned her, turning sharply and brandishing the batter covered spatula as threateningly as she could.

The brown haired girl jumped backwards, hastily pulling her hand away from the blueberry scones that were cooled and ready to be set out in the display case. Her green eyes were open wide with shock and guilt at being caught red handed. "I wasn't!" she cried, a blush adorned her cheeks, "Stingy!" was the last thing she noted before walking in a huff back out to the dining area to bring the chairs down from the tables and open the register.

Chuckling, Kalika went back to filling the last of the cupcake tin with the batter, and put them into the preheated oven. Setting the timer for 20 minutes, she turned back and began to pipe icing onto the newly cooled cupcakes, brushing a wayward piece of periwinkle hair back behind her ear, "Once I finish these cupcakes, we'll have some breakfast before the cafe opens."

"Yay! That's why you're the best, Kali!"

She grinned, and focused on the swirls of cream cheese icing. They had to be perfect. The world fell away as the blue haired woman concentrated. Her hands worked deftly to gracefully swirl the icing around in a perfect circle. The smell of the sugar and the freshly baked cake lulled her into a peaceful haze of concentration, soon she was lost in her work.

Kalika swirled the icing onto the cupcake and then dusted with gold sprinkles before topping with a tempered chocolate swirl for decoration. The oven beeped, signalling the last batch of red velvet cupcakes were finished baking. Quickly switching gears, Kalika grabbed her oven gloves and pulled the cakes out of the oven. Like the previous batch, she carefully pulled them out of the tin before she set them on the newly vacant wire rack to cool.

The mini chocolate cakes were next as she switched piping bags to the one with strawberry icing and layered a generous amount over the top and sides before smoothing it out. She grabbed a third bag with a decorating tip attached and began to detail swirls and dots of vanilla. The cakes were finished with a large dollop of vanilla and a sliced strawberry spread in a fan shape squished into the icing.

Afterwards, the second batch of red velvet cupcakes were cool enough to be iced. The young woman treated them the same as the first, gracefully swirling the icing-

"KALI!"

She screamed and fisted her hands in shock, causing cream cheese icing to splatter all over her white apron and the cupcake she was currently icing, ruining it.

"WHAT?!" Kalika yelled, crimson eyes flashing with anger over being disturbed and simultaneously ruining the perfectly innocent cupcake before her.

"It's nearly opening time and we still haven't eaten the breakfast you promised me." Anri deadpanned, crossing her arms to glare more effectively.

The baker glanced at the clock which sure enough read 6:47, the cafe was due to open in less than 15 minutes; Anri had gotten here at 6:00am. Kalika had gotten lost in her decorating for over 45 minutes while her coworker had completed the rest of the opening duties.

"I uhh…" the silence hung in the air.

"So… since you forgot -again- we'll call it even if you give me that ruined cupcake and one of the blueberry scones, deal?" the Cheshire grin over Anri's normally innocent features was strangely fitting.

Sighing in defeat knowing she was right, Kalika handed her the splattered cupcake and one of the freshly glazed blueberry scones. She took the opportunity to grab one for herself before walking to the front of the house to make a nice cup of coffee to enjoy before the cafe opened for the morning rush.

Together, they sat at one of the tables and watched as the sun continued to rise and brighten the cafe further. Both girls sat in comfortable silence, at ease with each others' presence. Plus, once the cafe was open, silence and rest would become a distant memory, this was the calm before the storm.

The clock on the wall chimed 7:00am as Kalika sipped the last drop of her beverage. "Well, that's the end of our peace and quiet." getting up, she placed her empty cup behind the counter to wash later and went to unlock the door, officially opening the bakery and cafe, 'Confectionary Affection'.

Almost immediately customers came streaming in and with a merry, "Welcome" or "Good morning" over her shoulder, Kalika hurried into the back where the kitchen was. The sooner she was out of sight, the better.

Making sure the bandana covering her brightly colored hair was still securely in place, Kalika stepped into the safety of the back kitchen. Another day, another adventure. Rolling up her sleeves, she began to place each of the completed cupcakes on a tray and brought them out to the front.

Anri was busy chatting with customers, making coffees, and distributing pastries from the freshly stocked counter. The atmosphere was light and happy, people were laughing and enjoying themselves. Even those who were on their way to work seemed happy to be here, to enjoy the cheerful decorations, and a good cup of coffee. Possibly their only joy of the day.

"Wow… look at this place, who knew a cheesy place like this existed above the Plate?" a male voice mocked from the door above the cheerful din of the shop.

"Ugh, I know right? It makes my eyes hurt with all the color." an equally mocking voice replied. Together they laughed.

Kalika's eyes snapped up to the two men entering the cafe, on their backs were swords and under their arms were three eyed helmets.

"Excuse me" she called out as the cafe silenced, "there are no weapons permitted inside this cafe, please leave them outside or in the designated area beside the door." she gestured to the stands and wall racks for proper weapon storage.

The Shinra guards made sounds of disgust, "You do know that we're Shinra employees, right? This dingey, fake-ass place is only able to exist because of us!"

Kalika glowered, her crimson eyes flashing with hatred and resentment. "Those are the rules in my establishment, whether you're Shinra or not has no relevance in the matter. Weapons at the door, or leave, those are your choices."

The whole cafe was watching at this point, to see what would happen between the bakery owner and the two Shinra swordsmen. In times like this, Kalika was happy her eyes were such an unnerving color; as she stared down the two men, refusing to break eye contact, she could tell they were beginning to become uncomfortable with her gaze.

"Tch, fine, this place isn't worth it anyways." the first guard spat, turning on his heel to push past his buddy and make his rather over exaggerated, and disgraced exit. His buddy wasn't far behind.

The cafe door slammed and Kalika flinched at the sound. The entire cafe turned to face her, the silence was deafening, the whispers that started up afterwards even more so. A deep blush colored her face as the young woman hurried back through the swinging kitchen door.

"Venti double mocha frappuccino for Reika!" Anri called, breaking the silence as some sense of normality came back to the flow of the cafe.

"Did you know she had red eyes? How scary…" one such comment made it through the crack in the door.

Kalika fisted her hands over the decorating table, "Calm down, it's not worth it…" she hissed to herself. Don't they know that her eye color wasn't a choice? It wasn't fair to be judged on something she had no control over. Her hands relaxed as she took a deep breath. Life wasn't fair, there was no use getting upset about it. She smiled contentedly, at least not while there were cupcakes to decorate.

Grabbing one of the cupcakes, the blue haired woman got back to work, and soon the incident with the comment about her eyes was all but forgotten. The noise and the din of the busy cafe melted away until Kalika was once again lost in her own world.

Once the cupcakes were finished, she took out a ball of dough that had been proofing in the fridge overnight and after deflating it with a quick hit, she placed it into a lined loaf pan and set it in the oven to bake fully. Then she took out another ball of dough, and began to chop it into halves, and then quarters until she had eighths remaining in front of her. Lightly brushing them with some olive oil, she finished with a dusting of sesame and poppy seeds before putting them aside to await their turn in the oven.

The work continued with croissants, and biscuits until it was time to pull the fresh loaf out and place it to cool while the smaller buns took its place.

"Hey, Kali!" a cheery voice called and her concentration was broken. Glancing up, the blue haired woman saw Anri standing in the doorway with a cheery grin, "It's almost two, but the cafe has died down, I'm going to take a break and go grab some lunch, do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you. I'll watch the front while you're gone." Kalika responded as she took off her apron that protected the black bandana around her chest and the blue button up shirt she left open.

"Okay, see you later! Don't scare anyone away while I'm gone!" the cheery girl called as the door jingled her escape.

As Kalika sat down on the bar stool behind the register, she noticed that her coworker had been right, the bustling crowd had all but disappeared. Only two tables were occupied; one with a solitary man reading the newspaper by the window and another with a group of girls giggling excitedly over their desserts and sugary coffees.

Taking a look at the desserts display, the young woman noted that they were beginning to run low on a few items and made a trip into the back to retrieve more from the fridge. The bell jingled as she returned to the front, "Welcome!" Kalika called out to the newcomers over her shoulder as she used her back to open the door separating the kitchen from the dining area.

"Woah! Look at these Angeal! They look so delicious!"

The young woman looked up to see a boy's face almost completely squished against the glass of her pastry display case, his breath was fogging up the glass as he ogled the wide variety of desserts held within.

'Puppy…' was the only thing she could think as she blinked in surprise.

"Zack, we don't have time for idle stops like this, we need to get back to headquarters." a deep commanding voice spoke slightly to her left and when she turned to see who it belonged to, Kalika dropped the tray she was holding which clattered noisily to the counter in front of her.

SOLDIER, First Class, Angeal Hewley.

She could feel the blood rush from her head leaving her slightly dizzy, as he turned his attention to her. His eyes, they were a bright piercing blue that could only come from Mako. She couldn't draw her gaze away. The world was drowned out by the sound of her own heartbeat. His mouth moved as his eyebrows angled downwards but everything was growing blurry and she was having trouble keeping balance.

Kalika's vision turned white as she fell to the side. Her mind knew she was falling, but her limbs refused to move. Wind whistled in her ears, somewhere in the distance there was an exclamation of some kind before she was cushioned by something soft. It smelled nice too, it reminded her of home, of greenery.

"Hey! What's the matter, are you okay?" a deep voice rumbled in the vague distance. Two fingers appeared under her neck against her pulse. With a jolt, Kalika came back to awareness as she stared into two glowing blue eyes framed by a wreath of raven black hair.

Angeal Hewley, SOLDIER, First Class.

He had caught her. She had fallen and he had caught her. A deep blush spread up her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

"Hey Angeal, what happened?" A second head appeared from behind Angeal, more bright blue eyes and black spiky hair.

For a brief moment to address his companion, the First Class SOLDIER looked away, but before he could respond, the door jingled after someone's arrival. "Kali, I'm back! I also grabbed you something 'cause you probably haven't…" Anri trailed off when she noticed the situation.

"It's not what it looks like!" Kalika squeaked as she quickly freed herself from Angeal's grasp and took several wobbly steps away from him to lean against the bar stool she'd been occupying before.

There were several beats of confused silence between them before it was broken by the younger boy, "Angeal, you should be proud! She took one look at you and fainted, usually only Genesis gets that kind of reaction!" he was grinning ear to ear as Kalika turned even redder than before.

"Zack-!"

"-That's not what it was!" The First Class SOLDIER and the blue haired baker started at the same time, not caring about how it was rude -not to mention dangerous- it was to cut off this particular person, the young woman steamrolled through her sentence to clear her name "I fainted because i have a low blood sugar!"

"I knew it! You haven't eaten since before we opened! Jeez…" Anri cut before either of the men could speak up.

Three sets of eyes were on her all at once and she could feel the blood run from her face under all their combined stares. Each one had a different form of judgement from accusatory to confused concern.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, whatever you'd like to have, there's no charge." Kalika murmured as quickly as she could before making a hasty retreat into the back away from their prying eyes.

Voices called for her to stay, but she ignored them as she made her way to the back door to get some fresh air and solitude to sort her head out. How embarrassing! Sliding down the door, she put her head between her knees to hide the bright red blush that was rapidly heating her face and neck once again.

She'd fainted! Fainted! Right in front of Angeal Hewley of all people! Not only that, but then he'd caught her, was concerned for her and then the other one, Zack, thought she'd fainted because of an infatuation with him!

She knew who he was, of course she did! There wasn't a soul in Midgar who didn't know the three First Class SOLDIERs. They were practically celebrities, the poster boys for the Shinra SOLDIER program.

Quietly screaming under her breath, Kalika couldn't decide what was the most mortifying, the fainting, the concern, or the wrongful accusation.

A metallic squeak was the only warning she had before a bump to the young woman's back sent her sprawling forwards, landing on the dirty pavement. "I keep telling you to stop sitting directly behind the door, how many times do I have to plant you face first in the dirt before you'll realize it's a bad idea?" Anri scolded her.

"This time it feels appropriate. I wish I could become the dirt." the young woman spread her arms out to either side as if to embrace the ground, "Please swallow me, anything's better than going back in there."

The brunette scoffed, "You big baby, you're worrying about it too much, besides, everyone's left anyways."

"I'm still not going back in, please just let me wallow in peace for a little while longer."

"Nope! You need to get your butt back in there and eat the sandwich I had enough forethought to buy you."

As if in anticipation of receiving sustenance, the blue haired woman's stomach growled loudly. There was a long silence between them before Kalika relented, "Fine…"

Grudgingly she picked herself up off the ground and dusted the front of her clothes off as best she could, there were a few dirt smudges and blemishes, but those would be easily hidden by her apron. She turned back towards the door where Anri stood, one hand on her hip and the other on the door handle. Glowering half heartedly at her friend Kalika followed her back into the bakery.

As a force of habit, she began to make her way into the kitchen, but an arm blocked her, "Uh-uh, nope, you're going to sit outside and take a break to eat that sandwich like I said."

Blue eyebrows lowered over red eyes, "But I can eat just fine back here. Why do I need to be out front?"

Green eyes sparkled with an intention the young woman couldn't quite discern, "Because there's nowhere to sit back here, silly! This is to be your break! Don't worry, there's no one out there, and I closed us for a little while, so you don't have to worry about anyone else coming in while you're out there."

"I suppose that's fine then…"

With one last too-wide smile from the young girl, Kalika was pushed through the swinging doors into the main area of the cafe. Instantly her blood ran cold and her hair stood on end.

The cafe was indeed closed and everyone had left. Everyone except the two SOLDIERs.

Zack waved at her from one of the tables where he was happily munching on a blueberry scone with a red velvet cupcake sitting untouched on a plate. Angeal sat reclined in the chair across from his protege, one arm resting on the table and the other resting in his lap. A simple ceramic mug was placed in front of him, steam rose from the contents. A small coffee, Kalika guessed.

Turning back around, the young woman intended to make a hasty retreat back into the kitchen only to be confronted with a still grinning Anri. Suddenly everything made sense, "You lied to me." Kalika hissed as quietly as she could.

"Oh, I don't know about that, here! Don't forget this!" a sandwich was pushed into her hands and the blue haired woman's mouth dropped open. She had known that Kalika would try to make a break back into the kitchen and prepared for it.

Clearly she had underestimated this young girl's scheming abilities. She would have to be careful in the future.

"Now get out there! You look crazy right now. I'll stay back here and mind the rest of the blueberry scones." with that the door swung shut in her face and Kalika was left to face her fears.

Taking a deep breath, she turned around and made a direct path to the stool behind the register but was stopped when an excited voice broke the silence of the room, "Come sit with us Kalika! Take a break, get your strength up so the sight of Angeal doesn't-ow!" the older man in question had smacked him lightly with a fist. Likely to silence him quickly and effectively, Kalika was grateful before he said something that would embarrass everyone.

"That's enough out of you for now until you apologise." he stated firmly and the young boy looked up.

"Apologise?" his head cocked to the side in confusion.

"Puppy…" Kalika murmured under her breath before she could stop herself.

"Yes, you accused her of something that was not true and then took advantage of her hospitality. Now," Angeal pulled the younger man up by the scruff of his uniform and then forced him into a bow, "apologise and thank her for the sweets."

"I'm sorry I said you had fainted because of Angeal, it was insensitive of me. Thank you for your hospitality. The scone and the cupcake are delicious!" Zack announced formally and somewhat disjointedly, the juxtaposition was so great that Kalika was at a loss for what to say for several beats of silence.

"It's okay, no harm done. I'm glad you like the pastries. I make them all myself every morning." she smiled, genuinely pleased that he was enjoying her baking so much.

"You have true skill." Angeal stated, his compliment completely genuine, "Please join us. It's the least I can offer to make up for this one's poor behavior." he once again clapped a hand on Zack's shoulder.

To continue refusing their offer to join them at this point would be rude and with a small sigh, Kalika sat down in the empty chair at their table. This was beyond surreal, here she was having lunch with two members of SOLDIER, one of which was a First Class. Not only that but he was so nice and down to earth, nothing like the arrogance and pride she anticipated.

Once again, a blush threatened to make itself known on her face, and in an attempt to stave it off she took a larger-than-normal bite of her sandwich. It wasn't fair! How could someone be so good looking and so genuine at the same time.

"You said you make all these yourself? That's incredible! You must work really hard every day!" Zack exclaimed with a mouthful of food. Angeal frowned disapprovingly over the rim of his coffee cup at his young protege's lack of manners.

Kalika smiled despite the food in her mouth and quickly swallowed. "I really couldn't do it without Anri to help me. She works really hard as well to be responsible for the front area here, I just wish I could hire someone to help her." the young woman sighed as she took a much smaller bite of her food this time.

"You are the manager, then?" Angeal asked to keep the conversation going.

"The owner," she corrected him, "this is my cafe, I built it up from nothing with the money my parents left me after their death. It's always been my dream to own and run a bakery. It's hard work every day for sure, but I couldn't be happier to do it." Kalika grinned as she looked back at her two companions

Like this, without anyone else, the world was falling away. There was no Shinra, no SOLDIER, no troubles at all. It was like three equal people, enjoying each other's company. The flowery scenery and blue sky depicted on the walls gave the open feeling they were no longer in the metal Midgar but somewhere far away.

"I'm sure your parents are very proud you are following your dreams." Angeal stated with an underlying air of respect. The young woman looked up, meeting his glowing blue gaze with her crimson.

"I can only hope that they would be proud of my accomplishments, but even if they're not, I am. This place brings happiness to many people every day, including myself, and I couldn't ask for more." Glancing at the clock on the wall, she noted that it was getting late. "Although I should get back to work now, we'll have to reopen in soon for the evening crowd."

"We also need to return to headquarters, Zack make sure not to leave a mess, we've already taken advantage of their hospitality enough." Angeal ordered and just like that the illusion was shattered. Shinra exists, they were both prominent members of SOLDIER and she was naught but a common baker. The gap between them was too wide to even consider building a bridge.

The young boy, in haste to finish his cupcake, tilted his head back and dropped the remaining third into his mouth. Kalika had to fight the smile that threatened the corners of her mouth while Angeal could only look disappointed.

"It'sh re'lly gud. Th'nk you!" he said through his mouthful of cupcake which Kalika was somehow able to translate to "it's really good. Thank you". The breach of etiquette was the final straw for Angeal who grabbed the young boy by the scruff of his uniform and dragged him around the table towards the door.

It was at that moment that Kalika saw the swords that occupied the racks she'd had specifically installed to hold weapons safely. Two were typical SOLDIER swords, but the third was a large buster sword. It was sharpened on only one side and had an intricate gold hilt. Angeal attached it and one of the standard swords to his back.

"Wait!" Anri called from the back as she burst through the swinging doors, a wrapped package in her hands. "Take these too, make sure to share them and maybe mention our name for us, kay?" she winked and held out the wrapped box.

Angeal looked unsure, but Zack was all too eager to accept the package, "You bet! We're going to tell everyone we know about this place! Right, Angeal?"

"It would be dishonorable not to do so." The older man turned back to the blue haired woman and offered a small bow, "Thank you for your hospitality, it will not be forgotten."

Kalika smiled brightly, "Anytime."

As the SOLDIERs exited, Kalika watched them leave. She wondered vaguely if she'd ever see them again but as the door shut and they disappeared from view, any fantasies she'd entertained of speaking with them again evaporated. Soon today would fall into happy memory that she would carefully lock away and only bring out to admire every so often.

Confectionary affection indeed.