#yeah they are kind of just. ocs now. whoops

[mizzyislost]

apparently theres some rain world fandom discourse going around?? thats crazy anyways heres my gourmand and artificer as one of my favorite pieces of sonic fanart (its the last one)

[callsign-magnolia]

Undiagnosed // Ch. 21

Mature Content 18+

Jake Seresin x Neurodivergent OC

Summary: Katie Blair grew up trying to be the perfect daughter. She always struggled to be the prim and proper little girl her parents wanted. Big personality as a kid, but now at 25, she's the shy admiral's daughter who just keeps her head down and tries to get through law school. So what happens when she's had enough and with help from a certain Lieutenant, she gets out.

Warnings: Emotional abuse, trauma response, abusive parents, smut, mentions of thoughts of suicide.

Word Count: 3.6k

Chapter 20 | Masterlist

“Who do you think you are-” “Shut up!” I yelled as I turned to face her. She closed the door a shocked look on her face. “How fucking dare you.” I said as I pointed at her. “How dare I?” I nodded. “Yeah. As I grew up I realized what a shitty mother you were but I never expected this kind of low from you!” She was reeling. “Shitty mother? You should be grateful to us! We raised you with only the best-” “AND I WAS MISERABLE!” I screamed. “You raised me with so much fucking trauma! You want to know why I was so ‘emotional’? Maybe you should read these!” I tossed the papers at her, the paper clip keeping them together. She grabbed them and within a second her face fell. “How did you get these?” She asked. “My doctor gave them to me when I went to see her today. Asked me of I was taking anything for my ADHD and depression.” I’m sure my face was tinged red, showing how angry I am and I hope she understands the severity of this. “You didn’t tell me.” I seethed. “You didn’t tell me when you knew of ways to help me.” I said as I stepped closer. “Instead you let me suffer and struggle and be made fun of and called the weird kid my entire childhood.” I was in her face by the time I finished. “You let me suffer and consider suicide at fucking thirteen years old when I could’ve been in therapy and on medications to make me function better!” “They only gave us this diagnosis to shove pills down your throat! You don’t have any of this! You were and are just a bad misbehaved child! You needed what our parents gave and that was a good ass whooping! I messed up with you because I was too soft on you.” She stepped past me and I was shocked. 

“Too soft on me?! Smacking me in the face was too soft? Daddy beating the hell out of me with a belt was too soft?! You’re sick in the head!” I said and she scoffed. “I did what I had to do-” “No, you did what you thought was easy! Because you couldn’t buck up and be a decent person or a good mother! Because having patience for your child was too hard!” “WE COULDN’T HANDLE YOU!” She screamed in response. “YOU WERE THE WORST BEHAVED CHILD I HAD EVER MET!” It shouldn’t have but it stung. “We couldn’t handle you! I couldn’t stand to be in the same room with you! Especially when you were a baby! You would just cry and cry and I almost just stopped taking care of you all together but I knew if you died your father and I would be in prison!” My chest heaved at her words. It hit me hard how little she truly cared. I walked over and snatched the papers as a coughing fit hit me. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and you’ll drop dead. It’s the least you deserve after all these years of torture and abuse.” She laughed loudly at my words. “I’ll be here good and long after you’re dead. If I’m lucky I’ll watch them lower your casket.” I stopped in my tracks at her words. “No, you won’t. Because now I have a happy life and I’m away from the misery you’ve inflicted on me!” I said as I turned away from her and headed for the door. “Oh by the way, I was at the doctors for a flu diagnosis. Hopefully one of your lungs will collapse and you’ll suffer on the floor.” Her face dropped. My mom rarely got sick but she’s in her sixties so she’s more susceptible. “You little bitch!” She rushed forward and raised her hand but my fingers wrapped around her wrist, effectively stopping her. My free hand came back before my own palm connected with her face and she stumbled back. 

My chest heaved as I looked at her down on the floor, holding her face as she breathed heavily. “It hurts doesn’t it?” I asked and she moved her hand, revealing a red mark. “All the times you and daddy hit me, it didn’t just hurt physically. I sat there and I wondered what I could’ve done to deserve it, what made you hate me. But now I know all I had to do was be born. Don’t worry, you’ll never see or hear from me again. You can start pretending I never existed.” With that I walked out the front door, slamming it on my way out. I got in the truck and immediately left. I picked up my medicine before going home. As soon as I was home I grabbed all my stuff and went inside. When I got the door closed and latched everything hit me at once. I leaned against the door as the sobs hit and sunk down till my knees were against my chest. I almost feel like it would be better if I did something to make them hate me, but simply my mere existence made my mother want to go as far as kill me. Having my mother confirm they never loved me hit hard and I feel like my heart is being split apart. Eventually I got up and took a shower, knowing it may make me feel a little better. Once I was out I dried off, took my medicine and crawled into the spare bed in the guest room. I wanted to do my best to keep Jake from getting sick and that meant sleeping in here for a while. My mind raced with all the thoughts and memories of my parents, how I never truly did anything, they just hated me. Tears ran down my face, soaking my neck and pillow as I cried myself to sleep. 

Fingers ran through my hair and roused me from my sleep. “Hey, darlin’. Why you in here?” Jake whispered, leaning down to kiss my temple. “I didn’t wanna get you sick.” I mumbled. “I appreciate that. What did the doctor say?” Everything came rushing back and tears came to my eyes. I sat straight up, keeping the covers against my chest as I looked away from him. “I-I do have the flu.” I said as I rubbed my eyes. He hummed and kissed my bare shoulder. “I’ll make some soup for dinner.” I shook my head. “You don’t have to. I’m not hungry.” He raised a brow at me. “Are you sure?” I nodded, giving him a small smile. “I’m sure.” He sighed and kissed my head again. “Okay, you’ll holler if you need me right?” I nodded as I laid back down and he stood. “I love you, Jake.” I whispered as he walked towards the door. “I love you too, Katie.” He closed the door behind him and my tears came back. I leaned over to my purse in the chair next to the bed and pulled out my diagnosis papers. I read over them the words depression, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and autism glared at me from the white paper. If Jake saw this would he change his mind? Would he no longer love me? The thought terrified me. I couldn’t lose him. He’s a big part of me figuring out who I am without my parents, I’m not sure I could turn around and figure out who I am without him. “I won’t tell him. He can’t know.” I said as I stuffed the papers back in my purse, laying down again. “I can’t tell him. “ I muttered, fingers gripping my pillow tightly. 

Two days later I still felt like shit and I haven’t eaten. “Katie darlin’, you have to eat. You’re starving yourself right now.” Jake muttered as he came into the guest room. “Jake, I’m just not hungry.” I was sitting up in bed doing some school work and this was the third time today he’s asked me to eat. I’ve been drinking a bunch of water but I had no appetite. “You’re not going to get any better just sitting there and not eating. You’re only gonna get weaker and it’ll take you longer to get over this.” I huffed, closing my eyes. “Jake. I am not hungry. Now please, stop pestering me about it.” I said. “Katie, you have to eat.” I slammed the lid of my laptop closed. “Jake! I am not hungry! Now for the love of God JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!” I yelled and he stepped back in surprise. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Jake, I'm sorry. I just don’t feel good and I just want to be left alone.” I set my laptop on the table and laid back down, my back to him and the door. He sighed before leaving and closing the door and more tears streamed down my face. Another day passed by, it was almost time for Jake to come home from work and I was in the kitchen finally trying to make myself something to eat. 

I had decided to just do some noodles with a little chicken and tomato sauce. The chicken was already cooked so I just tossed it into the pan with the sauce. I leaned against the counter reading as I waited and when the timer went off for the noodles I heard the front door open. I grabbed the pot and walked it to the sink to drain them but as I went to tilt it I lost my grip and the pot went into the floor spilling noodles and boiling water everywhere. “Katie?” Jake sounded concerned and came into the kitchen. I just stared at my food on the ground and everything within me broke. “Dammit!” I screamed, grabbing the pot and slamming it down onto the counter. “I can’t even just make fucking pasta!” I felt like all of my emotions were just gonna explode out of me. “What dumbass can’t make pasta?!” My hands went into my hair as tears burst from my eyes. I felt like I was having a complete breakdown. “Katie, darlin’. Your feet!” My feet had been covered in boiling water but I honestly couldn’t bring myself to care. Jake rushed over, lifting me till I was sat on the counter. “Oh, Katie, your feet.” They were an ugly shade of red and I could feel them throbbing. Jake cut the sink on and turned me till he could stick my feet under the cool water. “Stay there while I clean this up.” I just stared at my feet in the sink. Jake cleaned up my mess and took my chicken off the stove before turning to me. He cut the water off and grabbed a paper towel to dry my feet. “I’m sorry.” 

He looked at me with raised brows. “Why are you sorry?” He asked as I started to cry. “You just got home and I made a mess and I just let you clean it up. I should’ve stopped you and done it myself. God I’m such an awful person! I can’t even cook for myself without making a huge ass mess and I’ve been so mean to you when all you’ve tried to do is help me and-” I was startled when his large hands gently grabbed my face. “Hey, hey. Where is all this coming from?” He asked as he stared into my eyes and I started sobbing. I was sobbing hard and he just pulled me into him and held me. I clutched to him like a child as my tears soaked his clothes. His hand rubbed my back and he whispered soothing words to me as he held me. “I’m sorry!” I cried into his shoulder. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” He held me for a few more minutes until I calmed down and I sat up and looked him in the eyes. “I went and saw my mother a few days ago.” His eyes widened and his face turned red. “Katie, why would you do that?” He didn’t sound mad, but he looked it. “I-I had to confront her. I couldn’t go the rest of my life without talking to her.” I spit out, hoping to ease his anger but I realized I had brought up a whole other situation with it. “Confront her about what?” He asked, confusion all over his face. I bit my lip, not knowing how to tell him. “Katie, what is going on? Is this part of why you’ve been acting weird the last few days?” He asked as his hands slid from my face to my neck. 

I slid off the counter and walked away, up to my room and he followed close behind. “Katie.” He asked as he stopped in the doorway. I had the paper in my hands and I stared at it. “When I went to the doctor I discovered a few things about myself. Things my parents never told me. N-no matter how you feel about this I’ll respect it. If you want to break up we can, if you want me to leave I will-” “Darlin’.” He walked over and grabbed my hand, pulling me to sit on the bed next to him. “You need to talk to me, Katie.” I sighed, holding the paper out to him. I buried my face in my hands as he read it. I’m not sure how long we sat in silence for but when I sat up his arms were hanging down between his legs as he stared straight ahead. “Jake?” I asked. “I can’t believe this.” He muttered, looking down at the paper again. “Jake, I’m sorry-” “You’re sorry?!” He jumped up and I got scared, he stood over me and I could swear smoke was coming out of his ears. “How can you be sorry when you have nothing to be sorry for?!” He asked and I was confused. “Your parents, the two people who were supposed to love you and take care of you kept something this big from you? Your entire life?” He asked, staring at the paper again. “Yeah.” I muttered, looking down at my hands, not wanting to meet his gaze but I yelped when I was grabbed and he pulled me into him. He squeezed me and I stood still for a second before hugging him back. 

“Katie, I swear to you, your parents will never be able to hurt you again.” I pulled away, meeting his gaze. “Yo-you don’t think I’m weird or want to break up?” I asked and he set the papers down before pulling me into him again, one arm around my waist, the other cradling my face. “Katie, I fell in love with you. Everything about you. Every little quirk in your personality, all of it. Katie, all of this is what makes you you and I fell in love with every bit of it. Now there’s just a name for all of it.” Tears soaked my cheeks as I bit my lip. “I love you, too.” I said before squeezing him to me. He held me as I cried, rubbing my back. “Is this what you confronted your mom about?” I nodded, wiping my eyes. “I was so angry when I found out I barged my way into her house and yelled at her.” He cracked a small smile. “And I hit her.” I confessed and his face fell. “I’m going to assume she hit you first?” I tilted my head side to side. “She attempted but I stopped her and then hit her.” My face burned with a blush. “Well it was self defense.” I hummed as my eyes locked on the door behind him. “I asked her if it hurt. I hope it did. I want them both to hurt like I have my entire life.” Jake’s face fell and he tilted my chin so I was looking at him. “They’ll get what they deserve Katie, but it’s also not good to wish harm on people.” I knew he was right, it would only tank my mental health. “You’re right.” I muttered and he held the back of my neck, pulling me towards him till his lips pressed against my forehead. “Why don’t you go put some burn cream on your feet, crawl in bed with some socks, and I’ll make your food and bring it to you.” I shook my head. “My feet don’t hurt, and I can make my food. You just got home from work-” He stopped me, shaking his head. “I just got home from work and I want to make you food. You’re exhausted from being sick and constantly thinking about what’s on these papers.” He said as he shook said papers. “I want you to relax and finally get some rest.” I sighed, giving in. “Okay.” I said and he smiled. “And you need to go get in our bed, I haven’t been sleeping right with you in here.” I pursed my lips. “Jake, I’m still sick.” I said and he shrugged. “If I haven’t gotten it yet, I won’t now.” I sighed again and nodded. “Okay. Where’s the burn cream?” I asked and he grinned. “Under the cabinet, in the first aid kit.” I nodded, trudging out. 

I did as he asked and put the cream on my feet and slid some fuzzy socks over them  before crawling in bed. I curled up facing Jake’s side, his smell wafting into my nose and I quickly drifted off. “Darlin’.” I immediately woke up, looking up at him as he held a tray. “Sorry, it was so easy to fall asleep.” I said as I sat up. He set the tray next to me and chuckled. “You’re exhausted. I reheated some of that tomato soup you had in the freezer, and made you a grilled cheese.” He said before kissing my temple. “Mm, thank you.” I muttered. I set the tray in my lap as he stood from kneeling on his side of the bed. “I’ll be back, gonna get you something to drink.” I just hummed as I started eating. It was good and I could already tell I was starting to feel better. After a minute Jake came back in with ginger ale and a second tray. “Here.” He sat the drink on my tray and sat next to me before kicking off his shoes. I watched as he wandered around the room, grabbing a pair of sweatpants and kicking off his jeans and longhorn shirt before slipping the sweatpatns on and crawling in bed with me. “Thank you for this, Jake.” I said as I leaned back against the pillows. “You’re welcome, darlin’.” He grabbed my hand, kissing it gently before letting go and grabbing the remote. “Okay, let’s see what movie we can find.” 

The following week I was much better and went back to school although I was shaking on Tuesday for clinicals. “Hey, glad to see your feeling better.” I was startled by Crystal’s voice as I walked into the break room. “Oh, yeah. The flu really kicked my butt.” I pulled out the breakfast sanwich Jake made for me before he went to work and sat across from her. “Last time I had it I didn’t think I was gonna make it out alive.” She said and chuckled. “Thankfully mine wasn’t that bad.” I told her. “Well let me know when you’re done and we can get started.” I furrowed my brows in confusion. “Get started?” She nodded. “Yeah, you’re with me. I was the only one who didn’t get one of you so you’re with me.” She smiled at me and I felt so relieved. “Oh, thank god. I was scared I was going to be paired up with someone mean.” I laughed. I had heard from Starla that the nurse she was paired up with was awful towards her and she left here crying on the second day of clinicals. Crystal chuckled and shook her head. “No, just me. Meet me out at the nurse’s station once your done.” I nodded and continued eating. Soon others filed in including Annie. “I’m so glad you’re back. Brooke and I are studying at her apartment tonight, we wnated to know if you wanted to join?” I nodded. “Let me see how I feel after today and I’ll let you know before we leave.” She gave me a thumbs up before walking out. 

Once I was done I cleaned up and walked out towards the nurse’s station. Most of the rooms were dark and empty as I walked by and rounded the corner to see Crystal in front of a computer. “Okay, have a seat.” She said as she rolled a chair over. “Kim is going to review all of our patients with us.” I nodded and sat down with my notepad and pen. Once we got everything I blinked rapidly. “You okay?” Kim asked and I nodded. “Yeah, it’s just a lot to take in and I already feel like I’ve missed so much.” Kim and Crystal both nodded. “Well better get used to it sweetheart. It’s all fast paced around here.” I nodded and she smiled before standing. “I’m getting out of here. I have the next three days off and I’m only going to use them to sleep.” Crystal and I both said our goodbye’s before she stood. “So, you wanna go check some vitals with me?” I nodded rapidly, excited to get started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @graceandpursuit @cherrycola27 @daisydaisygoose @rosiahills22 @deanoheartspie @cornishkat @high-speed-r @fogle97 @mygyn @ohgodnotagainn @emma8895eb @senjoritanana @kmc1989 @sandaltoesocks @dempy @itsdesiree86 @sunderland-6 @jstarr86 @brooke-stinson @rachkon @topguncultleader @bethbunnyy @topgun-imagines @clancycucumber230 @seitmai @kkrenae @djs8891 @shanimallina87 @wildxwidow @eugene-emt-roe @hisredheadedgoddess28 @littlewhiterose @formulapierre @wade-wilsons-chew-toy @bethabear @halstead-severide-fan @gg-trini @memeorydotcom @schreksdoubledeckerhomechecker @inthestars-underthesun @praline357 @fanboyluvr @greaser9902 @felinegrate @lemmons1998 @thegoddessc @lynnevanss @daddyslittlevillain

[ford-pines-lover]

Sweet Dreams

stanford pines x oc

tags: fluff, college!stanford, sfw

word count: 1389

the summary: Ford and Celeste meet in college. Friends since first meeting. They travel to Gravity Falls together to study the anomalies there. Ford and Bill get too serious about the portal, Ford gets sucked away forever. Celeste has to learn how to live with Stan and try to get her fiancé back. Is that even remotely possible? What would be the cost? Would it be as dangerous as Ford always said it would be?

Prologue

College. A new beginning. Well. Kind of. I am sitting in the auditorium of a small school on the east coast. There’s creaky floorboards every time the speaker walks, the microphone is screechy every few words, and there is some less-than-motivational signage up. “Not your first choice!” and “We’re number two!” are the ones that stand out. The smell in this room is almost comforting in a way. It smells like an old library, but mustier. Not bad. 

Backupsmore University. The only school that wanted me (and a full ride) after I tried to get a full ride scholarship to Harvard or Berkeley, but my sob story wasn’t enough, clearly. Now I am stuck with people that don’t have the same aspirations as I do, but hey, there is at least one in a crowd that has big dreams. Not everyone here is here just for “the experience.”

I notice a boy in the crowd looking bored and restless. He was just like me. The boy had nice brown hair and glasses that made him look like a nerd. Well, I can’t say much; I also have glasses. 

“We’re number two!” The speaker ends his speech, and the freshmen are released to their respective areas. I sigh and attempt to hurry out of the auditorium, but I bump into someone. I stumble and regain my posture.

“Oh, um, I’m so sorry,” I say to the boy—oh, wait, it’s the boy I noticed in the auditorium. He stopped and looked at me, examining all my features before saying anything.

“No, no, you’re alright.” He smiled and kept walking. He had an intriguing energy about him that I couldn’t quite place. I watched as he walked down the hall, towards the library on this side of campus. Ah, so he is a nerd. It was so obvious. I chuckle to myself as I stride back to my dorm. I decided to room by myself. Something was telling me that I shouldn’t share my space with another student. They would be subject to my horrible sleep schedule and nightly romance reading. No, being serious, I just have bad study habits that I wouldn’t want to subject another person to. 

***

“The DNA of one organism is being split apart by helicase…” I mutter as I am jotting down notes for my Biology I class. I decided to study in the library today due to my wanting to explore the library. The amount of books is remarkable due to this being a school on the smaller side. 

I notice someone sitting on the other side of the library with a stack of books on quantum physics. Huh. Wait. No, that was the guy that I bumped into earlier. He looked so calm and focused on his subject. I wonder why he is at this school and not at some fancy science school. Well, perhaps people are thinking the same about me. Probably not, honestly. 

I get up to get another book and “accidentally” bump into him again. 

"Oh, whoops, so sorry,” I nervously chuckle. 

“No worries. It seems like we are seeing a lot of each other today.” The boy put his hand on the back of his neck.

“Yeah, no, it seems so.” I look up at him curiously. “I’m Celeste, by the way.” 

“Ford, Stanford Pines,” he smiles. We share a smile before he begins to speak again. “What are you studying?”

“Paranormal biology, you?”

“No way! I am working towards my PhD in the study of the paranormal.”

“That’s so cool! Would you want to be study partners? I don’t really have anyone else here.” 

“I don’t really either. My roommate seems like an interesting specimen, though.” 

“I’m sure. Everyone here at BMU is odd to say the least.” I think back to when we were being greeted at the door and there was a giant “BMU” mascot greeting us with some less-than-motivational words. “Why have more when you can settle for less?” The mascot would shout as we were walking in. It was a constant reminder that I could have been destined for more. There was something pulling me to greater things. 

“Oh, yeah, for sure.” Ford sighs and moves his books over. I took that as my cue to ask:

“Well, can I sit with you?”

Ford smiles, and I sit down next to him. His body language is tense, and he seems a bit sweaty. His mannerisms were very hesitant. He seemed to be hiding his hands. He was wearing a nice light blue button-down and some khakis. Ford seems too proper for this school, too... smart. 

“So…” I start, deciding I don’t want the awkward silence, “Why are you going to BMU? Clearly you’re worthy of more.”

Ford’s pupils shrank, and he gulped. Did I strike a nerve? Did I say something wrong? I start playing with my hair, occasionally pulling a strand out. 

“I-” Ford sighs and looks to the window. “Yeah, no, I know, it just didn’t work out that way, unfortunately.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I try to comfort him, but I’m unsure of what to do. “I didn’t realize it was a sore subject.” 

He lightly smiles and goes back to studying. His notebook was full of equations and drawings. So was his textbook. Let’s hope he didn’t borrow that from the school; otherwise, he will have a field day. I chuckle to myself, going back to my biology 1 assignment. All of this is a review from my senior year biology class. My teacher was a professor before deciding she wanted to teach high school. She went super in depth, and right then I knew I needed to study biology. Everything about life and cells and the expansion of “what is life exactly?” was something I needed to be answered. That’s where the “paranormal/anamolous” studies came in. Our thoughts on “life” are too Earth-centric. What if life forms out there aren’t carbon-based? What if life forms don’t need oxygen to survive?

“You seem lost in thought, Celeste.” Ford speaks again, giving me a warm smile. 

“Yeah, I’m just thinking about how weird it is that I am a freshman in college,” Lies, “but you know life keeps moving.” I play with my hair, not really wanting to expand on the monotonous reason why I was lost in thought. I don’t want to bore him too quickly.

He chuckles, “I think about that all the time. One day I was the “King of New Jersey," and the next I’m sitting in a college library studying like hell for my PhD. Where did the time go?” 

We both simultaneously go back to our studies in silence and peace. 

A year passes by. I grow closer with Ford while still maintaining my studies. This college isn’t so bad. Just a couple more years.

Another two years pass. 

Knock knock

I know that signature knock. Ford always does two short knocks before entering my dorm. 

“Ah Celeste! There you are. I have some very exciting news to share with you!” Ford walks into my dorm with a winning smile. The light in his eyes could light a thousand rooms. “I just got granted 100,000 dollars to research! Isn’t that awesome?” 

I gasp and smile. “No way, Ford! That’s incredible!” I raise my hand to give him a high-five. Now that I think of it, I’ve never given him one. He hesitantly raises his hand and high-fives me. Or high-six? Why not a high-eleven? “So, whats next?”

He gives me a warm smile while also showing some nerves. “Celeste, you mean a lot to me as a research partner and as a friend. I bargained with the grant money people, and" Ford pulls out another 100,000 dollar check. “This is for you.”

I am dumbfounded. A check? For what? “I– Ford, what are you trying to say?”

“Would you want to join me in research of the unknown?”

I beam. “I would love to! Where would we go?”

His face lights up with excitement. “Well, I have been researching where the most anomalous things happen in the United States.” Ford reaches into his pocket to reveal a map with dots on it. Oddly enough, one dot is in my hometown. Interesting. “It’s all centralized in this one town in Roadkill County, Oregon. Gravity Falls.”

Sweet Dreams

here it is in ao3 for the ones that like to read it there :)

[kimberlyannharts]

Prime #2 notes -

= I'm going to be totally honest, I think I'd be way more into this if this was focusing on the actual (well, "actual" as in "alternate versions" i guess) MMPRs and not a cast of OCs. I know people love to say how PR needs to ~break away from MMPR~ but can you understand why having a book that's using a majority of MMPR concepts (Eltarians, Rita, Bulk, the armored T-Rex suit, the broken Triceratops coin in #3's previews) but not the actual characters I care about would bug me a bit? I'm sure there's probably ~a point~ being made there but still

= and yeah yeah yeah I know Lauren and Orion aren't OCs but I mean.......................they kind of are in spirit. Orion more than Lauren because at least she has more of her show characterization and story being applied here vs Orion being Orion because he mentioned being an Andresian refugee and liking fro-yos.

= Speaking of OCs in spirit we see the VR Troopers without their helmets for the first time and they do indeed seem to be Kaitlin and JB (based solely on their designs; they aren't named and only have one line each that give no indication of personality). We'll have to see how they go. Kind of hate Ryan already though whoops

= Speaking of hate i did ask for characterization for Valentina beyond "Ryan's girlfriend" and I got....."class traitor" ok. Obviously she'll get an arc where she grows out of this if she's going to be part of the team but it's hard to give her benefit of the doubt right now when she has no apparent reason for ratting out Jun beyond her being unable to exist without her fascist police boyfriend for five seconds

= Still don't really have a favorite character yet since again they haven't really gotten me invested but Jun is still the most interesting

= Lauren and Orion are definitely going to be a romance and I guess I'll just have to grit my teeth and deal with that

= Very obvious overarching theme of free will in this issue, which lines up with Melissa's style of each individual issue having its own theme, which is fine. Like the colonization of the Eltarians, it's just very on the nose

= I still hate Rita's design. Also tbh not a fan at how slimmed down Bulk was (and don't give me "well he's a trained soldier!!!!" nonsense, his Coinless counterpart was bigger and he literally lived in an APOCALYPSE)

[castlebyersafterdark]

I'd like to think that at some point a bit farther into their relationship, either mike or will would randomly discover some really Weird™️ kink (just, seen as weird by other people - no kinkshaming here lol) that they're into and be incredibly embarrassed about it. or, like, maybe they subconsciously knew they were into it growing up but once they were in a committed relationship it randomly pops out one day and it's like oh okay maybe we should...discuss this 🤣 it truly makes me giggle thinking of various instances where this could happen

For example, these scenarios:

- will randomly dropping one day in the heat of mike fucking him that he wants mike to breed him and afterwards mike is like 👁👁 what and will is like 👁👁 what.

- or, if we want to get really weird, one of them having to pee after sex and the other being like (without thinking at all, post sex haze, getting ready for round 2) CAN I WATCH??? 💀💀💀 I feel like I can see either of them saying this

- will being really really really into having makeup on/feminine clothing the first time he tries it and mike going absolutely feral about it

- something about foodplay idk...like mike spilling chocolate sauce on his face or smth (Lil messy eater) and will popping a boner at the dinner table. Whoops

- Mike needing to do something involving ropes (don't know what this would be but humor me here) and will being a little bit too into him tying the ropes (maybe they're docking a boat idk)

- I think you've said stuff about armpits on here and...yeah. yeah

OBSESSED WITH ALL OF THESE ❤️ So into the concept of them discovering kinks with each other, through each other - and aren't the best explorations and instances of this recognizing that these often aren't planned? Horniesss leads to some wild and revealing and vulnerable places. Something you never realized was A Thing or finally reaching the point where you can't deny something you're into any longer. Breaking down your very inspired list:

Breeding kink, absolutely. Will blurting out some shocking statements. Shocking for the two of them because Mike's usually the one running his filthy mouth. But one night it's so good, Mike's fucking him so good and Will gets so lost, moaning out to fuck him harder, breed him deeper, get him fucking pregnant. And it's... what. 👀 They don't address it. But the very next time they fuck, once Mike's really giving it to him, Mike starts going on about wanting to knock him up and Will absolutely loses his mind. They don't really talk about. It just slips out now and then after that when the sex is particularly rough, primal, feral.

YES WEIRD WOW I can so clearly see the pee one coming from Mike? They're in the afterglow and Will really really needs to get up and Mike's being so clingy, insists on following Will to the bathroom. And Will's kind of got a hang up about this, he doesn't even typically want to be heard in the bathroom, always shuts the door even when they're living together ("Will, I've had my face literally in your ass but I can't hear you take a piss?" "Exactly!!") But that day Will's desperate and tired and relents and lets Mike follow him. Mike gets close, asks to watch. Will's weirded out, but then Mike asks to hold him. Literally, Mike pressed against his back, Will's dick in hand to guide him as he relieves himself, Will doesn't know what to think and then he feels Mike growing hard. Face instantly hot. Dick twitching in Mike's hand. This might be the start of something Mike wasn't sure he'd ever admit but something just snapped that day. He had to know for sure. Well...

Will in makeup!!! He starts experimenting. It's not something he particularly wants day to day, but he likes playing in the bedroom, pretending to be, well himself but a different version. He likes how it makes him look pretty. Mike likes the way it looks smudged on Will's eyes and lips, how the black lines of the mascara and eyeliner streak Will's cheeks as he gets taken apart, sobbing in bed as occasionally happens. Lipstick prints around the base of Mike's dick as Will swallows him deep. Something about seeing the makeup stained into their sheets from where Will's face had been pressed as Mike fucked him and held him down on the mattress really turns them both on.

I love the rope and food one but I'm drawing a blank on expanding ideas but they're still very interesting and if someone can come up with an expanded vision please share with the class.

Ahhhh, pits. A normal, everyday clean pit is great, and Will will sometimes end up there when they're cuddling, Mike's arm over his shoulder and he just turns in and buries his face, so warm. Turning there while making out to nibble or bite the skin, lick the sensitive area. But hmmm either after a workout or during really vigorous sex - the sweat and scent of a man. What a turn on, what an indulgence. Will breathing deep, lapping at sweat, not just there but on Mike's skin in general. The length of his neck and down the center of his chest where it's gathered. Or Mike getting all sweaty from something and Will pressing himself all over him, not even caring. Going down on Mike after his workout before he lets Mike shower. It's Will who is so tidy and neat and put together in his normal life having a little bit of a fetish for Mike messing him up, the arousal from the scent of your partner, etc.

Feel free to share any more ideas, this was fun 😉😉😉

[chil-aglia]

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞 |ROTTMNT| (Leo X Male OC)

𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐫

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Inside the lair, the turtles were acting out a scene from a Lou Jitsu movie. Leo and Mikey were acting as brainless zombies—or mummies, in this case. The two brothers close in on Donnie, the duo both saying in unison; "We are mummies. Give us your soul."

Donnie feigns fear and dramatically placed his hand to his head. "Help me, Lou Jitsu." He begs, to which Raphael jumps in all excited like, “Oh, yeah! Who's your daddy, mummies?" He announces, charging at Leo and Mikey who gulp at the sight of their brother.

“Oh no."

The two get tackled by Raph who laughs in delight. Adriaen was sitting in a beanbag chair, scrolling through his phone. He wasn’t interested in playing fake pretend, especially for a Lou Jitsu film.

He was never a fan of the films but now knowing what Splinter was actually Lou Jitsu, it just felt awkward for him. “Man, I never get to be a mummy." Donnie complains, slumping his shoulders as Mikey leans against him. “Fine, be the mummy-if you can beat Tazan the mummy king." He laughs, he and his brothers whooping before walking to the exit, “Where do you think you four are going?" Splinter spoke up, turning around in his chair and eyeing his sons.

“A rooftop showing off the rare Lou Jitsu meets the mummy ninja."

Adriaen hums to himself, he was invited to join them, but he denied. He wanted to stay home tonight and just relax. Plus, if he were to watch any movie, it wouldn’t be a Lou Jitsu one.

"Let me know how it is...after you see it some other time because tonight you all stay in and clean!" Splinter announces, shocking everyone who groans, but it was to be expected considering the lair was a pigsty.

"No, the classic pause followed by a rug foiled out plans! I hate those." Donnie exhaled in annoyance at his plans being ruined, "Come on, Pops, we cleaned last year." Leo tried to reason, but the fact that he even said that comment was not helping his case. ”That’s disgusting.” Adriaen uttered to himself, "Yeah. Plus, it ain’t even dirty." Raph added in, supporting Leo but it only took a few head turns to eye the place to see how disgusting it was.

Moldy pizza, stacked dirty dishes, junk laying around. It made Adriaen shudder at the sight and look away before he got an aneurysm. Out of the brothers and himself, he was always the one to clean up after themselves, trying to keep the living space in order. He hated it, hated cleaning up after the guys and so he altogether just didn’t do their chores and only did his.

I’m starting to regret that I probably should’ve cleaned their stuff up. I won’t be getting a quiet night in at this stage.

“Uh, we should find the turtles who did that and get them to clean up.” Leo smirks, hoping it would somehow convince Splinter but of course it didn’t as Mikey wails. “Now we’re gonna miss the movie." He points out in obvious disappointment, but Donnie perked up and started typing away on his technical armband.

"Not necessarily. I may have a—“ 

Leo frowns and interrupts him, “Please don’t say fix bro." He begs to which Donnie deadpans and finishes his sentence, “A fix bro." He taunted to which Leo groans and crossed his arms. “We’ll be here all night fixing your fix." He truthfully told, Adriaen would never say this to Donnie’s face (at least not right now) but all his inventions turn out to be a total bust most of the time and cause some kind of issue for the others.

“Scoff! Prepare to—“

“Nah, nah, nah, nah, and don’t say eateth thy words" Raph cuts him off this time to which Donnie once again finishes his sentence with utmost confidence.

“Eateth thy words."

Raphael huffs, pouting. “You always say that, but we never do.” He mumbles to which Adriaen blankly stare at the oldest brother. “Ah ha…you’re serious about that aren’t you?” He sarcastically asked, shaking his head at the large snapping turtle. Donnie gave a slight hiss when Leo snatched his armband off him, taunting laughing and keeping it out of his reach as Donnie tried to grab it back. “Not amusing, Leo." He growls as Leo chickens and pats his brother on the head.

“Relax bud, just saving you from another epic fail. It’s all good."

Donnie managed to slip by and snatch back his wristband, placing it back on his arm and pressing buttons. “Despite your juvenile antics and complete lack of faith, I give you all Shelldon." Donnie introduces his newest invention, activating his technology, the Shelldon invention pops out of the table and a floating silver head with two yellow eyes stared at everyone.

“Good morrow kind sirs."

Leo blinks and gulped, leaning against the beanbag that Adriaen sat in. "Uh oh." He muttered, uncertain about this creation. Adriaen puts his phone down, having one leg crossed over the other comfortably and watching Shelldon in curiosity.

“Shelldon is our automated smart lair. Here to make our lives comfy, cozy and completely free of menial chores." Donnie explains, as mini vacuums appear from the walls and started tidying up the floor along with the table and everything else.

Adriaen blinks in surprise as he subconsciously moved his foot out of the way, so the vacuums didn’t bump into him.

Huh, okay…it’s not so bad.

"Applause and waiting for your applause." Donnie smirks proudly, as his brothers all set out their praises and claps. "Okay. But what can he do for me?" Splinter raises his brows at him questioning. “With my help, snacks are only a split second away." Shelldon promises, as a symbol for Shelldon blinks on Splinter’s chair and spun the rat around before throwing him towards where the snacks were.

Adriaen widened his eyes and ducked down slightly since Splinter was flying towards his direction. The rat zips past him and after grabbing the snacks, he was thrown back towards his chair, landing safely.

"Whoo hoo! I never had to use my legs again. Good job, Purple!" Splinter praises, chomping down on the food he got. “Isn’t that like…unhealthy?” Adriaen muttered, eyeing the father of the four brothers. "Allow me to tidy up, gentleman. And if you like I could play that Lou Jitsu movie for you know." Shelldon informs as the projector turns on and the movie begins playing, much to the boy's excitement. Adding onto the excitement, an assortment of junk food was displayed on the clean table.

"Shelldon is crushing it, Donnie." Raph smiles happily, sitting down and scarfing the food down his throat, Mikey and Leo joining in.

"What Rapheal? I cannot hear you over you eateth-ing thy words. Zing!" Donnie confidently smirks, hands on hips as his invention, Shelldon softly laughs, “Good one, sir." He muses, feeding into Donatello’s ego.

Adriaen hums and shakes his head; he wasn’t going to spoil the fun, so he takes out his headphones that he had cushioned between the beanbag and himself and placed it over his head. Scrolling through his phone he plays some of his music, sighing and leaning back further, eyes closed as he does his best to relax.

To be perfectly honest, he hasn’t been sleeping well. Every time he went to bed, he would be dreaming about that creepy dreamscape with the haunting white door and the even more haunting sign.

Who Are You?

It kept weighing in on his mind, he didn’t know who he was, it’s the whole reason he agreed to ask help from Ronin who even he couldn’t find anything about Adriaen. Whenever he was in that dreamscape, he’d try to open the door, but it was locked, as though it was only there to taunt him and not to reveal all the answers he seeks.

It was becoming agitating for the latter. He knew who the brothers were related to, which he still feels guilty for not telling them, but he also can’t help but feel some kind of…jealousy?

I’m so pathetic…

He would think over and over. It was juvenile of him to be so jealous over something like this, but he just couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t fair. Wasn’t fair that while the others were so easy to discover about their DNA and origin, Adriaen had the misfortune of being difficult to find more about himself.

He opens his eyes, reminding himself not to fall asleep, he didn’t want to face that door again. Not yet anyways. He glanced down at his phone, he wasn’t doing anything on it, just a black screen with his reflection staring right at back him.

Eventually everyone went to bed, all sleeping soundly in their rooms. Adriaen of course had more trouble to sleep, but even he couldn’t find the drowsiness.

It was just him and that door.

The next day came around and everyone was in the arcade, all doing their own things. Leo and Raph were having a tennis ball massage where the balls would shoot at their shells.

Mikey and Donnie were playing a game on the machines, and Adriaen was sitting leaning against one of the arcade games, silently watching. 

"How bout some music, Shelly baby?" Raph instructs the invention only for loud and horrid techno music to play out loud. Adriaen jumped at the sudden noise and placed his hands over his ears to block out the noise.

That’s one way to wake up.

“Ugh! You got anything less ear bleeding?! This is awful!" Raph yells over the music, tense. “Correction: This is Master Donnie’s number one playlist.” Shelldon informs to which Donnie smiles and shimmy’s his shoulders.

“My fave songs to which I may jammy jam."

Leo sighs in relaxation at the massage., “Great massage, bro. You know this is your first non boneheaded invention." He noted, only for Shelldon to fly over and scold also for his comment.

“How dast you insult one as selfless and pure as Master Donatello?"

“What he said." Donnie spoke up from where he was, Leo rolling his eyes and grinning lazily. “Coollax. I’m just razzing him, bud." He assures the machine, as he gazed over to Adriaen.

“Adri, you wanna try this massage? You look a tad bit tense there.”

Perking up at the mention of his name, Adriaen shakes his head in response. “No thanks.” He assured, trying to come off as his usual self, but Leo was quick to take a mental note that something was on his crush’s mind. However, the red eared slider didn’t want to overstep, he knew that if he tried asking about it, Adriaen would just hold onto his troubles longer, maybe even forever.

”If you say so…”

Mikey whoops out loud, spamming his controller, "Are we talking or crazy copter-ing? I’m laying the hurt on you here bro." He teases, obviously taking the lead on the game to which Donnie lightly panics.

"No, no. I will not be defeated.”

Mikey's chair suddenly springs him out, letting the purple bandana turtle win. “What was that? Did Shelldon make my game glitch?" Mikey narrowed his eyes, Adriaen who saw the whole thing blankly stared at Mikey.

”I mean he didn’t make the game glitch. Just threw you out the chair.”

Shelldon flies over, “I would never." He defends himself as Donnie nods in agreement, “He would never. Oh look, I won the game.” Donnie smirks, clapping his hands and standing up from the chair, “Victory massage please, Shelldon." He softly orders, going over to where Raph and Leo were, the tennis ball machine switched from the two and focused on Donatello.

"Hey!"

“Where'd my relax go?"

Donnie lets out an exhale of relaxation, rolling his shoulders as the tennis ball impact his shell. "Oh, yeah, tennis ball massages are the best! Yeah..." He sighs out, Leo eyeing his brother with a pointed look.

“Hey, did you program him to be your best bud or something?"

"I would never."

Shelldon flies over to Donnie, floating next to him. “He would never." He repeats to defend his creator to which Donnie lightly chuckles, “Please, nothing is more important to me than the happiness and comfort of my brothers." He assured, turning around to which the tennis balls redirected to Leo’s face, hitting him repeatedly.

"Oh, ah!"

Raphael laughs but then he gets hit by them. Adriaen watched on before Donnie gestured to him, “And don’t worry, I didn’t forget you my good fellow. Your needs are just as important than my brothers. Shelldon, a refreshing drink for Adriaen here please.” He claps his hands together, his creation flying away to get the drink.

”Huh? Donnie I’m fine. I don’t need a drink—“

Adriaen trails off when Shelldon returns with a juice in a glass cup, handing it over to Adriaen who instinctively takes it.

”Um, thank you?”

”You are most welcome.” Shelldon replies, floating away as Donnie watched on proudly at his creation. Adriaen looks down at the juice, shrugging his shoulders and sipping at the liquid.

Wow, that’s some good juice.

He noticed the boys had left the arcade, covered in bruises from the tennis ball machine and from behind flung out the chair, he would have followed them, but he decided against it, instead once he was done with his drink he walks away to the more secluded area of the lair. The dojo.

It wasn’t used much, and it was small, but Adriaen didn’t mind, it just meant this secluded area was more than enough for him to get some peace and some training in.

He stretched his limbs and shook off any tension in his muscles before doing some shadow boxing. He makes mental notes of his footing and punches, he knew that this was difficult to train on his own, he use to have hand to hand combat sessions with the others until they all got lazy and lost interest.

Adriaen was working up a sweat, moving from shadow boxing to kicking at a training dummy that had been around for a while, maybe he should ask April or someone to get the dojo some new equipment.

He jumps back from the dummy and twists his body to perform a round house kick, only to stop when he hears yelling from the kitchen.

”What the?” He muttered, walking away from his training session and over to the kitchen to see the boys (excluding Donnie) run out the area and hide behind a wall.

”What is going on here?” Adriaen interrogated, hands on hips as Mikey ran over and shook his shoulders, “The vacuums have lasers!” He shouts, but this only puzzled Adriaen more.

”Uh….okay?”

Leo sighs and crossed his arms with a narrowing gaze. "I’m starting to think this whole Shelldon smart lair thing is a scam. Donnie’s just getting back at us for picking on him." He informs, to which everyone yelped when the voice of Shelldon spoke up from behind.

To add on to the shock, Shelldon was floating next to a flying microwave.

"Never. He’s too beautiful for that. I promise. I am here to serve all of you. Right after I delivered Master Donatello all the pizza."

Shelldon holds up a pizza box and flies off to wherever Donnie was.

"The microwave flies."

"What?"

"A pizza butler? It is good to be Donnie."

Adriaen groans and walks away, “I’m going back to training.” He mumbles, heading towards the dojo. Since then, he’s been training for a few hours before calling it a night. Much like everyone else they went to their respective rooms to sleep. Adriaen had none of his gear on him, which was the norm for him whenever he headed to bed.

But tonight was…noisy.

Ear bleeding techno music was blasting out loudly throughout the lair, and to add into it, the vacuums were knocking things down and bumping into stuff in each of turtle's room. The speakers of Shelldon’s voice echoed on repeat as well.

“You are the bravest turtle, Donatello and strongest and hunkiest. You are a real dreamboat."

No one would be able to fall asleep to this disaster, unless you were Donnie and Splinter. Adriaen was laying on his bed, facing the ceiling with bags under his eyes, he already didn’t sleep well enough lately but now this? This was just next level.

I’m starting to miss that stupid white door tonight.

He sits up and gets out of the bed, shoulders slump as he drags himself away from his room. He sees the others doing the same, Raph silently gesturing to everyone to meet in skateboarding area, which was the quietest area in the lair at the moment. They all meet up and sit down, Leo leaning against Adriaen who leans back against Leo. The two obviously tired. 

“I can’t live like this. Shelldon’s turning our home into Donnie-land." Raph groans, before Leo scoffs in utter annoyance, “We gotta take Donnie down a peg.” He states, having Adriaen hum in agreement with him.

”No kidding. I am not listening to that every night.”

Mikey sighs and rolls around on the floor, "But how? He’s so brave and strong and he’s such a dreamboat!” He complimented, the lines from Shelldon staining his mind that he just instinctively repeated it.

”Wait. Why did I just say that?"

Raph clears his throat and leans against his palm, “Too bad Shelldon doesn’t love our favourite things." He grumbled, and this of course sparked an idea into the slider’s mind. “That’s it. We should beat Donnie at his own game." Leo grins, standing up and making his way to Donnie’s lab/room. He explained quietly that they should re-wire Shelldon and no one complained about the idea.

The turtles sneak inside, careful to not disturb Donatello who snores away. While Shelldon is recharging, Leo, Adriaen, Mikey and Raph approach him, upon sensing a presence, Shelldon wakes up.

“Excuse me, gentleman. May I help you?"

Leo gave out a sly smirk, leaning towards Shelldon. “Ha, we are good, my friend.” He assures, as he started to play around with the wiring. Adriaen leans over and helped him redirect the circuits. “Red wire here. Blue wire there.” Adriaen instructed, as Leo smiles at his handiwork. “Chippy thingy into the thingy. Reprogramulating is easy!" Leo announces, ignoring the uncertainty in Shelldon’s voice.

"I’m not sure this is....”

Shelldon suddenly powered up, his tone and attitude changing drastically. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Gnarly upgrades, dudes!" 

Powering off Shelldon for the rest of the night, everyone snuck out of Donnie’s room and headed toward their own to get a peace of sleep. When morning arrived, the turtles were inside the kitchen eating some burritos for breakfast. Adriaen wasn’t all that hungry, so he settled on for some coffee to wake himself up.

"Best brother ever!" Mikey praises Shelldon, unaware that Donatello strolled in with an amused expression. “I always thought so." He playfully teases, to which Mikey shook his head and corrected Donnie.

"Not you. Shelldon."

Shelldon zips around and floats near Mikey, "Back at you, Mikey! Too bad our buzzkill sixth wheel had to crash the party." Shelldon complains, gesturing to his creator. "That is an unexpectedly harsh greeting. Now what is for brekkie today?" Donnie mumbled before changing the subject and looking around at what the others were eating.

“Burritos!" Mikey sings, but Donnie hums and declined the idea of having a breakfast burrito. “Tempting. But my culinary needs are more refined. One flavorless juice, Shelldon." He asks his creation who rolls his eyes in annoyance.

“Fine! Ugh...flavourless juice is served."

Shelldon mixes juice in a blender, putting some ice cubes in it and pressing the button to blend the drink, but with no lid the liquid squirted all over Donnie.

This earned a laugh from everyone.

"Ah! I demand to be cleansed immediately." Donnie whined, to which Shelldon emoted a smile. “Okie dokie." He says, controlling the faucet and splashed Donatello with the water.

"No, no, no, no! This is not actually cleansing me!"

Mikey grins and points his burrito towards Donnie’s direction, "No fun when Shelldon isn’t doing what you like, Is it, D?" He sasses, as Donnie was dripping from the water and scowls at his brothers and Adriaen.

"What have you rapscallions done? Did you mess with his programming?"

"We would never." They all say together, Shelldon backing them up.

"They would never."

Raph gazed towards the machine and smiles gently, “Shelly music." He orders as the soft and vibing-like music plays. Mikey and Raph bop their head to the music and Leo danced around. He went over to Adriaen and without warning grabbed his wrist and pulled him up from his seat, swaying him around.

”Whoa! O-okay, Leo. You’re going to drop me if you spin me.” Adriaen noted, he was caught off guard and he clung onto Leo who held Adriaen’s hands and danced him around the kitchen. ”You’ll be fine. Just trust me.” Leo assured, winking as he held Adriaen by the waist and the two waltz.

"Check this out, dudes. Come on, dance Donnie, dance!" Shelldon spoke up, grabbing everyone’s attention as vacuums surround Donnie and start shooting lasers at his feet, to which Donatello had to jump around to avoid being hit.

"No lasers! And more importantly turn off that music!"

Raph chickens lightly, “Nice moves, Donnie. Well played, Shelly, but you can stop now." He asks the floating head, but Shelldon didn’t seem to listen or care.

"Sorry, R dawg. Parties just getting started. As soon as I give Donnie the boot, us real bros can bro out."

Donnie continued to be fired at by the lasers, his brothers and Adriaen watching briefly with narrowed eyes. “Okay, that’s enough. Time to chill, Shelldon. Jokes over." Leo warns, lowering his voice slightly as though he was scolding a child.

"Come on, bros. Just let me turn Donnie into turtle dust and I can be your fourth brother and Adriaen’s friend. It’ll be excellent."

Vacuums started to join together and started to merge as one, the group staring in horror as the mini vacuums became on large one. “You four messed with his circuitry!" Donnie accuses, to which everyone else denied in unison.

“We would never."

“They would never." Shelldon defended as the large vacuum started to charge forward, making the turtles run away and flee out the kitchen. But the vacuum was too big to get through the doorway, which had the others sigh in relief. The group stop at the centre of the lair, the area with their skateboarding ramp.

Shelldon approaches the squad, “Hey, there you guys are." He greeted playfully, Mikey narrowing his eyes at the flying head. “You can’t be our fourth brother." He announces but Shelldon scoffs.

“Beg to differ with you bros. Like it or not I’m in and Donnie’s out."

Shelldon flies up and controls a bunch of other machinery, sharp tools and whatnot. It was certainly…intimidating. Raph growls before looking to Donatello, “Just admit it, Donnie, you made him favour you over us."

“You made him try to vaporise me!"

Adriaen shrugs his shoulders and looks away, mumbling to himself in hopes no one heard him, “Well he’s not wrong there. Wasn’t on purpose, but still…” He told himself before focusing back on Shelldon who rolls his mechanical eyes.

“Enough whining, Donnie.”

Shelldon released a bunch of metal claws at the turtles who dodge and jump around to avoid getting snatched.

”I love having brothers!"

Adriaen skids to a halt, with a concentrated gaze he twists his body slightly and round house kicks at the machine arm, snapping it off. The others do the same, punching the claws off before they could grab anyone. “Awesome! This is like a fun game attack except with punches and kicks.” Shelldon muses like a little kid.

Four metal arms grab Leo, Adriaen, Mikey and Raph, pinning them to the wall harshly, even creating some cracks on the said wall. ��Ack!” Adriaen gasped out; the wind being knocked out of him briefly as he struggled against the metallic grip. Donnie gets restrained by a table and a saw appears to his plastron.

“Time to snip a branch off the family tree."

We probably shouldn’t have messed with the circuits.

"If I am to perish, tell me the truth brethren you reprogram him, I promise no hard feelings." Donnie asks, to which his brothers and Adriaen didn’t admit it right away. “Don’t fall for it." Leo whispered but Mikey was never great at keeping secrets, "Okay, fine. We did." Mikey admits to which Donnie glared a bit at them.

“I knew it! Hard feelings. Massive hard feelings.”

Adriaen sighs and stared over at the restrained Donnie, “If it helps, we didn’t purposely make Shelldon crazy.” He tried to explain but Donnie just huffed and leaned back into the table.

”Well at least I’ll go to my end knowing I was the better turtle.”

"No way. You totally programmed me to favour you." Shelldon announces, to which Raphael let out a victory laugh, “I knew it!” 

The saw gets closer to Donnie making said turtle whimper out of fear, bracing for his demise. "Shelldon, no, stop! If you really wanna be our fourth brother Shelly, fly your microwave butler on over. It’s burrito time." Raph lies, hoping his comment got through to the machine who stared silently in suspicion.

They sweat but fortunately it worked as Shelldon brightens up, "Oh, why didn’t you say so, bud? Burritos coming right up for my bros." He smiles happily, the flying microwave floating over to Raph, which had the snapping turtle breaking free of the claws as he grips the microwave and chucks it hard at Shelldon.

"Not cool, bro!"

He exploded upon the impact and the turtles were released, dropping to the floor as Adriaen grunts and groans, rolling his shoulder slightly. "What a day. Great invention, Donnie. Now you just gotta invent something to clean up all of Shelldon’s mess." Raph sarcastically told, looking around at the destruction.

“This sounds like a job for Shelldon 2.0." Donnie perks up, immediately the others shrieking at him.

"No!"

"Which will not play favourites."

Adriaen shakes his head before flinching slightly when Splinter walks in on the disarray state of the room, his loud booming voice yells at his sons and Adriaen.

"What did you do? You destroyed my detective microwave friend!"

Leo, Raph, Adriaen and Mikey all guilty try to play it cool, "We would never." They say together as Donnie joins in, also looking piteous from the mess as he slightly hid behind Leo and Adriaen.

"They would never."

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A/N: I APOLOGISE FOR ANY GRAMMAR MISTAKES THAT WERE MADE, I TYPE REALLY FAST AND OFTEN DON'T SEE THEM UNTIL I ACTUALLY PUBLISH THE CHAPTER.  

Adriaen is so use to the chaoticness it’s insane.

First Chapter here

Next Chapter here

[felixravinstills]

obligatory felix ravinstill ask for the character thing

Ask Game

Thanks for asking, Bel! I tried to keep things rooted in canon which… uh for obvious reasons was hard!

My first impression Related to the current president, is he going to be important? Oh, it doesn't look like it.

My impression now Felix Ravinstill is the most thematically important character in tbosas actually. That's my guy! My boy!

Favorite thing about that character Um, well, ignoring everything that I've mostly made about him (bc clearly I like that) which is nearly everything. I kind of love that Coriolanus has such little to say about it. It speaks to not knowing him despite Felix being a Ravinstill. So many different ways to interpret why that's the case, but it does help me build my case that even people who are keeping track of important players doesn’t single anything out about Felix other than his relationship to the President which adds fuel to my fire that he’s kinda isolated and may not have many close/sincere friends.

Least favorite thing I hate that I've been making him up since January. I hate that he's my favorite little guy.

Favorite line/scene

The movie's "Have you tried this lamb? It's scandalous." will always be iconic for apparently changing my life, but Felix deciding to send Dill the water using whatever sponsor money has is also interesting to me.

Favorite interaction that character has with another When he's gossiping with Dean Highbottom.

A character that I wish that character would interact with more Coriolanus Snow. I like the dynamic of weird jealousy that I've invented for them, and I can kind of see Snow's narration potentially giving credence to that in whatever we do get (but it could go either way like everything with Felix). Alternatively, I'd love for him to interact with Max (his great-uncle) but that's another guy that I basically just made up so…

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character

I once compared him to Iphigenia (Greek Mythology), and I can stand by that in the narrative role I have given him in many of my fics...

If we want a character who's like him in canon, look no further than random office worker that I randomly get attached to in the background of an action movie.

A headcanon about that character

Ummm, is there a headcanon about him that I haven't shared at this point? I'm drawing a blank, because I never shut up about him.

His relationship to Ravinstill cousin OCs, Marius and Gnaeus is like meeting their eyes as they turn down a different hallway just as he enters the one he's currently in.

A song that reminds of that character Growing Sideways by Noah Kahn… Just "I'm terrified that I might never have met me" and "And if all my life was wasted / I don't mind, I'll watch it go / Yeah, it's better to die numb / Than feel it all."

I think I meant to mention this to Lily when she was doing the Noah Kahan song assignments but I… uh forgot. Whoops. (better late than never with the thoughts sharing though, @persephoneprice getting to the Persephone ask soon!)

An unpopular opinion about that character

This isn't really an unpopular opinion, but I think most people headcanon him as having a lot of external pressure put on him. I do think that's the case to the extent that there's external pressure put on a lot of the mentors to act and be a certain way, but I think that a lot of that for Felix is also self-imposed. Mostly, because in my head, President Ravinstill takes a "of course, my family can do whatever they want" approach to things, but has failed to communicate this to any of them.

Favorite picture

he looks so... pompous. I love him. (added the same picture again for better crop)

[marbarmars-arts]

So...I MAY have been collecting Fawfuls like pokemon cards <3

(and what the heck do I mean by that exactly??) WELL in a discord GC my friend Parmy suggested we’d imitate each other’s art styles as like a collab of sorts? Well...I kinda took that a step further heheh ^^

(And fun fact...this was supposed to be something I was gonna do for AU day of Fawful month too, but that idea got cut due to time)

So may I present...the different Fawfuls I drew!! For my friends/cool acquaintances!

So the one who led up to this in the first place, Fawful from @parmsnik AU!! He is dating/eventually marrying Naspi depending on where you’re at in the AU haha! Your way of drawing Fawful seems to change a little bit each time you draw him, so I tried to my best to guestimate a consistent looking Fawf! Very cute!

Up next is Fawful from @the-spacewaffle AU!! Yippee Ronnie’s AU! Thanks for being my friend for so long,,to talk about Fawful and all that stuff y’know? I’ll be cheering you on to complete the story qwq your Fawful is always so nice to my OCs when we crossover khskdjh also...pet the Reddo!

Eee yay now it’s @snuffydoo Fawful and his AU title I totally made up on the spot! I know you don’t really have a name for that kind of thing and it doesn’t have to be canon but I hope you think it’s cute anyways haha! I had a lot of fun drawing this one!! It’s so stylized! AND IT HAS DIMMY (I enjoy your Dimmy artstyle sm) but I don’t draw Spamton very often kjhskgh

Here’s @federthenotsogreat Fawful AU of sunshine goodness~! HE RETURNITH (and since I couldn’t think of another character to feature with your AU...not knowing if Cackletta is there or not jhgskg I gave him a cute little swirly sun!) I admire the fact his outfit is mostly YELLOW and also blue those are cool colors OH AND THAT LEG TOO, also super cool :)

The smol and cute @omgtheywereroomates Fawf! Your ask blog is so neat! I know I don’t ask too many questions there but I just,,,the cartoony fluffy hair?? Love that, and also thank you for your support and the super cool ship as well ^^ 

Heheee yeah hey it’s @cammiluna Fawful from Immortal Fool! Before you say anything YES I’m aware he’s got the new design since it’s near the end of the comic, you released the page that featured said new design while I was already working on this drawing xD So whoops! I just wanted to give appreciation to your comic series that you continued despite everything, and well...I know I haven’t shown much progress on it, I also want to make a comic series...so you’ve inspired me a lil :D

Deep down here there’s a little AU by @aliencatwafers which features Fawful in the sewers! With the little baby bros!! You’re a very insightful and inspiring writer with plenty of neat headcanons and ideas for the bean! Ik you mostly draw in pencil but I took the colors from your submissions to Fawful month this year and used em here! Hope it looks cool!

This little gremlin here with the two moms is Fawful from @bean-n-shroob ask blog! He looks very silly and unhinged (in a good way) and I hope he’s having a good time since after BIS! I love how round your designs are and Fawf is no exception :D

Last but not least is this VERY soft Fawful from @localdealmaker​ and their AU, whose title I made up too (again doesn’t need to be canon or anything if you don’t want it to be, I just wanted to give every drawing a cute name ^^) I think yours was the most complicated to draw for me but I love how he looks, so squish!! Kaboo is cute too!

WHEW THAT WAS A LOT OF TYPING KSJHKGH but yeah I hope you guys have enjoyed this...I might make another part someday full of more Fawful designs from friends but I AM A LITTLE BURNT OUT...doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun tho!

[chervbs]

loverboy — e. munson

pairings: eddie munson x jade west!reader

word count: 1k

synopsis: your new boyfriend eddie seems to be allergic to studying and is insistent on taking a break. thankfully, you have the perfect way to pass the time. part two to i was made for loving you!

warnings: fem!reader, jade west is not meant to be an oc/faceclaim just inspiration for the readers personality, short little piece about the new relationship, is a continuation of the fic linked above but can be read as a standalone, reader is a little softer now that eddie is her man, eddie is a massive simp.

a/n: this was posted as a blurb WEEKS AGO but it got lost in the tags so I’m reposting :)))) the anon who requested this asked for reader to sing a song from the heathers musical but since reader is playing rizzo in grease I chose a different song because I like for my fics to be historically accurate. once again send in any jade west!reader requests you have. pls don't let this flop for a second time <3

navigation

“C’mon, sweetheart!” 

Eddie whined once again for what seemed like the millionth time in the past hour. You’d been insistent on helping him study, not wanting to graduate without your now boyfriend. He didn’t even make it a whole hour of studying before he started to complain.

“Eddie-“ You cut yourself off, brows furrowing. “Sweetheart? Really?”

The metal head shrugged, a sheepish smile spreading across his lips. “What? I’m still trying to find the perfect pet name for you.”

The little scrunch of your nose was subtle, but to Eddie it was heartwarming. Just knowing that there was a softer side to you that only he ever got to witness made him awfully special. “Yeah, but sweetheart? Kind of ironic isn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie replied coyly, taking a chance and gently grabbing your chin in his hands. As dominant as your personality was, you did occasionally let your guard down enough to melt into his touch. “I think you’re a sweetheart, sweetheart.”

You rolled your eyes lightheartedly, grabbing his wrist and using it to pull him towards you. Eddie let out a little yelp before his lips met yours, the noise turning into a muffled one of content. 

The kiss didn’t last long, much to Eddie’s dismay. He whined a little, huffing like a child when you pulled away. “Y/N…” 

“Eddie, seriously. We need to study.” You said sternly, slapping away the hand that tried to reach for you. “Your government test is in two days and you will pass it.” 

He groaned dramatically, falling backwards onto his bed. Eddie said your name like a petulant child, grabbing your forearm and tugging on it gently. 

“Can we just take a break? Please.” The pout on his face, while cute, did little to deter your urge to help him improve his grades. “Just a few minutes, okay? Then we can keep studying and I promise I won’t complain for the rest of the night.”

You cocked an eyebrow at him, knowing him better than he’d like to admit. But something about those big doe eyes of his gazing back at you was making it hard for you to deny his wishes. 

“Fine.” You sighed, biting back the smile that threatened to appear on your face when he whooped and threw his fist in the air triumphantly. “But only for a few minutes okay? As soon as I say so we’re going back to studying.” 

Eddie nodded dismissively, grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah, whatever you say, lovely.” 

You chuckled at the, once again, ironic nickname for you but said nothing. The kiss he planted on your lips was welcomed, but you didn’t let it get too carried away. “I have an idea.” You spoke a little breathlessly. 

“And what’s that?” Eddie mumbled, trailing kisses from your lips down to your neck. 

Your fingers grasped his chin, peeling him away from you. “You could help me rehearse?”

Eddie lights up at the suggestion. He’d yet to hear you sing save for the few times he’d heard you hum along to a song when he played a tape in his car. 

The black backpack that sat on the floor was snatched up by your hand, digging in there for the instrumental sheet music and the singing sheet music that’d been given to you by the theater director. 

“There Are Worse Things I Could Do” from Grease was broken down into notes on the page. You’d been given a tape of the music but had left it in your locker earlier that day. Luckily, your boyfriend was very musically inclined. 

“Here,” You handed him the instrumental paper. Thank god you’d asked the director for the copy to practice with your own guitar at home. “Think you could play this for me so I can practice.” 

“I can do whatever you want me to, baby.” The cheesy like caused you to make a face, pushing Eddie away from you as he cackled at your reaction. “Just play the damn song, Edward.” 

He reached over to grab his acoustic guitar, a beautiful dark brown color with the words THIS MACHINE SLAYS DRAGONS painted on in white. Eddie set the sheet music in front of him, humming the notes to himself as one hand fiddled with the tuning keys, the other hand plucking and strumming at the strings until it sounded right. 

“Right,” He grinned. “I’m ready.”

You nodded, grabbing your own sheet of music. He began to strum the song, eyes flickering between the music and you. 

A deep breath entered your chest before you began to sing. 

“There are worse things I could do,” Eddie’s eyes widened, plucking a couple of wrong notes in surprise. “Then go with a boy or two,” There was a natural vibrato in your voice and he could tell there was little effort in how flawless you sounded. 

“Even though the neighborhood thinks I'm trashy and no good, I suppose it could be true. But there are worse things I could do.” Your eyes had shut to allow yourself to be immersed into the song. This meant that you missed the look of awe that Eddie wore. He had to keep reminding himself to look down at the music so as not to mess you up, but it took all his strength to tear his eyes away from you. 

“I could flirt with all the guys. Smile at them and bat my eyes.” The corner of Eddie’s mouth quirked up when he noticed you subtly swaying to the music. Another little detail about you that added fuel to the fire of his heart. 

“Press against them when we dance, make them think they stand a chance, then refuse to see it through. That's a thing I'd never do.” The abrupt halt of Eddie’s guitar ripped you from your flow, eyes flying open to glare at him. 

Yet Eddie’s face was face was everything but scared, as most people on the receiving end of your glares usually were. Instead, Eddie was wearing the biggest, goofiest grin you’d ever seen.

The amusement on your own face was thinly veiled, not that you needed to hide it. “What happened?”

“If I got on one knee right now would you say yes?” The boy asked, a dreamy look in his eyes.

You’re smirked, glancing down at the way he squirmed in his seat. “Why? My singing make you wanna marry me?”

He nodded dumbly and you couldn’t help but let a grin of your own spread. You snapped your fingers in front of his face. “C’mon, loverboy. Let me finish the song and then we’ll see.” 

general taglist:

@teenwolfbitches28 | @thethreeheadeddog | @cerbythepuppy

stranger things taglist:

@m-rae23 | @mulletmcghee | @wh0reforbucknasty | @tatestripedsweater | @steveslittlefreak | @lunaryasha | @hollandweather

strike through means tumblr won't let me tag you :(

add yourself to my taglist!

[wrennnies]

HEY TUYS IM NOT DEAD

so in the last month ive been on holiday and then got sucked into inazuma eleven, since i was alresdy playing it ill give a short summary of what i thought (plus inaxuma eleven 2) and also the anime!!! (though shorter bc i watched it in a dub of a language i barely know) ill try and play all the inazuma eleven 3 games, i only watched the first season of inazuma eleven go tho.

inazuma eleven 1: it was great!!!! unfortunately ive been endeared to bobby shearers. also i thought the erik plotline went nowhere but i was supposed to get him before kirkwood.... the last battle i beat by mere happenstance, whoops!!! i lovedit tho. ALSO someone pls answer this: are zeus like.... genetically modified humans????? cuz it neverr gets answered, ray darks way of speaking was SO VAGUE. like is the research abt the boys or the steroids????

also nellys so cool i love her. the anime was super cool, but i was confused with its 127 eps since i only played the first game so i thought it mightve been like some anime only stuff??? turns out theres more than one inazuma eleven game.

i think the anime adapted the game pretty well, from what i could understand but i thought celia was way meaner abt jude in the game??? idk if its bc she has the “im gonna end ur life” face all the time in that game that made me think that though.... probably since shes like way more "innocent and cute" in the second game (todd ironside is so wrird i HATE HIMM in the first game)

anyway inazuma eleven 2!!!!!

great game, i called shawn shibuya since i didnt know his english name, or his Japanese one for that matter. the reason i chose shibuya was because i played twewy right before seeing him, and he looks like a shibuya.

speaking of which, i had some names for the people i didnt know the names of!! heres a list of the more interesting ones:

shawn: shibuya

victoria: peach (because her name sounded like peach in the localisation)

sue: girl inlove with erik

dvalin: hades (he looked like a hades)

hurley: dry sea (same reason as victoria)

darren: knockoff mark (look i didnt know anything abt this guy)

knockoff axel (i dont remember his name im sorry but his hairs kinda styled the same way????)

archer: giacomo????? giakomo???? i literally have no idea who or ehat a gyacomo is i just saw him and said "giackomo" SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHO GIACOMO IS, maybe i mixed gakupos name and komo os name together???? but WHY????

camilla: kori (i played time hollow before this and they looked kinda similar)

anyway back on task i really liked the girls, even if they got their ass kicked most of the time... like everyone else 😭😭 also jack was so sexist like WHATTT least mark was like yeah u come over here NOW.

the love stuff was cool, i savestated to ge everyones dialogue lol... i think my favs either toris or celias, its hilar that they dont even CONSIDER celia to be gf material 😭😭😭 but thats fine with me, love her. i liked how nathans mental breakdown was done in the anime betterr than the game since he left himself and bot bc he got the shit beat outta him. also SHAWN FROSTE. KIND????? HE CALLED CLOISTER DIVINITY "CLOTH EARED BEGGARS" AND TOLD SOMEONE THAT THEY HAD A FACE ONLY A MOTHER WOULD LOVE FUCK YOU MEAN KIND???? blunts more accurare i think. hes also scottish so i thought hurleyd be welsh since shawn was scottish and hes north uk so i thought west would be welsh... even if that makes no sense. AND SOUNDTOWN IS SO FUNNY like "hed kill the coach to get that key" lmao???? some of the character sprites are.... interestinf!!!! victoria definitely looks better in the anime 😭😭😭

nah but to learn that these orphans were just cosplaying their ocs while bombing schools is insane LIKE THET GET NO REPRECUSSIONS???? THEY DESTROYRD SCHOOLS ANDI KNOW THEYRE ALL LIKE 12 BUT STILL???? also dvalin is such theatre kid, they ALL ARE.

aliens destroying the world via football is honestly so level 5 i think they found their footing.

linas eng voice does NOT suit her LMAO itsl like a teenagers voice like thats a grown ass woman bro

caleb is cool tho love his insane sprite

like did jordan EVER apologise for destorying a bunch of schools??? i prolly shouldnt say bombing cuz they werent bombs...

also i thouggt for SURE this franchise would be more popular like ONLY 2,861 FICS ON AO3 FROM A SERIES THAT LARGE????? FUCK OFF... LIKE PROFRSSOR LAYTON HASLIKE TEN THOUDAND OR SMTH STUPID??? and i also need to know which game i can recruit professor layton to football fight with me

and jordan was done SO DIRTY in sesson 3 LIKE NOOO COME BACK :(((((

and i thought axel x mark would be WAYYY more popular than it is???? like i cant believe caleb x jude is the most popular thing on ao3 😭😭

also i cant believe jordan and xavier adopted kariya and its ONLY MENTIONED IN THE DISCONTINUED GACHA GAME???? like isnt that breaking SOME sort of workplace relationship rule?????

im glad to see nelly and mark together, tho it makes me a bit sad to think what silvia wouldve thought bc she def was there when it happened, i also read some of the fandom pages for them and he gets married to camilla in an au???? like GOD silvia cant catch a BREAK

also go was really good!!! hate that pikachu fucker though. /j they got people that arent british!!!! and i got spoilt via my sister. cant believe hurley whirley wasnt in season ine tho wtf. caleb also lookslike a middle aged mother when hes older lmao. i also hate that fuck ass dog for a moment i thoight he was gonna start talking like a certain other level five dog i could name, SHERLY.

and im guessing tenma isnt in orion bc hes dead since axel wasnt alienating himself to save him that time....

i got spoilers and i thought that shawns dead bro was actually alive 😭😭😭 in inazuma eleven

descole and stahnguns secret love child is also cool, love the new captain even if hes rich and plays piano

and i think thats it!!!! thanks for reading if uve read this far lol

[melissa-titanium]

wrghfhf OKAY UHMM

where does trout live? and does she have any family living with or near her? or in general

ive seen the dragonss big dragon world where does she fit in there. like what is she. what is their society like if they have one. would she interact with other animals or would her society be kept to others like her?

i sawww something mentioned about her being a past life to. uh. i forgot their names i know mel is there but how did she die if she does and also if its not the same where did she get the scar?

also not technically a question and also not about trout but kinda do u have a picture of mel's sister i saw u mention her and i was interested. u know me. u know how i feel abt siblings.

whos her fishy familiar whatre they like. are they more like a pet or a friend or both?

ive been using periods as question marks whoops. also uhm what is her relationship with all the other ppl and. their lives and whatever

whats her favorite food? color? animal? what is she interested in? what are her hobbies? yknow the basics

i know shes. trout. and those are freshwater. but does she like whales? like whale whales. im just curious. actually how does she feel about whales, sharks, even orcas. stuff like that.

OMG. OMG. OMG. WE ARE SO FUCKING BACK. WAIT. WAIT WAIT. IM FUCKING C;RAZY THANKUOU SO SO SO OSOS M UCH I LOVE ANS;WERING SHIT ABOUT MY STUPID OCS *CRIESSSSSSSSSSHGIJGFKGSERIJ*

where does trout live? and does she have any family living with or near her? or in general

OK SO FUNNY THING ABOUT REPRODUCTION IN MY WORLD. there doesnt actually need to be Two parents to Make A Child Exist. there can be one. three. twelve. billions. doesnt matter. because the source of life in this world are called lovebugs that essentially incubate souls that are ready to be recycled... the only motive they need to initiate the incubation process is some form of desire from an outside source to have that thing Exist, and boom, it will.

so basically, she doesn't have any "biological" family. lovebugs didn't incubate her soul because anyone wanted them to, it was basically like. okay. you know jesus? from the bible? yeah. that's basically what happened to trout. except whats different about her is that she was born from... like... the will of the god of the universe herself (cadie, cici. yeah the god of my universe is my cat) and somewhat from the people of that world at the time.

basically the desire of the masses to have the return of magic culminated so much hope and "desire" into existence that trout just... boom. became real.

to ACTUALLY answer your question though, trout doesn't actually have parents. she hopped across orphanages and foster homes until she was able to bind her soul to an object (long story) and then, seeing her power, the higher status seaskimrs kind of adopted her like "hey she would make a great personal guard to the royal family"

the closest thing to family though? oryx. he's her anxious deranged ghost uncle who projects his existence onto her through time bullshit soul magic.

ive seen the dragonss big dragon world where does she fit in there. like what is she. what is their society like if they have one. would she interact with other animals or would her society be kept to others like her?

OMG OK WAIT SO . FUNNU THING ABOUT THIS. TROUT'S ERA HAPPENS AT THE V E R Y END OF MEL'S SOUL THREAD... MEANING MOST OF THE DRAGONS ARE GONE BY THIS POINT. but AHAAAAAA WAIT !!!! since the world exploded, set on fire, exploded again, and then Flooded (thats why seaskimrs, creatures like trout, are the most populous intelligent species on the planet) tasreradian society managed to sustain some of their society, but alot of it was still lost (the current tasrerads don't even know that the shore dwelling tasrerads existed)

to the seaskimr society, tasrerads are something of lorekeepers. now having to go deeper into the ocean, they've become long-living megafauna. not a SINGLE tasrerad is left from mel's time, but a good ass portion of their history is written in ye olde dragon runes. seaskimrs don't interact a whole lot since tasrerads dwell very very deep in the ocean and rarely come up... but they're chill when they do! trout was born during the period of time where tasrerads come up for their routine (every decade? not sure!) transaction of knowledge. the tasreradian elder take great interest in telling stories to seaskimr younglings, and trout never forgot a single tale.

i sawww something mentioned about her being a past life to. uh. i forgot their names i know mel is there but how did she die if she does and also if its not the same where did she get the scar?

OMG OMG SHES !!! SHES ATUALLY MEL'S FUTURE LIFE iamsosorry if iworded that wrong somewhere i know i always say mel's past lives when in reality mel has One past life. everyone else comes after. help me. i need to finish the loredoc ohhhh my god

SHE !!! well. kind of dies? more like gets punted into purgatory after literally becoming god at some point for a reason i havent really worked out yet. we'll get to that *smiles*

AS FOR HER SCAR..... equally a little vague. in her old story, she got mauled by. this sounds insane but also all of the aquatic creatures from the past eras got like dangerously bigger. she got mauled by a HUGE FUCKING TROUT which earned trout her name!!! (yeah i think in her old lore getting mauled made her transition . ? help)

in her new lore tho. i think it would make the most sense for malibu to be the one to dismember & scar her? or maybe mel. tho i think malibu makes more sense. malibu being burned on accident and being like I NEED TO GET BACK AT THIS BITCH. because to trout, malibu is a reminder of her terrible curse & to malibu, trout is a reminder of a terrible experience that basically lead to the death of her grandmother (a whole other story so i'll just leave it at that)

regardless. unlike mel, she never gets a prosthetic :)

also not technically a question and also not about trout but kinda do u have a picture of mel's sister i saw u mention her and i was interested. u know me. u know how i feel abt siblings.

HELL YEAH I DO!!!!!!!!!!!! i havent finished her ref yet Sigh but.... the queen <3 epic spoilers! she's the one who kills mel :)

whos her fishy familiar whatre they like. are they more like a pet or a friend or both?

IM GONNA BE HONEST I HAVENT TOTALLY WORKED THIS OUT YET !!!

it acts as something of a... puppet. an entity that can pass through time to act as a gateway, HER gateway, to the past. which is where she meets oryx! the soulless remnants act as entities outside of time, so when she befriends one (this funny little fish who i dont have a name for yet LOL) she's able to puppeteer it's body and project herself and some of the world around it (including her voice!) into the past. which is how she's able to hear, see, and communicate with oryx. does that make sense? LOL

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. it's both :) trout is a "roll with the punches" kinda gal so she didn't really question the presence of half-existing entities that only she could see and just interacted with them as she would with a normal not dead person.

ive been using periods as question marks whoops. also uhm what is her relationship with all the other ppl and. their lives and whatever

HM HM HMMM. okay let me think.

mel - she feels pity for him at first. imagine existing for that long, literal eons stewing in your hate, refusing to let go of a grudge for people that have long forgotten about you? she essentially manages to talk him down from the ledge, something mira failed to do all those eras ago.

the reason trout came in the very last thread of mel's soul is because of how similar the two are. mel surpressed the "trout" part of himself so ferociously that she literally could not exist until oryx BLOCKED HIM from influencing her time in any way shape or form. mel hated, HATED, HATED trout, more than he hated his mom, those who looked down on him, the world, more than he hated himself. which is why his reconciliation with her is such a crucial part of both their character arcs, because truly trout is just mel in a less gristly, bloody font. he's like her deranged grandpa in some way.

when she resets the timeline he's glad to be the only one to remember her.

whats her favorite food? color? animal? what is she interested in? what are her hobbies? yknow the basics

food? she really likes spicy stuff. is eating tilapia cannibalism? maybe, but she doesn't really have a reason to care, all of her past lives were cannibals.

she REALLY likes green. like a soft, gentle sage. salmon pink is a close second.

she likes pufferfish and hammerhead sharks... she thinks theyre funny :)

BIG FAN OF MECHANICS AND BOMBS. bombs especially. it sometimes concerns her peers how excited she gets about stuff like the discovery of remains from those nuclear explosions several eons ago. she loooves pulling things apart and seeing what new stuff she can make with them. guns are a big second fave too! thats why her soulbound object (which can shapeshift. yeah she's a special one) is usually some kind of big impossible gun. she likes to try and dissect it and see how much of it is magic and how much of it is mechanics.

i know shes. trout. and those are freshwater. but does she like whales? like whale whales. im just curious. actually how does she feel about whales, sharks, even orcas. stuff like that.

SHE LOVES WILDLIFE. she's not like, crazy obsessed with animals but if you asked her if she wanted to go to the aquarium she would never say no. she likes predatory animals the most, i don't know if she would have ever seen an orca before but whales are a tasreradian delicacy so she's definitely eaten whales before, and likes to watch sharks sometimes.

ALSO WAIT FUNNY DETAIL. she's actually anadromous, which means she's both freshwater AND saltwater which is why she lives in the sea :)

[yestrday]

i was the anon who uh told you abt the oc and so here i am sharing him.

Yeah, this is Corin :3

I saw that Zhongli was supposed to have graduated but was held back for.... reasons...

So I decided that Corin is also back a grade... for a reason I don't know fits in your academy au lore but fuck it we ball am i right. (He just like missed a deadline to enroll or something... idc if that's not how schools work, corin is my bbg)

BTW, Ms. Aika is ANOTHER genshin oc, she's sorta like immortal in non academy au lore (just actual genshin world oc) who found Corin when he uh... escaped from a cult.. I MEAN WHAT WHO SAID THAT!!!!!! Yeah, they have like a mother/son relationship. Not legally, though, so he kind of is like her #1 servant.

Corin, in general, is a really calm and chill guy, so I thought it'd be really funny if I gave him a BURNING hatred for Childe where he's just... a bit more done with that guy. ( also he doesn't like Scaramouche. but Corin retaliates with "at least I'm not short" when he is LITERALLY just a bit taller... it's so fun to me) He'd be silently judging because he's not particularly one to like confrontation (unless it's Childe or Scaramouch,, obv), and he does the look into the camera like it's the Office @ shenanigans.

He likes being around Aether/Lumine or Diluc the most (Also has to do with the non academy genshin lore I gave him...where he works at Angel's Share and probably becomes a companion to the Traveler) and he probably gets along better with Monstadt characters (oh he loves Fischl, thinks she's very funny but also has no idea what she is saying

"That's so cool.." turn to Oz "what is she saying."

... that's his little sister, just trust me on this)

Other than the Monstadt characters, I think Corin is friends w Itto (bro got picked up one day just like 'guess this is my life now') and literally anyone else

only #2 dogboy because Gorou is always #1

sorry corin

also, hell yeah i put that man in crop tops... what are you, a cop...

I'm just adding things at this point, but teehee, Corin is a babysitter sometimes. I don't know where Klee fits into this AU, but he probably babysits her (actively enables her shenanigans... i mean, he never did anything at all... what are you talking about...) also gets him closer to Albedo possibly maybe blink blink...

i got silly :3

behrhigw HES SO SCRUNKLY I LOVE HIM??!?! corin is just trying to live it sucks he has a murderous harem (which has childe)

also the missing enrollment is spot on i know so many lazy bums that are my classmates cuz they were like oh lmao the deadline was THAT day?? whoops haha ill just take a gap year its honestly spot on

i love him 🥺🥺

[melverie]

Hi Melody! I hope you're having a lovely day/evening!

I am here because I want to know more about your OC Marchosias and to that end I have questions from your ask game! Hopefully these haven't already been sent to you lol but if so please ignore them.

02: Do they have a nickname? 12: What makes them soft? 08: Anything you heavily associate with them? A color, a word, a picture, or something else? 09: How close are they to falling? If they are a fallen angel, what made them fall? 08: Have they given anyone their grimoire?

I hope that's not too many but oh I am curious... also please take your time 💕

Heya CC! Today was a little stressful but overall it was nice. I hope your day is/was also great! 💚

So two of your questions have been asked by others as well, but I have a few more things to say about those, so I'll just answer them again >:)

Also, no amount of questions are too many if I get to talk about my girl Marchosias in return ♡ I'm suffering from brain rot, sent help

⸺ GENERAL INFO 02 ⸺ Do they have a nickname?

So I already answered it over here, but I have two more for her!

The first one is either 'Eden's Apple' or 'Arcadian Apple' (I'm not really sure which one to go with yet whoops). It's only really used in the Celestial Realm and the seraphs were the only ones that referred to Marchosias that way, though Lucifer and Simeon have put a conscious effort into not calling her that anymore. Raphael meanwhile is the only seraph that does not call her that at all

Also, we started calling her Mazey-baby in my friend group recently so uuhhh, yeah I guess that's another nickname of hers now lol

⸺ RELATIONSHIP & PERSONALITY 12 ⸺ What makes them soft?

Oh, there are a few things!

"""Kidnapping""" Mephisto's younger brother, taking him to Devil's Coast and seeing how his face lights up with pure joy every time. Cerberus's existence. When a friend of hers insisted on winning a zombie iguana plush for her from a crane game. Some of the silly little things humans do to show affection toward others (such as warming someone else's hands). First time seeing a firefly. Seeing Luke happy. That one time she and Mephisto wanted to get parfaits at their usual place and the owner rushed over to tell them they have created a new parfait in their honor. Staring at the stars for a while

⸺ CONCEPT AND DESIGN 08 ⸺ Anything you heavily associate with them? A color, a word, a picture, or something else?

One of things I associate with her is parfaits, because I one day randomly decided that she and Mephisto often get parfaits together and gossip talk about RAD News related stuff

The others are stars, because I decided pretty early on that I want her to be fascinated by the night sky which is also why star-related days have a little star on their banner over on @today-in-the-devildom >:) It's kind of ironic though. She is a wingless demon, so even when the stars shift close enough for demons to fly through them, all she can do is watch with longing in her eyes from the ground

⸺ ANGEL 09 ⸺ How close are they to falling? If they are a fallen angel, what made them fall?

Okay, this one is a little tricky to answer, because a) she didn't fall in the classic sense, and b) it requires a lot of background info about how I headcanon things to run in the Celestial Realm

But the short short version is that she was meant to be Raphael's first mission and therefore be killed by him, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to go through with it and instead helped her escape. She obviously survived, and Raphael was able to avoid punishment

⸺ DEMON 08 ⸺ Have they given anyone their grimoire?

She tried to give it to Lucifer once shortly after the brothers fell, but Lucifer obviously refused to take it. I could explain the reason but it's....long 😭 Just know it's related to something that happened back in the Celestial Realm and she wasn't in the best headspace at the time

Anyway, Barbatos then took it to ensure she wouldn't do anything stupid with it or give it to the next best person and put herself in danger. It's been in his possession ever since and he'll continue to keep it safe until Marchosias decides she wants it back

Right now (aka in the OG timeline) she's considering giving it to my MC. But the idea of giving up so much control over herself is something she still struggles with immensely, despite knowing that my MC wouldn't ever really use it against her in the first place, so she's still debating if she should go through with it or not

-> to the ask game -> to all asks about Marchosias

[nkirukaj]

Fawning for You (3)

Pairing: Alastor x Voe (Fem!OC)

Warnings: Swearing

Genre: Angst (& Humor!)

Word Count: 3.5K

3. True Love

Ignoring Alastor was a whole lot easier said than done. He was everywhere, and he was so beautiful. He was at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He even started attending all the activities, just sitting there looking pleasant. What was up with this guy? One day he’s nibbling on her toes and the next, he acts like she doesn’t exist. He’s insane! What do men want? Voe sat there, staring at him, wondering what was going on inside of his sick mind. Was this some new kind of torture that he was trying out just for her? Or was this what he did with everyone? Why had he said they were okay when they very clearly were not? “Good morning Charlie,” she greets the Princess at breakfast Charlie looks up “Oh! Good morning Voe, very nice to see you here,” “Yeah, you’d think so huh?” she said glancing at the unperturbed Overlord.

They sat at the table and Alastor placed plates in front of each one of them, saying nothing to her in the process “Pancakes and eggs my dears, with a little something special added in. Eat up!” “Aww thank you Alastor, you’re quite the chef!” Charlie praises him “Don’t praise him he deserves nothing,” Voe mumbles under her breath, crossing her arms “Like, you should be used to it by now, he cooks all the time. Big whoop,” “You are so good at what you do Alastor!” Angel pipes up “Gotta admit,” he shrugs “He can cook,” “Okay, he can cook, what about it? It’s just pancakes and eggs, I could do that too,” she mumbles “What do you think Voe?” Charlie turns the conversation towards her They watch and wait as Voe takes a moment to gather herself before responding “It’s okay,” she says without looking up Alastor gives Voe the side-eye before facing forward once more. “Can’t just be okay,” Charlie responds “There’s so much love in it,” she smiles sweetly Voe shrugs. “Okay…” “Well, she clearly can’t appreciate love in anything…” Alastor mumbles under his breath “Hmm?” Voe sits up ready for battle “Was something said?” Alastor turns toward her “Perhaps you didn’t hear me, ‘you can’t appreciate love in anything’ because you have no heart,” “What?!” Alastor hums “I shall be off!” and dissipates into a shadow “Wow,” Angel said “These pancakes are good! What’s the secret ingredient?” “Hmm,” Cherri Bomb tastes the pancakes again “Tastes like coke,” “I don’t think I’m hungry,” Voe backs away from the plate and the table going back up to her room.

Sitting at her laptop Voe brainstorms ideas for the theater, what kind of vibe would it have? Old school? Golden Age? Or modern? Probably modern, she thought to herself, writing it down. Modern with a rustic feel? Something minimalistic? Or something sleek? But she didn’t want the bare minimum, she wanted everything! The pit, the orchestra, the mezzanines, the balcony, the works. She didn’t want any corners cut for her theater. But before she could worry about any of that, it was her job to plan it. What did she want?

Well, what she wanted was for Alastor to stop ignoring her, she wanted to sit down and have a conversation with him and live in bliss like normal partners do! But that had nothing to do with the theater.

For the theater what she wanted was white walls, a chandelier (a simple one), stands to buy merch and food, and bathrooms (obviously) all in the lobby. At least 500 pink felt seats (to be on par with a Broadway theater), and a black carpet on each floor. High ceilings and at least 3 floors. A pit for the orchestra, tech rooms, dressing rooms for the actors, and of course a stage. She could figure the rest out as she went along, well she would have to considering she couldn’t think of anything else. “Do I have to buy a building? Or is Lucifer’s approval enough? Who would I even be buying from? I don’t know anyone who sells buildings,” she pulls her permit out of the drawer and reads it again, she sighs thinking of Lucifer. She looks online, finding that the average building costs about $10,000,000. She jumps back in her chair “What the fuck? I can’t spend that much money! I’d be flat broke!” She drops her head on her desk over and over. Why is having a dream so difficult? She skips down the stairs and rushes toward the girlfriends when she sees them.“Charlie, how does the Princess feel about sponsoring one of her people’s projects?” “What do you mean?”

She puts on her people-person voice “I need someone to sponsor my work in the theater so I can pay for things that I need and for the manual labor that I need from people to build it. “Well, sure! How’s 15%?” Voe looks around and takes out her phone to calculate 15% of 10 million “That’s it? I know you have more than that,” “I’m sorry, but my dad doesn’t want me giving too much,” “Since when does he have all these rules??” “He doesn’t want any sinners using me for my money,” Voe scrunches her brows “You’re a grown woman!” “So are you!” “What’s your point?” Her eyes dart around “A grown woman should take care of her own things,” Voe groans “It feels like your dad is doing this on purpose,”“What do you mean, no?”

Lucifer shakes his head “I’m sorry, I can sponsor, but no. You can’t get the whole thing,” “Okay, so can you use your King status to make it so I don’t have to pay?” “No. I will donate, but you have to pay,” Voe is exasperated “Why are you doing this?” “What am I doing?” “Making this harder for me,” He sighs “This is literally a rule for every sinner,” “Really? Because it seems like it’s only negatively impacting me,” “It’s not. I’ve had sinners come up to me and Charlie lying about getting redeemed to get money from us!” “You literally have infinite money!” she laughs in disbelief He groans “Yes, that infinite money is for me and my daughter!” Voe puts her head in her hands “Are you serious?” “Look, if you want to get redeemed you have to work hard, at everything,” “Okay is this like a punishment or something?” “What? For what??” She looks around “Hurting your feelings?” “Voe. Not everything is about you, every sinner has to follow these new rules,” “That just happens to become rules when I want to do something,” “Well, I’m sorry. Those are just the rules now. Many have come before you and many will come after,” Voe throws her hands up “Wow, just wow. Thanks,” she says sarcastically “Voe. I said I would still help. I’ll give you more than I gave the others,” “I just thought we were friends,” she shrugs “Voe. This is business, it’s not about friendship. I can’t just not enforce rules for one person,” “Why not?” His volume increases “Because Voe, you are a sinner. You did wrong. You do not get everything handed to you now,” In this tone, she could almost see him as an actual King. “You fucked up. And now you’re here. It’s not about how I or you feel. You-“ he sighs “Yes, you hurt me. I was in love with you and I’m not over it. I’m not even over Lilith,” Voe is taken aback by his sudden confession “I’m sorry, look I’ll send you the money but you need to leave,” and he exits the room, leaving the doe flabbergasted in her frustration.“Well, he’s not wrong. You were just so lucky that as soon as you dropped into Hell you were the number one baddie on the block,”

Voe scoffs “I still am,” Angel looks at her “Yeah. I had nothing and no one before Val. Imagine being me. I can’t even tell which life was worse. You got things handed to you, and now you gotta work for ‘em,” Voe looks up at the ceiling and sighs “Apparently the King of Hell was in love with me,” Angel sighs “It happens. Look, I’ve fucked so many guys and 98% percent of them fell in love with me. That’s why you gotta nip it in the bud before ya smash,” “You couldn’t wait to brag about that could you?” she laughs Angel Dust smirks and shrugs “I didn’t even know until he told me,” “That’s why you gotta ask, you gotta be careful,” “And how was I meant to ask, ‘Hey are you in love with me? ‘Cuz I’m not in love with you.’?” “Well no. You’re supposed to just tell ‘em ‘This isn’t a relationship’,” She fiddles with her fingers “I just thought it was fun,” “Then you should’ve told him that! You’re telling me that none of the women you fucked on Earth divorced their husbands for you, but you don’t wanna be with her, and now she’s in a custody balle over her kids!” Voe cuts her eye at him “Sorry, just got personal,” She looked down at her phone, that went off saying that Lucifer had sent her 30 million, she sighs “I don’t know what to do,” “I think you need to go and apologize,” “I did!” “Yeah, and then told me about how you got all entitled,” She looks away “Okay, that’s not what I said,” “You didn’t have to say it. You went up to the King of Hell and demanded money. You might as well have tied up his whole family and put a gun to CHarlie’s head!” Voe does a double take “Wait, what? What are we talking about?” “You!” “I-I think you just got personal again,” “Besides the point, you need to go back there and apologize for that tantrum,” She scoffs “I’m not a baby,” “Then stop acting like it! You did wrong, you need to go back and apologize!” “He doesn’t want to see me,” “No no, did he say that? Or did he just say leave?” Angel purses his lips Voe rolls her eyes “He said to leave,” “Then you need to go back up there and apologize for everything,” “How would it look if I came right back?” “Like you wanna fight for this friendship that you claim you had with him. Is he actually your friend?” “Yes,” “Do you care about him?” “Yes!” “Do you care that you hurt him?” “YES! It hurt me to hurt him like that!” Angel gets in her face “Did you tell him that?” “I didn’t know I had to,” “Well, ya do,” She looks away “Okay,” “Honestly? I’d give myself to an Overlord who can admit when they’re wrong,” Voe’s eyes glisten in the light.

_______________________________

“Charlie! Didn’t you say that you convinced Cannibal Town to help you fight the angels with you with a song?”

She nods “Yup! They really adore the theatrics!” Voe clings to her clipboard and hatches a brilliant plan“So you want me to help you with your theater idea?” Rosie reiterates for clarification “Not just you, but your cannibals as well. I need a crew to help build and set things up. If that’s okay with you,”

The Overlord puts her hand on her chest “You have to ask them, not me,” Voe throws her head back “Rosie….” “You know you sinners say you want redemption, but you want us higher-ups to do the work for you,” “How should I do that?” “Just be yourself!”Voe rolls her eyes “Apparently that’s a problem,” “Huh?” She shakes her head “Never mind. Would you like to be part of it?” “Ah ho ho ho,” Rosie laughs, flattered “I’d wanna be the lead,” she and Voe laugh alongside each other “I’m serious,” she says with a straight face and then a smile Voe’s eyes dart around “Sure!” she agrees “Sometimes,” she mumbles under her breath, knowing she would certainly be the lead “So may I use your cannibals?” she asks, holding the clipboard close to her chest. She psyches herself up to talk to multiple cannibals.

She approaches the children, waving “Hi! Remember me?”

“Hi! Guys! It’s the lady with the tail!”

She nodded as the other children she had met came to see her

“Hi, deer lady! This time we have an arm for you!” the little girl offers it to her

Voe respectfully declines “I wanna ask you something,” she kneels on the ground, her skirt over her knees “Have you ever played pretend?”

“Yes!” the kids shout

“Just yesterday I pretended I was killing David with a shark!” the little girl shouts

“Good job,” Voe pats her on the head “What if you could do that for an audience? Like if you do it in front of people,”

“So people would see me killing David with the shark?”

She nods “Yep! That’s theater!”

“I love theater! I want to do it!” The boy shouts

“Good!"

She gathers them together into a group “Theater can do all this and more for you,"

She moves from the children to the adults, starting with the kid's parents, and moving on to their friends and families. The people slowly agree as their kids convince them to listen, going down a chain of positivity and agreement.

“Okay,” she breathes excitedly “I’ve given Rosie the address please be there next week at 11 AM. Okay? Okay,” and leaves the spotlight “Hey!” Rosie calls after her

She turns around “Yes?” “How’s Alastor been? He hasn’t been over here in weeks and I wanted to give him this,” she holds up a wrapped thigh Voe sighs “I don’t really know,” “Have you asked?” “He won’t talk to me,” “Sometimes you gotta make him talk,” “How am I supposed to do that?” Rosie shrugs “I don’t know, but I do know that if anyone can do it, it’s you,” she thrusts the thigh in Voe’s arms “Now here, give him that, and shoo!” She slaps Voe on the butt and Voe takes that as her time to leave “Yes Mother,” she whispers under her breath

Alastor sat in his radio tower, rereading his list of things to do. He’d completed it, but when he didn’t have something in front of him it made his mind wander. Inevitably, it always wandered to her. He watched her around the hotel, back to square one, as if nothing had ever happened between them. As though he’d never touched her smooth skin or kissed her soft lips, tasted her delicious cunt. His feelings for her were…complicated at this point in time. Sure she had apologized for her actions, sure she had gotten down on her knees and begged. Sure he had thrown her contract in the fire and sure he had forgiven her, but that was during his…overly emotional state, he trusted nothing he’d done during that point. He was starting to question whether or not he’d meant it when he forgave her or if that was the wrong decision. What had she done since? She asked if they were “Okay”, or whatever that meant. What did she want from him? He had given her almost everything and yet she still wanted more? It was ungrateful, unreasonable, it was too much. Alastor didn’t know where they should go from here. All he knew was that she had ruined his reputation, and did not seem quite sorry enough. It wasn’t fair that she got to just move on and pretend like it never happened when he had to deal with the fallout. She got to prance around as if she wouldn’t be the death of him and then still have the nerve to insult his cooking. No Alastor was not sure where to go from here, but it seemed as if every direction was the wrong one.

Voe enters the parlor with the intent of laying on the comfy couch, only to find a certain someone sitting in their chair reading. She thought about turning and retreating to her bedroom, but in the end, decided not to. If she wanted to lay on the couch she was going to lay on the couch. There was no one else there, considering that it was once again at dead of night, but at that moment it felt as though there were oceans between them although they were inches apart. Voe plops down on the couch. Alastor hums to himself as he reads. Voe scrolls on her smartphone, only slightly bothered by the darkness. It was harder for her to concentrate with the backing soundtrack, feeling as though it was increasing volume by the second. Like it was getting closer. “Excuse me, your humming is very distracting,” she speaks low “My what?” he doesn’t look up “Your humming,” “Hmm?” “Your humming,” she increases her volume, “Hmmm??” Voe rolls her eyes and sits up “Your humming…is….distracting,” Alastor looks up from his book “Oh? DIstracting you from staring at your mobile device?” “As a matter of fact, yes it is” “Ugh, busy on Sinstagram. Or telling Velvette more things about me?” She looks to the side “I don’t even have her number anymore,” “Sure you don’t” “What you want me to show you?” “I don’t want you to show me anything my dear, I just want to hum in peace,” “Well, you can’t,” “I think I can,” “You can’t,” Alastor checks his nails “Well if I can’t hum I guess you can’t have your phone,” Voe raises a brow “Excuse me?” Just then, Alastor’s shadow comes and swipes her phone out of her hands “Hey!” it tosses the device “What the fuck!” “Now we both can’t get what we want,” he smirks “You couldn’t just..stop humming?” “No, apparently not,” “Where is my phone?” “I suppose you’ll have to find it,” Voe slams the couch with her hands “What’s your problem?” “I don’t know what you mean,” “That was so petty for no reason,” Alastor sighs “I suppose I’m just petty,” Voe stands and begins checking the room for her phone, it would have been a lot easier if it wasn’t dark. She finds it and uses it to find her way back to the couch where Alastor was watching her search. “Enjoy the show?” she asks sarcastically “Oh yes, quite entertaining,” “Fine, whatever, you win,” His eyes widen “Win? What prize do I get?” he puts his hands together “Me leaving,” she turns towards the stairs “Where are you going to go? Back to the Vees perhaps?” “To my room!” “The one at V-tower or…?” “Oh fuck you!” she takes off toward the stairs and ascends “Uh, rude,” he says in a sing-song voice

Alastor was quite confused about how he felt at this moment, but it felt good to get those things off his chest. Oddly enough, this was something. He spoke to her and gave her attention. It felt like he was playing with her again and Voe loved the feeling and being under his piercing gaze. She adored being seen by him, and she loved that she could have these moments with him and still feel like herself like she wasn’t trying to fit in anyone’s mold. Like she could be truly whoever she was.

She knocks on the door of the golden castle once more. It opens on its own and she enters. It’s a lot more quiet than usual this time and Lucifer is lying on the couch in loungewear instead of in his kingly get-up. “Lucifer?” He sits up quickly “Oh. Hello.” He dusts himself off and stands “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry about how our last conversation went. It was quite inappropriate and I so apologize.” “Oh. Thank you. And.. thank you for the money,” she holds up her phone “You’re welcome.” He looks around “Is there something you need?” She purses her lips “Can we sit down?” “Um..sure. Of course. Is everything okay?” Voe takes a breath “No, it’s not. I owe you an apology,” Lucifer sits up, intrigued “Alright?” “I apologize for waltzing in here and acting like you owe me something. You didn’t have to give me anything, I realized that after I acted like an entitled brat,” “I didn’t say you were a brat….” Voe puts her hand up “I was, it’s okay,” Lucifer nods his head in agreement “But I mostly came to tell you this. You are not a toy to me. I value you and our friendship” Lucifer smiles “And I apologize for letting what we were doing get to s certain point without any acknowledgment from me,” “Well I’m sorry too-“ “No, you don’t have to apologize,” “I want to,” Voe sits back to let him talk “I’m sorry for assuming that because we were intimate, that it meant something special,” Voe nods “Noted. But I want you to know that I get that I hurt you, but I never told you how much it hurt me to hurt you like that. You were there for me when I needed you and I never in a million years would ever want to hurt you,” she tilts her head “And I don’t ever want to hurt you,” “I’m so sorry Lucifer,” He scooches forward “I accept your apology,” “Thank you,” she says with a soft smile “Will you ever come back to the Hotel?” He thinks “I’ll think about it,” “We miss you. Charlie misses you, I miss you,” “I will think about it,” She smiles “Okay,” she stands “Thank you for seeing me,” “Thank you for coming by,” Voe waves “Bye,” “Hey,” She turns back toward him “Yes?” “I know you probably don’t understand, but love-“ He shakes his head “It did mean a whole lot that you came back and apologized. One day you’ll know what it means to be in love with someone. You’ll feel so many emotions, like anger, annoyance, confusion, joy, bliss, comfort, and fury, and sometimes you might think you hate them. But at the end of the day, you can’t stand to be without them,” ‘You felt that about me?” “Yes,” “Hmm,” is all she said in response “I hope to see you soon,” “Me too. Come by anytime,” She chuckles “Or you could come by, and see your daughter,” she jokes “Yeahhh..” They laugh together as Voe exits. As the golden doors slam behind her, Voe stops before getting into the limousine, thinking,

Holy shit, I’m in love with Alastor.

[waywardxrhea]

Chapter 5 - Black Butterflies and Deja Vu

What happens when you lie to the Devil? How long can one woman keep a lifetime of secrets from the Devil of Hell's Kitchen? The answer may surprise you...

installment list

pairing: Matt Murdock x enhanced!fem!OC

series content: coffee shop AU, fluff, humor, friends to lovers, pining, language, canon typical violence, angst, drinking, implied smut, medical emergencies, mental health disorders (PTSD, panic disorder).

"i lose my voice when i look at you, can't make a noise though i'm trying to tell you all the right words, waiting on the right words. just another lovesick afternoon, black butterflies and deja vu. hoping for the right words, waiting for the right words." - black butterflies and deja vu, the maine

word count: 5.3k

Flirting. That's the chapter. With some angst thrown in but sweet Matty is there for our girl.

a/n: so obviously this story is written third person limited in Crystal's POV most of the time so we don't know what Matt is thinking or sensing, so I try throughout this series to write Matt's reaction to Crystal in a way that isn't almost table topping (for lack of a better word we are using D&D terms now whoops) and having Crystal almost "know" that he can tell more of what's going on. in this chapter we get our first glance of Matt's senses really coming in handy when it comes to being in tune sympathizing with Crystal, I hope y'all enjoy and look forward to the future of Matt's reactions to her because they are so fun to write!

A couple more weeks passed at the shop with business going as usual. One morning Crystal was hanging up the last of the Valentine’s day decorations around the pastry case and singing quietly to the music playing over the speakers. When the bell above the door rang signaling the door opening, she automatically greeted the person with, “Good morning, welcome to Stardust, I’ll be right with you!” As she rounded the counter to get behind the register, she saw Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson and said, “You chaps are earlier than usual, it’s nice to see you two!”

“Well we’ve got an early morning at the courthouse today,” Matt informed her with a shrug. 

“Awe, well, if you have time to wait, there’s about two minutes left on some strawberry mini tarts that are in the oven,” she said. 

“Are they shaped like hearts?” Foggy asked as he looked around at all of the decor hanging in the shop. He laughed as he added, “Just assuming because it is very pink in here.”

“Just comes with the holiday I guess,” she replied with a quiet laugh. “What can I get you two today?”

“Want your usual Fog? I can get it today, go find a table for us, yeah?” Matt asked his friend. 

“You got it, I’ll be at the third table on the right, buddy,” Foggy replied before relieving Matt of his briefcase and heading off to the table. 

Once he left, Matt turned his attention back to Crystal and said with a charming smile, “We’ll have our usuals and two of those tarts you mentioned.”

“Of course,” Crystal replied as she tapped away at the computer to get the order in. 

As she made change for the bill Matt gave her, she could hear the slight smirk in his voice as he told her, “You know, if you’re as beautiful as your singing voice is, that sign out on the sidewalk is wrong.”

Heat instantly ignited in her cheeks at the flirtatious comment and she was so grateful that he wasn’t able to see the flush on her cheeks and the shock on her face. Her hands began to tremble a bit as she handed him back his change, mumbling, “Oh, I, uh, I- You’re too kind, Matt…”

“I’m just telling it how it is,” Matt replied back, his warm touch lingering on hers for a few more seconds than usual before he felt around for the tip jar to place the change in. 

When he walked away, Crystal barely heard the timer for the tarts going off due to the roaring in her ears. She snapped out of her trance though and went to get them out of the oven just as Raeyes turned the corner coming from the office with her clipboard in hand. “You okay…?” she asked in concern, the panic was apparently clearly written all over Crystal’s face. 

“Yeah, just fine,” she replied faintly as she pulled on the oven mitts to get the pastries out. 

Even after Matt and Foggy left for the day, Crystal’s mind kept running through the scene in her head over and over again to the point where when got off she missed having her afternoon tea because of the preoccupation. When Raeyes pointed it out as they got back to the flat for the day was when she finally admitted what happened. 

“He said what?!” she shouted excitedly as they put their purses in their proper places near the door. 

“I guess Foggy read him the sign like he usually does and he told me, and I quote, ‘If you’re as beautiful as your singing voice is, that sign out on the sidewalk is wrong.’” Crystal told her, sitting down on the loveseat and throwing her head backward over the headrest exasperatedly. 

“And what did you say back?!” Raeyes asked as she joined her on the loveseat, practically bouncing with excitement. 

Crystal covered her face with her hands as she groaned in embarrassment, replying, “I said that was kind of him to say…”

“Crystal! The hottest lawyer in New York said one of the smoothest lines of all time and that’s what you said back?!”

“I didn’t know what to say! I haven’t exactly flirted with anyone in nearly four years!” Crystal retaliated, an unexpected laugh escaping her lips. 

Raeyes sat deep in thought for a few moments before saying, “Okay, well, all hope is not lost yet! This is good actually! This shows that he likes you! We can work with that!”

“Rae,” Crystal said wearily, unsure of how she wanted to navigate this developing situation. 

“Crystal! Please! Just give it a chance!” Raeyes pleaded.

“I want to, God I want to. There’s a part of me that is desperate for change but…” she trailed off for a few moments to gather her words. She took a breath before finishing with, “But there’s also a part of me that still loves Kit and it feels… almost wrong to have feelings for someone else…”

“Oh Crys…” Raeyes said quietly before leaning over to give her a brief hug. She sighed before saying, “I know part of you is always going to love him, that’s only natural. This isn’t like normal relationships where he hurt you and therefore you don’t love him anymore. He freakin’ died and that’s the worst way for something like what you had to end. But you can’t let that keep you from living your life. I know I didn’t know him, but from what you tell me about Kit, he would want you to be happy. Why deny yourself that?”

“The change is just scary is all…” Crystal admitted quietly. 

“Adulting is scary, but sometimes we just have to do things that scare us in order to know that we’re still alive. What’s life without a little risk?”

“You and your Potter references,” Crystal said, huffing out a quiet laugh as she wiped away a tear from her eye. 

“I’m full of ‘em!” Raeyes said as she got up and went to the cabinet to grab a couple glasses for water. As she filled them up, she told Crystal, “You don’t have to do it now, but just…think of ways you can do a little more than ‘that was nice’ next time Murdock flirts with you.”

“You got it,” Crystal replied, although she was still doing mental gymnastics to try and navigate the situation... 

The day of February 28th rolled around and Crystal, as she expected, was a mess. She was a mess because today was Kit’s birthday. His first one not here on Earth. She woke up that morning with a pit in her stomach and felt like a dark cloud was constantly hovering over her as she readied herself for work. As she walked through the door of the shop and greeted the other openers for the day though, she forced a smile onto her lips and tried to pretend she wasn’t breaking down inside. 

The cloud stuck around all day and a little voice in the back of her head kept nagging her to use the VPN she installed on her phone to check Kit’s social media page. Against her better judgment, she did when she sat down on one of the couches in the corner of the shop for her break. What she saw when she opened the page shook her to the core. It was a post from his mother that read:

Today we should be celebrating my son’s birthday with him, but instead we grieved at the grave where he shouldn’t be in the first place. As many of you know Kit was killed a few months ago and I will never forgive the person I believe to be responsible. You know who you are. He should be here with me eating his favorite meal but tonight my husband and I sit at the dining table alone while the food grows cold on our plates. Happy heavenly birthday son, until we meet again. 

A numbness filled Crystal’s body as she read the post and almost as if someone else was making her move, she felt herself get up off of the couch and head toward the restroom to be out of the public eye. She barely heard Karen compliment her on the lunch the shop served as she made her way there, offering back an off-handed acceptance of the comment before locking herself in the restroom.

Once she locked the door, Crystal turned her back to it and slid down to the floor, covering her mouth with her hands as a choked sob escaped her mouth. Before she could even try to ground herself, Crystal found herself in the midst of a panic attack, giving the only bit of concentration she had to keeping her sobs quiet as she cried. 

She cried because she knew that she was the reason his mother wasn’t able to celebrate with him today. She cried because of how much she missed him. But she panicked because of the implication of one line of the message: "you know who you are." To her panicking mind, this meant that it wasn’t made public that she had died at the hands of the O’Hares. That to London at large she was still alive and well, stuck at home with her father and brother presumably still grieving over the loss of her mother and boyfriend. That perhaps they knew she wasn’t actually dead. 

After a few minutes of just trying to slow down her breathing and heart rate before she went into a WPW episode, Crystal finally got herself out of the panic attack. She stood up on shaking legs and steadied herself on the sink before washing the tears from her cheeks and redoing the messy bun atop her head. 

She shook her head as she looked in the mirror once more, telling herself that her thoughts had to be wrong. There was no way her father knew she was still alive. If it wasn’t made public it was probably because it would implicate both the O’Hares and Porters in illegal activity which would be bad for both of their operations. Or maybe it was simply a lapse in judgment on Kit’s mother’s part… Whatever the reason for it, there was no way it was because they thought she was still alive… They just couldn’t.

When she finally emerged from the restroom well after her allotted break time, Crystal quickly got to work clearing off tables that needed it. When she neared the table where Karen, Matt, and Foggy sat, she flashed a quick smile before asking, “Anything else I can get you lot today?”

Karen gave her a soft smile before telling her, “We’re just about to head out, thank you though.”

“Everything was perfect today, as usual,” Matt complimented as they all began gathering their belongings. Karen and Foggy began to walk toward the door slightly ahead of Matt while he unfolded his cane at the table that Crystal began to clear off in their departure. As Matt reached for the handle of his briefcase, his fingers brushed across Crystal’s hand and he told her softly, “Take it easy and have a great rest of your shift, Crystal. Thank you again.”

The first genuine smile of the day made its way onto Crystal’s lips at his words and she couldn’t help the butterflies that erupted in her stomach in reaction. Before he could walk away, Crystal told him, “Thank you Matt. You just made my day loads better, you have no idea…”

He gave her a smile and small wave before beginning to navigate toward the door where his friends stood waiting for him. As Crystal finished out her shift, the thoughts of panic associated with Kit’s mother’s post started to fade into the background. Her mind instead flirted with the possibilities of what Matt’s actions could imply, and while guilt occasionally seeped into those thoughts, she kept what Raeyes told her in mind to try and feel better about the situation as a whole. 

One evening a few days later after an extremely long shift at Stardust, Crystal trudged into her flat with one thing on her mind: curling up in her bed and not getting up until mid-morning. She was so determined to get there that she missed the bright pink post-it note stuck to the outside of the door to her flat. She took two steps into the apartment before silently making her way out, cringing at her mistake of not seeing the post-it. 

Wishing to forget what she heard within the walls of her and Raeyes’s shared flat, she wandered into the first bar she came across, one with a sign out front saying, Josie’s. The bar was small and poorly lit with classic rock playing from the speakers and was filled with patrons from all walks of life. 

Sitting down at the far end of the bar, Crystal ordered a double shot of the house special before pulling out her phone to browse social media while she waited out her time away from the flat. She was lost in thought for a little while, sipping on her drink, when she heard a familiar voice asking, “Hey, isn’t that the barista from the coffee shop?” 

“She’s got a name you know,” Crystal heard a female voice reply before calling out for some beers from the bartender. 

Not wanting to intrude, Crystal pretended she didn’t hear the conversation while taking a drag from her glass. As she placed her near empty glass on the bar, she jumped a little when she realized that the ever-handsome Matt Murdock was standing nearby with a charming smile on his face. She couldn’t help the flutter her heart gave upon seeing that smile and his sleeves rolled up, showing off his surprisingly buff forearms. “Fancy seeing you here,” she told him once the shock wore off. 

“You know, I would say the same, but,” he said, his smile growing at the comment. Crystal bit the inside of her cheek, but stopped when Matt added, “You can laugh at that.”

And so she did, asking him with a laugh, “You think you’ve got a wicked sense of humor, don’t you?”

“Yes, yes I do,” he said, a light chuckle rumbling out of his chest. “Judging by the lack of any other comments, I’m assuming you’re here alone?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, uh, yeah, actually. I’m not really needed nor welcome in my flat right now,” she replied. 

“Problems with your roommate?” Matt asked. 

“I mean if you count an active dating life and getting shagged as a problem, then yes.”

A loud laugh escaped Matt’s lips at the statement and Crystal couldn’t help but laugh along. “You Brits and your slang for sex,” he said, this time with a quieter chuckle. There was a moment of silence before Matt offered, “Why don’t you come and hang out with me and the others? Help get your mind off of all…that.”

“Oh I wouldn’t want to intrude,” she said reluctantly. 

“I insist. If it helps I’ll even buy your next drink,” he told her before calling out to the bartender to get her another drink. 

“I appreciate that because I really don’t want to remember tonight,” she said before she drank the rest of her first cocktail down. Her eyes went wide upon realizing what she said and heat crept onto her cheeks as she instantly began stuttering out, “I didn’t mean- I meant- Not wanting to forget hanging out with you lot, I’m sure that part is going to be lovely, it’s just…”

“Walking in on your roommate having sex wasn’t on your agenda tonight?” Matt asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Not exactly,” she replied before taking a sip from the new drink Josie sat in front of her. 

“You guys better watch out for her, those are doubles, Murdock,” the bartender warned. 

“Will do, Josie, thank you,” Matt replied. He turned back to where Crystal sat on the barstool and asked, “Do you mind leading me to where Fog and the others are?”

“I don’t mind at all,” she replied as she gingerly hopped off the chair and held out her arm for Matt to grab. When his large hand grabbed hold of her bicep, Crystal couldn’t help but feel heat rising to her cheeks again, but tried to blame it on the liquor starting to take effect. 

As they walked over, Matt began telling her, “So you know Karen and Foggy, but we’ve also got Marci here with us tonight. She and Foggy are dating.”

“Got it,” she said as they approached the table. 

She placed her drink on the table before helping Matt to his chair as Foggy said cheerfully, “Well if it isn’t our favorite baker and barista! Crystal, this is my girlfriend, Marci! Marci, this is the barista we’ve told you about!” 

“Pleasure to meet you,” Crystal said with a cordial smile. 

“You too! Foggy Bear never shuts up about your scones when you make them at the shop. If you end up being around more often you’ll have to share your recipe,” Marci told her. 

“So what brings you to Josie’s? I don’t think we’ve seen you around here before,” Karen said. 

Matt, seemingly unable to help the teasing tone in his voice, told her, “Her roommate is...how’d you say it? Shagging someone?”

Crystal laughed quietly before saying, “Yep, and I’ve still got about…” she checked the time on her phone before finishing with, “An hour and a half before I can go back to the flat.”

Foggy choked on his beer before asking, “Who has sex for that long?”

“Some people like foreplay, Foggy Bear,” Marci told him with a nudge of her elbow. 

Crystal laughed at the comment before telling them, “It’s just this rule she has in place for us living together. When the other has someone over like that, you put a post-it on the door with the time written on it. The other isn’t allowed back inside for two hours after the designated time. I made the mistake of being too exhausted from my shift at the shop to notice the note…”

“Are you saying you just got off of work?” Matt asked with concern in his voice. “Haven’t you been there since this morning?”

“Oh calm down counselor, I didn’t mind it,” she told him. “We had someone call in and when there’s only a handful of people on staff and no one else can come in, we do what we have to do. As I said, I don’t mind it, it’s not like I have much of a social life anyway. It’s…hard to meet people here if I’m honest,” she told him. 

“You’re telling me,” Karen said, raising her beer bottle to Crystal. “Luckily for me Matt and Foggy came into my life when they did. They ended up taking me under their wing when I was in some trouble.” Upon prompting from Crystal, Karen recounted the story of how the three of them met and how their friendship had flourished since then. She smiled at Crystal before telling her, “So if you’re looking for a group to take you under their wing, I’m sure we can be that for you.”

The sentiment had tears pooling in the backs of her eyes, and Crystal was about to respond when Marci asked, “So what brings you to Hell’s Kitchen anyway? How does one go from London to here of all places?”

“Hey, don’t drag Hell’s Kitchen like that,” Matt defended. “Some people actually like it here.”

“Fine, fine, but even you have to admit, London’s got to be loads better than around here, Matt!” Marci said with a playful roll of her eyes. She rested her chin on her hand as she turned back to Crystal and prompted, “So…?”

“Oh, I, uh… I just needed a change. Life back home wasn’t always the best for me, so I seized the opportunity to get out of there the first chance I got,” Crystal told her vaguely. 

“Well you know what they say, that America is the land of opportunity!” Foggy told her. 

The group discussed the differences between life in the UK versus the US before Karen slyly asked, “What about the difference between the men here and there?”

Crystal canted her head to the side, furrowing her eyebrows as she said, “I don’t follow.”

“Well you know what they say, English girls like sex,” Marci said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. She smirked before prompting, “So Miss London girl…?”

“I am certainly not drunk enough to be answering those questions right now,” Crystal replied with a laugh. She not so gracefully exited her chair and turned toward the bar, but not before adding, “And by the way I don’t have a comparison.”

Karen’s jaw dropped before she asked, “You’re telling me you’ve been in America for months and you haven’t been laid?”

“I plead the fifth! That’s how that saying goes right?” she asked before laughing as she headed toward the bar for another drink and something to snack on. 

While she waited at the bar with her drink, getting lost in her thoughts, a figure approached her, standing rather close. She looked over and saw a young man standing there with a smile on his face, saying, “I couldn’t help but overhear your beautiful accent earlier, where are you from?” 

“Oh, uh, London,” she replied, subtly stepping away. 

“Sweet, I bet it’s almost as beautiful there as you are,” he said with a wink. 

She cringed at the flirting, wishing it would stop as she replied awkwardly, “Oh...uh...thanks.”

He stepped closer, ignoring the growing space between them and placing his hand over hers on the bar, saying, “Why don’t you and me get out of here and-”

“Is everything all right, sweetheart?” came Matt’s voice from behind her. 

He leaned his cane up against the bar and snaked his hand around Crystal’s waist, running it down her side before resting it on her hip. At the touch, Crystal felt her heart speed up and a jolt of pleasure went south, causing her to shiver slightly under his hold. Matt’s hand subtly squeezed her hip, causing her to come back to the moment, telling him, “Everything’s fine, love, thank you. Just waiting on my order.” She removed her hand from the young man’s and added, “I was just about to tell this gentleman that I was here with someone already.”

The young man’s eyes went wide seeing Matt holding onto Crystal, so he stuttered out, “Sorry man, I didn’t realize, I’ll let her be. Have a good one.”

Once he was out of earshot and back with his friends across the room, Crystal let out a sigh of relief, telling Matt breathlessly, “Thanks for the save.”

“Any time,” he told her before letting his hold on her go seemingly reluctantly. “Foggy said you looked uncomfortable so I decided to step in. Karen and Marci are mad at me about it, but,” he said with a quiet chuckle. 

“They’re never going to let it go, huh?” Crystal asked as she took the basket of cheese sticks from Josie before guiding herself and Matt back to the table. 

“Probably not, they’re persistent,” Matt told her. “Even so, being four shots deep isn’t the best state to be in for your first time here in the states. They should know that.”

By the end of the night she ended up being six shots deep plus a couple beers that Marci pushed her way. While hanging out with the little group, Crystal had found herself babbling on and on about baking, telling them how it’s always been her dream to go to culinary school but hasn’t found the opportunity to do so. She shared a few recipes with Marci before Matt began helping her back to her flat. 

Once they got outside the door to her flat, Matt asked, “Post-it still there? Time hasn’t refreshed or anything has it?” 

Crystal scanned the door and saw that the post-it was no longer there, so she said, “Nope, all clear,” followed by a giggle as she fished around her purse for her keys. 

A smile was evident in Matt’s voice as he told her, “You know, you’re a really giggly drunk. It’s endearing.”

“And you’re extremely charming,” she told him, another giggle slipping out at her boldness. 

Crystal began trying to get the key into the doorknob, but dropped them in the process. She bent down to pick them up, but nearly fell over when she straightened. Almost as if instinctively, Crystal felt Matt reach out to steady her, his hand once again landing on her hip as her body pressed back onto his. “Woah there,” he said, an audible smirk on his lips. 

Matt put his hand over Crystal’s and helped her keep it steady as she slipped the key into the doorknob and turned it. The feeling of his hand over hers and their bodies so close together stirred something inside of Crystal, and images of what those hands were probably capable of began to flood her mind. Her breath hitched in her throat momentarily at the thoughts and she felt her blood begin to run south again. Matt’s grip on her hip once again tightened, but this time he shifted his body away from hers, saying, “I think it’s time for you to get inside. Thanks for letting me get you that drink tonight.”

With the alcohol dulling her brain to mouth filter, she once again giggled before telling him, “If there’s more nights like this in the future I wouldn’t mind. With or without alcohol.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he told her quietly before she opened the door and let herself in, a hand on the wall for support. 

“Goodnight, Matt,” she said with a wave.

“‘Night, Crys,” he told her, that charming smile once again making its appearance, along with the butterflies in Crystal’s stomach at the sight. She closed the door before thinking to herself, This man is going to be the death of me…

A few days passed and Matt couldn’t get the night with Crystal at Josie’s out of his head. One evening after a stressful case, he, Foggy, and Karen decided to go out and Matt offered up Stardust, citing, “We haven’t been there at night and you like wine Karen, why not try something different?” 

“He just wants to see Crystal again,” Foggy said under his breath to Karen.

“Let him be happy,” Karen chastised back with a light punch to his shoulder. 

“You guys know I can hear you, right?” Matt called from his office across the room as he packed away his things into his briefcase for the day. 

“We know!” they called back.

As they all walked out of the office, Foggy clapped Matt on the back and said, “You know, I think this is good for you, Matt. Getting out there again and all! Ever since Josie’s Marci’s been on and on about a double date. It’s actually kinda exhausting.”

“Make it a triple,” Karen said with a smile audible in her voice. “I met someone the other night on the way home from Josie’s. We hailed the same cab and figured out we were going to the same place. Turns out we actually have a lot in common and are planning a date for this weekend…”

“Karen Page, would you look at you!” Foggy said in light of the news.

“Good for you, Karen, I’m happy for you,” Matt told her as the three of them walked down the hallway to the exit of their building. 

“And I’ll be happy for you when you finally man up and ask Crystal on a date,” Karen told him, a fake sternness in her tone. 

“Okay, what’s with you two and the pushing for me and her to date all of a sudden?” Matt asked. 

Foggy scoffed before replying, “Matt, buddy, come on.” 

“What?”

“I guess love really is blind,” he joked before getting a playful punch on the shoulder from Matt in return. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Matt said with a chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. 

While he and his friends ate their respective meals and drinks at Stardust, Matt couldn’t help but listen to Crystal quietly singing to the music playing over the shop’s speakers as she helped Raeyes put up decorations around the shop. She had been off today, but it was by incredible luck that she was there that evening. Foggy swore up and down that Matt had to have known, but he really didn’t. 

Matt was taken out of his slight trance when there were suddenly fingers snapping right beside his ear, startling him back into reality. He shook his head before saying, “Sorry, I got distracted, what were you saying?”

He could hear the disbelief in his voice as Foggy said, “You’ve got it bad man!”

Tilting his head to the side a bit, Matt asked, “What do you mean?”

The sly tone of Karen’s voice came next, saying, “I know what’s got him so distracted.”

“Enlighten me,” Foggy said, a hint of mischief in his voice. 

“He’s always listening to her sing when we’re here, so I assume that’s what he’s doing right now, and the song that’s playing, it’s…let’s say sexually charged.”

“Wait, wait I know this one, it’s Ready For It…? by Taylor Swift, Marci’s always listening to this album!” Foggy’s laugh filled Matt’s ears before he said incredulously, “Don’t tell me you’re picturing sex with the girl you’re too scared to even make a move on, Murdock!”

“He totally is,” Karen’s teasing voice said. 

Foggy nudged Matt in the ribs before asking, “What, are you wishing it was you making her make that noise instead of a song? Can’t get there if you don’t make a move, bud!”

Matt shook his head before asking, “Can we talk about something else? What about what we’re going to do with all the potatoes Mrs. Aledes gave us after we settled her case?”

“No, I think this is something we need to discuss,” Karen said, her tone shifting to something softer now. She laughed lightly before adding, “Not the sex thing, but the subject in general. You’ve clearly had her on your radar for a while, why don’t you make a move?” 

“Yeah, for real, since when has Matthew Murdock not pursued one of the many attractive women he somehow knows how to sniff out?” Foggy asked. “Probably literally.”

“Well I mean besides the obvious…other part of my life historically interfering with the safety of people I care about…” Matt started out with, ignoring the second comment. He sighed before admitting, “I guess I’m still trying to get a read on her. Her body gives me all the signs that she’s attracted to me, but…her heart tends to flutter when she’s talking to other men and women too.”

“People can be bisexual, Matt,” Foggy said matter-of-factly. 

“I know that, you didn’t let me finish, Fog,” Matt said. “I’m not even sure she’s ready for a relationship right now, I’ve heard her turn away other people who have tried to give her their number.”

“Who’s to say she doesn’t want one with you and is just waiting for you to make a move? I’m just saying, this is clearly something you want and sitting here listening to her sing that song isn’t doing anything to help,” Karen said. Laughter burst out of her as she added, “Now think about making a move before I start requesting sex songs every time we come in here!”

Matt chuckled and shook his head as he said, “Please don’t.” What he added in his head after though was, I don’t know if I could hold myself back from her again if you do…

next chapter

[txemrn]

Déjà Vu

Chapter 2

New? Check out the first chapter HERE! (Go ahead; you're not late. Sure, we can wait.)

Series Summary: After an unforgettable night with a stranger, Princess Eleanor finds herself caught in a secret love triangle between a noble and a commoner.

Chapter Summary: Drake attends dinner at the palace, and even though some things will never change, he discovers quickly everyone has moved on without him.

Pairing(s): Liam x Riley; Bertrand x Savannah; Maxwell x m!OC; Olivia x Amalas

Word Count: ~4885

Warning: 🔞 Mature Audiences Only 🔞 language (like, a lot); references to infidelity, pregnancy; teasing/bullying

A/N: Welcome to my Crack Fic! If you are new, hi! Thank you for joining us! This story takes place approximately 2 decades after TRR/TRH. I have made some canonical changes (they will be mentioned). Characters and some plots belong to our friends at Pixelberry! This was not Beta'd; please excuse my errors.

~🖤~

Drake

The gentle purr of the engine beneath my grip of the steering wheel shoots pleasurable waves of pure octane ecstasy. My nerves ignite with palpable electricity, coursing through my every cell. The cream leather interior is like butter against my skin, and the scent of luxury leaves me completely intoxicated.

Lucky little shit.  

I still can't believe my nephew–my fucking nephew–owns this beauty. How many twenty-four-year-olds own an Aston Martin Vantage convertible? I wish I could give him more shit about it, coming from such privilege as being the oldest son of a duke, but Bartie has more than earned it. 

He may not have exactly been planned, but he was the answer, and essentially the savior, of Ramsford. Back when I lived in this God-forsaken country, some twenty-odd years ago, Ramsford was in financial ruin. My brother-in-law, Bertrand, Bartie's father, scraped, scrapped and pinched every monetary morsel to keep them afloat for years.

Then along came Bartie: finished the top of his class at some preppy private institute at Stormholt with a degree in finance, and in just three fucking years of working with his dad… well, that little shit has an Aston. 

I'm actually very proud of him. Surely he knows that. We weren't much for talking over the years, but I'd send cards telling him I loved him, and I'd ask about him during video calls with my sister.

Judging that I am sitting in his custom-painted cherry-red luxury car right now? Yeah, Bartie knows I care the world about him. The fact that he's going to allow me to drive it? Fuck, I don't think I even trust myself, especially on these European roadways. Sure, I learned how to drive in Cordonia, but that was over two decades ago. And it wasn't a stickshift.

Can't be that hard, right?

I study the mechanism of the gear shift, comparing it to a quick Google search on my phone as I wait for my nephew to return to the car with a necktie–my suggestion.  Afterall, we're heading to dinner with the royal family… A.K.A. my childhood best friend, his daughter. And his wife.

The love of my life.

Eh, don't feel sorry for me. I'm over it. Seriously. And besides, technically, Liam had first dibs on her; but then again, he had first dibs on several other women at the exact same time, social season and all for his highness, the fucking crown prince of Cordonia. Whoop-de-do.

He's the one that asked me to look after his hot American suitor during his own personal season of The Bachelor. Are you really surprised I fell for the chick? The guy was never around. And Riley and me? She... she was fun, smart. She was fucking hilarious, gave those noble bitches a real run for their money. And yet, she was still kind and caring. She was easy to talk to; I found myself opening up to her in ways that… well, no one else could. 

Riley Brooks. I guess you could say she's the reason I never settled down with anyone. No one–and I mean no one–ever measured up. 

Oh well. That was a long time ago. And she made her decision. Him. And even though he was like the brother I never had, I… I couldn't. I just couldn't sit back and watch them play house and build a life together. Well, for Liam, it was real. 

I had fallen for her. But so had Liam. I knew that if I stayed–if I had stayed, the secret of Riley and me wouldn't end. Shit, if it didn’t end after they said, "I do," when would it?

Time heals all wounds, right?

Bartie opens the door, and slides into the passenger seat with two neckties in hand, both black as he holds them up to his crisp white oxford. "What do you think?"

"Think about what? The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? You look like a fucking mormon," I jest as I point to the one with a subtle matte paisley design. "Why are you fussing about this anyway?"

"Just cause," he passively offers as he stares in the visor mirror, knotting his tie. "I'm speaking with King Liam privately after dinner, and… well, I just want to look alright."

Sensing his raw nerves, I pause for a moment, watching him fidget anxiously with the garment. Jesus, when did my baby nephew become a fucking man?  I smile, placing my calloused fingers on his shoulder. "You do, kid." I fasten my seat belt as I turn my attention to the dash. "So, how do I put this thing into drive?"

------

It’s surreal walking into the palace after so many years away. White marble floors. Crimson curtains with gold accents.  Childhood memories flood my mind of our sword battles on the grand staircase, pretending to be blood-thirsty pirates. Or when we would gallop through the secret labyrinth of corridors deep within the estate, charging on our make-believe stallions like mighty Spanish conquistadors. 

We would always sneak to the kitchen between meals to taste the desserts being made for dinner–unless Ms. Marta was working. That fucking old hag. Most of my ass whoopings were from her tattling on us. 

Liam was a fucking weirdo on our kitchen raids.  We would slip through the window of the bakehouse, and when we would confirm that the coast was clear, he would always head straight for the pantry to a bag of pistachios. We're talking about a place that had every sweet, every chocolate, every cookie imaginable, readily available in sealed containers. And he chose nuts. 

I always had my eyes on a nightly staple in the palace: warm apple pie. They were made daily, and I could always find at least one cooling on the window sill. 

Fuck, now I'm salivating over a fucking pie.  

To this day, I humbly have to admit that Cordonia apple pies are the best–don't let the taste of a raw ruby fool you. Something about the bitter compounds reaching a certain temperature causes… something-something to do something… ah, hell. Tell you what. If you're that curious, ask Liam. I mean, I'm assuming he's still a nerd–

"Drake!" 

I startle at the greeting, instantly recognizing the tall, broad-shouldered blond striding closer to me, wearing… an apron? The fuck? The apron has the phrase, 'I love you a bushel and a peck'.

Oh, yeah. He's still a fucking dweeb. 

His outstretched hand takes mine as he shakes it before pulling me into an embrace. "It's so good to see you, old friend," he pats my back before standing back to take me in.

He looks so different, but undoubtedly, he still looks like Liam Rys. Stray pieces of silver litter his perfectly styled, perfectly placed waves. His strong jawline and high cheekbones were cut more razor-sharp by his more mature, thinned face. His strong chest and the swell of his biceps made him look like a fucking Greek god. Lucky bastard. It's like turning forty didn't wreak havoc on his appearance or metabolism, save for a few fine lines around his eyes and smile.

"Bartie," Liam smiles endearingly, "always a pleasure." He extends his arm to my nephew before the scared kid had a chance to bow. I could see the flood of panic in Bartie’s eyes, but I gave him a reassuring nod as he hesitantly took his majesty's hand.

Don't worry, kid. I won't tell your daddy about your ‘poor manners’.

"Please," Liam rests his hand on my shoulder while turning to guide us to the queen's hall, the largest dining area in the palace for private parties. The room boasted an impressive, custom eight-meter-long table that could easily fit twenty-five guests comfortably. "Come, come. Everyone is just being seated." We follow him down the east corridor when suddenly, the savory aroma of roast and… something garlicky teases my senses. Liam obviously caught the delicious waft too, turning back with a devious grin. "I hope you brought some hearty appetites. Riley and I have something special for you tonight."

Riley. Why does the mere mention of her name make me–shit. Get it together, Walker. You're over it.

As expected, my closest friends during my time in Cordonia are all present along with their families. Well, 'friends' might be too strong of a word to use on this crowd. They were nobles and friends of Liam. I was friends with Liam. Ergo, we were friends. Sorta. 

My sister Savannah and her husband Bertrand were sitting at the end towards my right, speaking in hushed tones to one another. They came separately from Bartie and myself from their estate since, well, there wasn't enough room for them and the triplets. Yes. You read right. Triplets. As in three babies at once. They had tried for years to have more children with sadly no avail, and it took a terrible toll on their marriage. I still remember Sav's tearful call five years ago, revealing to me that they were separating. I was preparing to hop on a plane to execute my brother-in-law's accidental demise for breaking my little sister's heart when I got a second call a few weeks later. They were pregnant. I got a call a week after that. I had three nieces on the way.  Sydnie, Stella and Simone: the cutest little shits you've ever seen… and not just because they have their uncle's dashing good looks. 

I'm talking about me, their uncle. Not their other uncle.

Maxwell Beaumont–said other uncle– was sitting next to his brother Bertrand. He officially married Baron Friedrich von Lehndorff twelve years ago when Cordonia overturned their marriage clause of traditional unions. One hundred forty-eight same-gender couples came forward that day to be legally married; Max and Rich led the way to the Capitol. They became a beacon of light and love, not just for Cordonia, but to the world. I remember reading about their march for equality and their victory in my local paper. Maxwell and I weren't necessarily best friends, but a sense of pride bloomed in my chest, seeing him do something so incredible and bold with his life.  

He and Rich have a 9-year-old daughter Gia and 4-year-old son Ollie, both adopted from South Korea. Don't tell them I told you, but I follow their TikTok. Those two are fucking adorable.

Across from the Beaumont-von Lehndorffs is the Scarlet Duchess herself. Olivia Nevrakis. And… I almost can't believe the sight myself–

"Hey, Walker!" She waves, a smile growing on her face.

What. The. Fuck. Was she… happy to see me?

She stands up and makes her way around the table of guests to greet me. 

With a hug.

Shock number two: she’s touching me in a friendly manner. But that's when I was hit with shock number three.

Is she? No, no… she can't be. Is that a–?

She must've seen the curiosity etching across my face as I stared down at a rounded abdomen that just pressed up against me during our embrace. She instinctively cradles her belly and giggles.

Giggles. 

Was I in the Twilight Zone?

She married Amalas a few years after I moved away. I wasn't surprised; the few times Livvy and I hooked up felt odd, like something was missing. I mean, not that I didn't satisfy her. That was never a problem for me with women. Turns out, ol' red was looking for a queen. 

Together they serve as queen and queen consort of Monterisso, and apparently are known for creating quite a riot at international events. I'm not surprised. They have four children: Macaela–Amalas’s daughter with her late husband–Josefine, Joaquin, and Joseph.  And then baby Timothy will be joining them soon. Because that name makes sense.

I'm starting to feel a little self-conscious. It's been over twenty years, and everyone seems to have grown up. Had families. Changed the world. And what did I have to show? Nothing. I mean, I did have quite a successful construction company that I developed with almost seventy employees under my leadership, but… well, that went under thanks to my business partner fucking me over. Fucking twat-waffle. 

But is this really what my life comes down to? Is this how you would sum up my life? Compared to childhood friends, I was still nothing. And here I was again on the coattails of Liam.

An abrupt delicate tink to a wine glass echoes over the various conversations and children squealing, silencing everyone as we turn our attention to the head of the table. 

And there she was. Just as breathtaking as the last day that I saw her.

"Drake," she gasps as I pull her into the dark shadows behind the barn. "We can't. Not anymore." 

I shake my head, her eyes refusing to meet mine. I took a step towards her, but she instinctively shifts, her back pressing against the wall.

"Brooks–"

"Rys," she interjects, the correction like a serrated blade piercing my skin. A sob escapes her as rivers course down the planes of her velvet skin.

Placing my arm against the splintered wood next to her head, I lean closer to her, capturing her intoxicating scent. My hand slips up her neck, my fingers tenderly lifting her chin to look at me, to captivate me with those ocean eyes.

My thumb caresses her rosy lips, feeling her breath hitch. I flutter my mouth across her wet cheeks, my feather touch kissing away her tears.

But we suddenly freeze.

"Riley?"

Liam's smooth voice carries over the moonlit pasture, drowning out our abilities to hear the bustle of the reception.

"Riley…Don't–"

But it's too late. Before I could stop her, she was gone.

I blink. Casually shifting in my seat, I glance nonchalantly around me. Whew, everyone is still staring at the head of the table. No one seems to notice that I got lost in my thoughts for a moment.  I nervously scratch through my stubble before grabbing the water glass in front of me. I take a longass sip of water, but when I pull the glass from my mouth, two crystal-blue orbs with long, flirty lashes are locked on me.

Fuck, I choke on the water on my attempt to swallow it down. I start coughing violently as Maxwell starts patting my back.

"You okay there, Drakey?"

I finally take a gulp of air, and glare at him. "Yes… and it's Drake, Maxi pad." Okay. I admit it. It was childish to retaliate by calling him the name me and some of the other guys called Maxwell growing up. But to my surprise, he laughs before finger-gunning me.

"Good one, Drake. I haven't heard that in years."

I turn back to our royal hosts just in time for Liam to give me a friendly nod, as if to ensure that I'm okay without creating more of a scene. But when I glance over at Riley, she quickly averts her eyes, slipping her hand into Liam's. 

Jesus Christ. If that was a sign of how things were going to be, her cowering and treating me like I'm some kind of criminal for something she did willingly… something she pursued… fuck that. Send me back to Texas.

"We brought wine!" Rich singsongs, pulling out two large bottles from a nearby refrigerated wine rack. "Who'd like–?"

I refused to let the poor bastard finish.

"Me."

------

I can't remember a single time in my life where I have been so positively and exuberantly grateful for Maxwell fucking Beaumont. He fended off the anticipated awkwardness and helped the dinner conversation progress, making the casual assist to include me in this special meal that was supposedly in my honor. 

I'm not saying the others were rude to me, Liam especially. He was treating me like a long lost brother, like the prodigal son that has finally returned home. And I'm not going to lie: it felt good to be reunited with him.

But Riley couldn't even look me in the eye, and judging by the flashes of guilt and her over-eagerness to leave the room every chance she got, I know she never told her husband the truth about our relationship.  He had his suspicions. And I owned up to falling for her, thus the ending of our friendship and me moving to Texas. I mean, I thought it was the end…

But, I didn't just fall for her; it wasn't pining for her from afar, hoping she would give me the time of day.

We were in love.

"This was absolutely divine," Savannah sings praises, taking a sip of her tea. Everyone begins chiming in with their sentiments, thanking the royal couple for the delicious meal. Yes, they prepared it. I know; I was impressed myself.

Individual conversations continue through dessert and coffee when suddenly, the ring of a phone interrupts us into silence.

"Excuse me," Amalas whispers with the phone against her ear, "I need to take this. It's Josie."

Liam and Riley flash looks of concern at one another. "I hope everything is okay," Riley says softly as she twirls her necklace between her fingers, turning to her husband with a more hushed tone. "Did Ellie text you?"

Liam is already looking at his phone, but he's casually shaking his head, appearing more relaxed than his wife. His gaze catches my curious look as I try to put the pieces together of what's going on this evening.

"Josie–err, Josefine–is out with our Eleanor and Madeleine's daughter Bethany this evening." 

Ah, that's right… Josefine must go by Josie, Amalas’s second daughter, her first daughter with Olivia. Shit, I can’t keep these spawn straight….

"Crisis averted!" Amalas sweeps back into the room, placing her cell into her pocket. "The girls said the restaurant was too crowded, so they're going over to the Vancoeur's for a–" she imitates an American valley girl, "girls' night."

"Vancoeur?" I mutter, turning to Maxwell. "Did he… reproduce, too?" The idea sounded ridiculous. What woman lowered her standards that low to sleep with that bastard?

"Yep," Maxwell responds, "he has a beautiful daughter." He takes an obnoxious sip of his espresso. "You know, Bethany, the girl that's out with Eleanor and Josie."

No. Fucking. Way.

"I thought Beth was Madeleine's kid?"

"It is." Maxwell chuckles as mischief glows in his eyes. "Oh Drakey, you missed it. Maddie and Neville were actually married for about ten years." Pulling a napkin up to his mouth, he lowers his voice. "Rumor has it she was about to lose what was left of her inheritance, slept with that weasel, then faked a pregnancy to get him to propose." He snickers. "I wish I could've been a fly on the wall when her fake pregnancy turned out to be a real pregnancy."

"What the–?"

"Mhrmm," Maxwell bounces his eyebrows, "she claims she had no idea." He stares at me intently before rolling his eyes and gesturing with his hand a dramatically large curve over his stomach. “Agnes, my seamstress–can you believe she’s still working for us? Well, anyway, that woman can work absolute miracles…” He takes another sip of his drink.  He quiets his voice while he averts his eyes, slowly crossing his legs. “There was no hiding that bump.”

I shake my head in disbelief, chuckling under my breath when suddenly, I feel a large hand on my shoulder. I whip around quickly, pulling my body away, when I see–

"Shit, Li–"

"I didn't mean to interrupt," he offers a friendly smile.

I blow away the air I had quickly sucked in, willing my heartbeat to slow down. I guess I'm still a little on edge being here, but fuck, that scared me.

"I thought before you left tonight, we could discuss, um… arrangements. For you."

"Yeah… yeah, of course." Following his lead, we start to make our way to the exit for privacy.

When Liam invited me to Cordonia, he was very specific that he wanted to help me get back on my feet. And I believe him. I know his generosity is genuine; he doesn't have any ulterior motives or some secret vendetta against me from the past. At least I hope he doesn't. But this isn't a vacation for me; part of the deal was I needed to work. I'm not sure if that meant finding temp jobs or something more long-term. 

“Do I smell imported cheap whiskey?”

I stop short of the door.

Fuck me. Leo Rys. Liam’s older brother and notorious international womanizer. The man just turned fifty last year, and it’s like he unlocked a new group of admirers, especially now that he’s sportin’ a little silver around the edges these days. 

He and Liam are complete polar opposites. Apples and oranges. Night and day. If Liam was thoughtful and selfless… well, you get the gist. And clearly by his entrance, I’m discovering that some things never change.

As if his deep bellow wasn’t warning enough, his black leather boots announce his presence as he struts across the polished tile, his arm hooked around his helmet. He slaps his free hand on my shoulder, squeezing it firmly as he obnoxiously sniffs me.

"Cheap whiskey… and… is that a hint of beef jerky and cow patties I'm detecting?"

"Good to see you, too." Jackass. I slap his chest before pushing him off of me. I may have used a little more force than I should've. My bad. 

"Am I late for dinner?" He slaps Liam on the back before walking towards the kitchen.

Liam sighs. "Just… a little–"

"Ahh, don't worry," he stops to kiss Riley on the cheek. "I'll serve myself."

As Leo disappears, Liam and I give each other a knowing look before leaving the room as well.

------

"Trust me, you're going to love what Riley has done with the guest quarters."

Liam and I had a good talk. A really good talk. We didn't have to say it, but it was clear: we missed each other. We missed our camaraderie, the confidence we had in one another. He was the first person I called when Dad died; I was the first person he called when Leo abdicated. We grew up and became men together.

But then Riley Brooks happened… but, I'm guessing you know that by now.

Liam has already a number of jobs for me to sift through, several carefully picked out that would play to my strengths with architecture and construction. But since these jobs were either on the grounds or here locally in the Capitol, he insisted I move into one of the private guest quarters with its own private entrance and balcony.

'You don't need to be making that drive from Ramsford everyday.' He's right. It's quite the journey, not to mention I don't exactly have a vehicle of my own here. So, I'm back in the palace. Ain't life a bitch?

"Now I hope you don't mind all-electric. The gas lines and how they were designed don’t–"

"Beggars can't be choosers, love."

Her words are like ice, the sharp chill making even her husband shudder. 

"Riley–"

"What?" She giggles under her breath. "I was joking." She turns a venomous stare towards me. "Drake knows I'm kidding. Don't you, Drake?"

I clear my throat. "Yeah," I play along, "good one."

"Love?" She slips her hand around Liam's arm, lowering her voice into a whisper. "Bartie Beaumont has requested to speak with you privately."

"Oh!" Liam brightens. "Sure. Of course." He gives me a pleasant nod. "Excuse me, Drake. And, please. Feel free to look around."  He begins to make his way towards the dining area, Riley following in step behind with no acknowledgement to me.

I breathe a sigh of relief. I needed a moment to myself anyway.

"Actually," Liam turns on his heel, waving a finger in the air. "On second thought, Love?" He smiles lovingly towards Riley, placing his hands affectionately on her shoulders. "How about you go show Drake the renovations you made?"

Shit.

------

Riley barely spoke two words to me besides pointing to the obvious fixtures and control buttons in the guest suite.

Light... Refrigerator… Bathroom… 

"This, uh, looks really nice," I try to converse, combing my fingers through my hair. "I never thought I'd see the day this room would have a–"

"We don't have to do this." She walks out of the room and into another part of the suite.

Why was she being such a frigid bitch? 

Fuck, I need a smoke.

I take a deep breath, shoving my hands in my pockets as I stroll back out into the hallway of the apartment.

"Is there anything else you needed to see?" She swallows thickly. She tries to remain stoic with a stiff bottom lip. Her jaw ticks… but her glare betrays her as something else brews that I … can’t quite discern.

But then, without warning, Riley's eyes roam down my body, catching on the crotch of my khakis before returning to my face.

Eyes up here, your majesty.

She clears her throat, pretending I didn't just catch her checking me out. "Um, anything else you wanted to see… of the suite, that is? Because, uh, we should probably –" she shuffles backwards, pointing aimlessly behind her, towards the door.

"You go on ahead," I tell her. "I'm gonna check out the balcony if you don't mind."

A heated swirl of rouge ignites on Riley’s cheeks. She nods, turning on her heel quickly without saying a word, and exits the apartment in record time. 

Thank God. I don't know what just happened, but… this is a very interesting turn of events. Does she still have feelings for me?

No. Stop.

Shit. Maybe moving in is a mistake.

I make my way outside, and damn. The view from this balcony is stunning. It actually overlooks the Cordonia countryside, which means less lights from the city and plenty of stars to be seen at night. It's... actually a nice reminder of home.

Taking a seat on the balustrade, I pull out a cigarette and nestle it between my teeth as I search for my lighter. I pat my pockets, both in the back and front of my pants before checking my shirt.

Shit. Can the universe just pass me a fucking bone?

I slump over, resting my elbows on my knees. Holding my hands in front of me, I begin to pick at my calluses as the events of the evening replay like a movie reel in my head.

But suddenly, there's a snick, then a spark; then a single flame is held in front of me. Fishing my cigarette out from behind my ear, I fix it between my lips and lean into the fire. I pull heavily, deeply until the familiar burn touches my anxious nerves, and I blow away my initial puff.

"You know smoking can kill you."

I raise an eyebrow at the deep voice, taking another inhale before blowing it in Leo's face.

"Malaka."

I chuckle at his insult, watching that smug grin pull out his own cigarette to light. He leans against the side of the balcony before hoisting himself up onto the balustrade.

"So," he licks his lips, looking at me inquisitively. "How does it feel to be back in lovely Cordonia?"

I look at him, scrunching my face. Really? That's the best you can do? I look back down, flicking some ash on the ground.

"How does it feel–" he blows smoke over his shoulder, "--being back close to Riley?"

My head shot up.

"Ohhh," he snickers, "that got Walker's attention really fast."

How the fuck does Leo know? How the fuck does Leo know anything? I can feel my heart begin to pound, my eyebrows furrowing in anger.

"Now hold up, Walker," he holds up his hands in defense. "I come in peace. I don't care that you fucked my sister-in-law once upon a time… okay, fine. Maybe just a little–"

"What do you want, Leo?"  I interrupt, irritation baited in my voice.

He looks down fidgeting with his fingers.  When he turns back to me, he has an indiscernible expression on his face, as if a wave of vulnerability is crashing over him.

"I know it can be… challenging, you know? Moving back to Cordonia after a hiatus, and I figured tonight was probably a lot for you."

And now Leo is trying to have a heart-to-heart with me… What the fuck happened to these people while I was gone?

"I thought maybe… you could use a friend."

"Well," I stand up, taking a step away. "Thanks. I appreciate it–"

"I mean it," he holds a hand to his chest. "Say–" he jumps to his feet, sandwiching himself between me and the door. "What are you doing tonight?"

Besides leading the exciting life of letting my nephew drive me back to his parent's house, eating a bag of Doritos in my boxers and getting shit-faced?

"There's a new club opening in town tonight. Tons of people. Who's who. VIP–" 

"Thanks, but–"  I try to shove past him, but he stops me, putting his hands against my chest.

"Six full bars, and–" he wiggles his eyebrows. "Lots… and lots… of fresh Cordonian-grade pussy. How do you like them apples?"

Like I said, some things never change.

"C’mon, Walker… you in?"

~🖤~

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