#( thread w. cass. )

[thegraveyardshifts]

@cassjthompson

Location: French Quarter, Mardi Gras.

There's a literal, little hole in the wall framed by open shutters with peeling paint and a hand painted menu next to it that displays drinks with a 2 for 1 offer due to the carnival season. Cleo doesn't even bother to join the que that's formed beside the hatch where a bearded man takes orders and then hands out drinks in plastic cups with pretty parasols and fresh fruit garnish. She just says a name all too sharply to catch said mans attention and laughs afterwards, conversing with a friend and skipping the que. Coming away with 2 overly-filled cups of hurricane, she takes a sip and sighs before glancing over and making eye-contact with a woman. A part of Cleo says fuck it, raising the other cocktail up and smiling warmly. "You want one? I can't finish both, they're too sweet,"

[wynncass]

someone suggest wynnfic ideas i feel like ive kind of exhausted the candle wax of my creative flame and i brought my fix it series to a satisfying ending ish but if i am not the foremost wynnfiction producer in this fandom then i am nothing

[dramatisperscnae]

As she takes his hand he gives her a warm smile. So far, so good. Whether she'll actually accept going to Leslie's shelter Dick has no idea, but he'll cross that bridge when they come to it. There are a couple other options at least for ensuring Phen has a safe place to sleep for a while.

"Yeah, we'll fly," he tells her, picking her up again. It's the fastest way, and the least likely to attract notice. Running some calculations in his head Dick debates calling the drone Lucius built for them but then discards the idea. While it'd be easier and their weights combined probably don't match Jason's, the drone isn't built for two. Better to just rely on his grappling line for now.

Getting to Leslie's shelter takes a good few minutes, but soon enough Dick has them settled on a rooftop across the street. Better to take this slow, see if she's even okay with the idea of a shelter to begin with. Crouching down he puts his hands on Phen's shoulders, wondering how to communicate this to a girl with only the barest grasp of language.

"Okay," he says, letting the lenses of his mask slide back so he can make proper eye contact. "You see that building down there, Phen? That's a shelter. My friend Leslie runs it. She can take care of you, keep you safe. Give you a warm place to sleep if you want. Okay? If you want."

There's no insistence in his voice or his posture, no hint of pushing or expectation; if Phen doesn't want to go to a shelter, Dick's betting there's a reason. Even if she might not be able to communicate what that reason is.

Oh, this one is easy. She knows this one. Come. Only, this time, it’s a question, not an order. A request. He wants her to come with him, but he won’t force her to. Won’t be angry if she refuses.

Won’t punish her for it, because he’s still shouting protect.

She hesitates. Flying was one thing, but Nightwing wants to help her. What if his ‘help’ is the same as the uniformed people’s? He works with them, doesn’t he? Helps them round up the bad people, at least.

He might not mean to, but he could take her somewhere she could be found. She’s been so careful this far, and she’s incredibly very far from her father (if he’s still there). She would hate to have to start running again.

Help. Protect. Please.

Absolutely no ill-intent anywhere to be found. But he can be well-intentioned and still send her back to her father on a silver platter.

Watching him warily, she takes his hand. She will go with him, if only because he won’t be able to stop her if she decides she doesn’t want to be there. “…Fly?”

[inkedinshadows]

hi! can I get 34 + 21 with Cassian please? thanks!

Hunting For You

Pairing: Cassian x f!reader

Prompts: "Is that blood?" + "Baby, please, just look at me."

Warnings: angst, injury & blood

Word count: 867

When you didn’t come home at the time you’d said you would, Cassian didn’t think much of it. You would often run late when you were out shopping, lingering too long in front of a shop window or taking a long time to choose which top you wanted to buy—only to buy them both in the end.

But when dinner came and you still hadn’t returned, he started to worry. You hadn’t warned him that you would be this late. He tried to pull on the bond, but you didn’t answer.

Pacing in front of the door, he told himself he’d give you ten more minutes. In the meantime, he would keep trying to reach you through the bond, and if you still hadn’t arrived when the time was up, then he would come looking for you.

His eyes stared at the clock on the wall as if he could make time move faster. His shoulders were tense, his wings twitched, and not even a minute had passed when he yanked the door open and took to the skies.

You had mentioned the Palace of Thread and Jewels, so that was where he started. He searched the whole place, but most shops were already closed and there weren’t many people around at this hour. The few he talked to said they hadn’t seen you.

He searched the area close to the Palace, flying above the houses to have a wider view of the streets, yet low enough to recognize you or to catch a trace of your scent on the wind.

His mind had gone into full warrior mode. He wouldn’t let panic rise and fear cloud his thoughts. You still weren’t answering his constant tugs on the bond, but for all he knew, Mor and Feyre might have joined you while you were shopping, and then you had gone back to the townhouse with them, lost track of time while sipping wine, and were now fast asleep on the couch. You had never handled alcohol well.

He hoped that was what had really happened. He prayed to the Mother that it was just that.

Powerful beats of his wings carried him over streets and squares as he flew in wider circles over the city. Just as he considered checking the townhouse or Mor’s apartment and asking for his family’s help in case you weren’t there, a familiar scent reached his nose.

It was faint and mixed with a slightly metallic smell, but it was undoubtedly yours.

Cassian followed it to a dimly lit alley, where a figure leaned against the wall, struggling to walk or even stand upright.

He landed with a thud, wings folding behind him. “Y/N?” he called tentatively.

At the sound of his voice, you lifted your head. A choked sound came from you, and then you were stumbling forward. Cassian caught you before you could fall, holding you up when your legs seemed to fail you.

“Sweetheart, what…”

His voice faded as he pushed the hair out of your face and his thumb brushed over your sticky temple. The metallic scent filled his nostrils, but now he recognized it for what it really was.

“Is that blood?” he asked, gently turning your head to get a better look. Even in the dim light, there was no mistaking the cut near your hairline and the red trail down the side of your face.

Fury boiled inside him, his eyes already scanning the alley for any sign of threat. He found none.

You mumbled something incomprehensible, and his gaze snapped back to you. Your eyes were closed, your head dangling to the side as if you didn’t have the strength to hold it up.

This was his fault. If he had looked for you earlier, if he had come with you instead of letting you go alone, none of this would have happened.

“Sweetheart,” he called, gently cupping your face. “Baby, please, just look at me.”

Your eyes fluttered behind your eyelids, but they didn’t open. “Cass…” you whispered, your voice weak and barely audible.

Cassian swore, and you only groaned as he quickly gathered you in his arms and cradled you to his chest. Making sure your head rested on his shoulder, he unfolded his wings and took off once more, heading for Madja’s clinic.

“Baby,” he tried again as he flew as fast as he could. He had to keep you conscious, to make sure you didn’t pass out. “Talk to me, please. Can you tell me what happened?”

Your mouth barely moved as you spoke, your answer nothing more than a low rumble, but at least you were talking. Cassian could make out only a few words—bag, stole, money, males—and it was all he needed to piece together what had happened.

He brushed a kiss to the top of your head, his arms tightening around you as he landed in front of Madja’s door.

“It’s alright, sweetheart,” he promised, knocking a bit too forcefully on the wooden surface. “You’re safe now.”

He would first make sure you were okay, and then he would go out to find whoever had hurt you and make sure they paid for it.

Taglist: @mrsjna @navyblue-eternity @paintedbyshadows @highladyandromeda @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @azrielsmate3 @mollygetssherlockcoffee @mirandasidefics @tinystarfishgalaxy @cynthiesjmxazrielslover @anarchiii @readinggeeklmao @anneas11 @azrielslittleslut @lilah-asteria @lorosette @azrielsrealmate @pey2618 @mellowmusings @k8r123-blog @daughterofthemoons-stuff @minnieoo @saltedcoffeescotch @georgiadixon @quiet-because-it-is-a-secret

1k taglist: @onebadassunicorn @thegoddessofnothingness

[brucewaynehater101]

I think that prior to Tim being found out as a spider demon, only Cass had good thoughts about Spiders. And maybe Damian but in more of a "don't kill it, you put it in a cup and move it to the garden" kind of way. Dick *hates* them and Jason had a bad experience with Beast Boy using the form of a spider the size of a dinner plate to jump scare him when he was still Robin.

As for how he makes his silk, i once saw a design of a spider demon that had two black dots at the corners of its mouth and when it pressed a finger to the dots and pulled them away, a line of string was hanging between their finger and the dot. I think his thread looks like normal spider thread (including the size) but is durable enough that only a few strands can stop a charging Bane. It's possible for him to take the silk he produces and turn it into thread and from thread into fabric. The fabric moves and feels like high quality silk but is about twice as durable as Kevlar due to how strong his threads are.

The only reason all of the Bats aren't already decked out in full Tim Silk Gear is because of the sheer amount of time and energy it takes to make that much thread. If he uses all of his spare time to make thread and turn it into fabric as quickly as he can, he would only make 2 or 3 fabric napkins in a month. If he was only eating, sleeping, and making silk he could produce a single sheet about the size of a picnic blanket in the same amount of time. Not exactly a lot of fabric to work with. Plus there's the fact that his thread is very weak by the standards of his species due to a mixture of malnutrition, constant exhaustion, and frequent injuries.

However, most of his family does have at least one thing that he made with his thread for them. They have no idea what kind of fabric it is that Tim brings them things made of and when asked if he can get more, he simply shakes his head and says, "I wish I could, but farming to much of the material needed to make this stuff can seriously harm the type of creature that creates it. I'm keeping it vague so that you guys don't try to buy it yourselves. The person I get this from have been very, *very* heavily researched to make sure that it's done in a humane way. Basically anywhere else you find this stuff is almost garenteed to be horribly mistreating the creatures to force them to produce as much as physically possible. And I got my guys entire stock just to make this for you." This throughly covers his tracks and makes it so that the Bats won't consider trying to buy more silk from other sources. Most of the things he makes for them are small, like gloves or Domino Masks or at most an under shirt to give them an extra layer or protection. Cass's whole cowl is made of Tim's Silk.

As for what kind of malnutrition Tim has, the Bats already knew about that, sort of. John saw Bruce's new gloves and after feeling them asked where the fuck he got that much Jorogomo Silk and why it's such Shit Quality. When Bruce asked for him to elaborate, Constantine ran his hands over the gloves a few times while muttering to himself before sighing, "Malnutrition. Their silk is a direct reflection of their health. Whoever made this, they have *not* been eating well. Probably only just enough to survive and with no... well, you'd probably be glad to hear that the one who made your gloves hasn't been chowing down on an human flesh. But it's an important part of their diet. Yeah, this one seems to have been trying to use supplements for the shit it needs, but that'll never truly work. Like you can take all the vitamins tablets ya want, but unless you go out and soak in some sunshine every now and then you'll always be deficient in Vitamin D cause your body just won't process it. If I were you, I would get in contact with your seller and get them a deal with the local mourge. After all, you're from Gothem. I'm sure no one would notice if a few of the already dead disappeared."

That night Bruce had an uncomfortable conversation with Tim about how his seller might not be as good as he thought and what Mourges tended to "loose" bodies most often. Tim did start eating some from the already dead but he hates it. Not because hes eating people but because they've been dead for a while and only fresh bodies taste good.

As for Jack, he goes into a coma until Tim gets there and he uses some of his threads to make Jack his puppet. However, Tim doesn't have any practice with preserving the bodies of his puppets yet so after about a month, Jack is starting to fall apart a little so Tim sets up for him to be part of a car crash and makes a new puppet to be Uncle Eddie. The second puppet does last longer, but only about 2 and a half months and then Tim eats what's left of Uncle Eddie. Maybe one day he'll be able to make puppets that last for years like his mom did, but not just yet.

Also she isn't dead and does stay in contact. She just got bored of her life as Janet Drake and ditched her puppet, telling Tim "here's my new number and new name and the puppet of your father. Good luck kiddo." And Tim was like "YOURE THE BEST MOM" because really, by their standards she is. Most of his species are completely abandoned once they can walk, hide themselves, and produce silk. Most don't have any idea who their parent or parents are at all.

Ooh! The way you made his silk OP but then put in a very realistic limitation was cool as hell.

I'm also curious how the Bats would feel about Tim needing to consume human flesh. If Red Hood is still killing, it would he super cool of him to offer up some of the people he murders. Hopefully that will be a bit fresher and better tasting for Tim.

Also, would Alfred try to cook food for Tim's diet? Or would that be too much for Alfred to handle so he refuses to cook human flesh?

If Tim or someone else cooked that food (post-reveal), they probably would have to build an entire kitchen just for him. They wouldn't want to cross contaminate that since it could make the humans really really sick.

You mentioned that Tim doesn't hate consuming flesh. Does he have any reservations about it? Are there parts of his being that he hates for not being human enough?

At least Bruce doesn't seem to mind a creature consuming already dead people. Though, maybe Tim (pre-reveal) worries Bruce would mind if it was someone he knew.

I'm also hella curious where puppet Uncle Eddie comes from. Dead body? Bad guy Tim doesn't mind turning into a puppet?

Love Janet Drake. Maybe Tim could go visit her every once in a blue moon. If not, at least both of them seem happy and content with their relationship

[muertemismo]

The COLD air of the night swaddled them both; wisps of wind sliding the fabric of their clothing being the only sound to fill the VOID of silence after his blunt rebuttal. What a STANDOFF -- LEADER and AGENT. It was such a time and world to be living in, Gabriel never imagined him to be standing in the situation that he was in now. Not like this, anyways. Sure, there were many, MANY days as the cowboy's COMMANDER where he wanted to shoot the stupid hat from his head, make him run multiple laps, and have him fill out his paperwork for the rest of the evening. MULTIPLE days of having to hear that STUPID southern drawl filter a room as if TALKING was the only thing he was meant to do. The boy did not KNOW what silence was, even if it meant the death of him. And maybe it did. Gabriel settled with the quiet contemplation on the other's face -- it was unpredictable. Conflict buried deep within the creases of brunet brows, the stern SCOWL of what he read as HATRED shot in his direction before yet MORE lit fell from Cassidy's mouth. The EXECUTIONER was ready to laugh, the sound already building with a fired up QUIP boiling the tip of his tongue -- but that wasn't what happened. No. Quite the opposite, actually. His former agent, the one HE'D trained was naturally QUICK on his draw, the sound ECHOING the space between them before he could PHYSICALLY react. In a better timed REFLEX, he would have disoriented himself, allowing the foreboding SMOKE to fill his place -- but he didn't HAVE that, couldn't FIND that before he felt the impact against his VEIL, sworn SECRECY to his identity. The older man GRUNTED against the force, his weight being shifted back on his feet as if the bullet carried a SHIELD with it to ward him off. A loud CRACK placed in tandem with the all too NATURAL sounding retaliation from his lips. He blinked, realizing the world on the RIGHT side of his face had more view than that of the left. The ingrate had BROKEN his mask. Split almost perfectly down the center of the ivory mantle, his head had turned on INSTINCT to conceal the latter half. His jaw had tightened, eyes shutting to draw a heavy INHALE -- the calm before the storm. "I'm already there, cabrón." Voice unfiltered from the shield, RAW and irate -- Gabriel turned to LOOK at the man. There was a deep cradle of his brows, expression EXPOSED in the tight clench of facial features. Leathery, CLAWED gloves had made their own move, reaching for HIS beloved at his sides. One arm extended with a flourish, the tip of his Hellfire pointed just off center from the body before him. Metal pulled against the trigger -- his intention was to give WARNING with the spread of his firearm, though he wasn't opposed to causing more HARM, either.

Those memories hurt. They flashed like a slap to the face...of a boy with big sparkling eyes of adoration crossed with matted messy brunette hair and dirty jeans and a smile that only grew as an elder man gently sat his beloved hat back on his head.

Gabriel...was-...had been his everything. His Mentor, his friend, his commander...the closest thing he ever had to a father. And his sudden death destroyed him. The echos of that heartbreak lingering on the booze still fresh where he had been sitting by the bar. He drank to forget...he drank to remember. That son of a bitch. That old fool who left him after promising never to do so. Left him and Genji to wander this world alone. Lost of the shelter and the family he had been given...and he never came back for them.

But why...? Why was he having to deal with these tormenting memories NOW? Was it because he knew he couldn't win this fight? Was it because maybe deep down inside...he had waited for this Agent Killer to finally get to his name on the list and strike him down? Maybe-....Maybe thats why he didn't pull the gun up. Would it be better if he just let it happen?

Too many years alone. He couldn't keep doing this. He had always ran with a pack. He was MEANT for a pack. For a family. Be it the Deadlocks, Overwatch, Blackwatch. Without it...Without a home....what was he? He sure as hell wasn't a hero.

The conflict in his eyes was obvious. Painful. But Gabriel wouldn't want him to die like this would he? He'd call him a 'Pendejo' and slap him upside the head for sitting there in his grief. Move. Act. If not for himself. For the others on this assholes list.

Was Genji next...? Was any of the others? If not for his life. For theirs...right? Would that be what Reyes would say he wondered.

Blinking out of his turmoil would he finally draw, the action so quick less keener eyes would've never seen it happen. Peacekeeper was suddenly pointed, cocked and loaded, his finger on the trigger and the muzzle directed a the grim reapers mask. If he could bring this demon down with him. That would be all he could ask for.

"Go ta hell." He'd bite back through bared fangs before pulling the trigger in quick succession right for the Talon agents mask.

[elainsgirl]

Saw some GAs talking about how someone made a Classist post in their tag and when (blank yknowwho) retaliated on the posts with her own posts then "we" attacked her not the original person who made that posts also said that we are weaponizing homophobia when they didn't do anything (even used Rhys and Cassian as an example showing if someone commenting brothers on a Rhysand cassian posts just the one word it wouldn't be homophobia) saying "we are obviously" weaponizing homophobia to attack a single person at someone's mental health expense. They were telling people to ignore any "bait" posts we made because "we" are obviously insecure because of the upcoming announcement or because of "how boring our month is"

Read the whole thread and what the hell happened and who's we because it sure as hell isnt this side.

times like this - I am grateful that antis have me blocked.

im being frl anon, idk who. I might know who you’re on about but im not sure regardless,

antis need to realise, calling someone out ≠ attack. This victim, poor us mind set needs to go as they’re not fooling anyone outside of their meangirl circle.

In regards to the homophobia - antis had the disrespect and audacity to comment under a clear, romantic gwyn x emerie fanart calling them “sisters”…when it was clearly WlW. If they couldn’t see how romantic that fanart was…well then. It explains why they cant see how romantic elriel is. Instead of apologising to the creator for showing blatant homophobia- they tried excusing themselves, no one fell for it hence why the whole “wah wah look at us being attacked! How dare people hold us accountable for our pettiness! Wahhh” scene. Rhys and Cass call themselves brothers and both are now straight males who are in love with two women. Emerie is gay and Gwyns sexuality was never confirmed hence why it is perfectly ok to make the theory or even assume she may be be gay or even Bi - both aren’t in relationships w anyone else. So no, any person with two working brain cells are able to know that the situations do not compare. The fact that antis are even comparing the situations goes to show how stupid their point is.

As far as im aware, its not an “elriel” situation. Its people rightfully calling others out for the comments they CHOSE to make and when it was called out - they CHOSE to double down and not apologise. The fact they’re making it about the shipwar or about elriels really shows how disturbed they are as people. For goodness sakes, not everything is about ships, when you make a problematic comment - expect people to call you out.

Lmfao elriels aren’t the ones reporting antis’ comments. No elriel is insecure of the announcement, if it even comes. And bored…of elriel month? Poor things rlly need to lie to themselves.

[super-ion]

The Voyages of the Padua

Chapter 5

(1, 2, 3, 4)

Cass emerged from the shower booth only to be met with a blank holoplex. No, not quite blank. Ria had created the illusion of a sheet of paper taped to the plex on her side. It simply said “BRB” in big letters… whatever that meant.

Cass was alone. Again.

Technically, she supposed Ria was everywhere there was one of the holoplexes, but with her attention elsewhere for the moment. And the rest of the crew had to be somewhere nearby. But they weren't here.

She wasn't confined. There was no one to escort her. She apparently had free reign of the ship? It seemed like terrible security posture… unless they didn't see her as any kind of threat. Should she be insulted by that?

She was overthinking again.

She took a breath and stepped into the corridor. It was such a stark contrast to the Eosphorus. Where the other ship had been all clean bright paneling and recessed lighting, the Padua was an assortment of exposed pipes and cabling and grated floorings. It was certainly more functional than aesthetic, though functional might have been a bit of a stretch given the number of ad hoc repairs and mismatched bulkhead panels Cass passed.

The environmentals were comfortable at least, not too dry, not to humid, maybe a little warmer than it needed to be, but within reasonable limits. It smelled… used, lived in. Something in the scent triggered some innate response, a pang of nostalgia for a place she had never been. Maybe she had served on a ship like this in her previous life?

And then there were the noises. Those ever present sounds that had lulled her out of her slumber were even louder out here in the corridor. The Eosphorus seemed the sort of ship designed to run quiet, noises were meant to signal danger. Here, silence was the danger.

As she meandered down the hall, she realized at least some of that noise was music. Or at least she thought it was some sort of music. It was a sort of glitchy industrial ambient, with only the barest hint of rhythm or melodic structure.

She followed the source of it, rounded a corner and there was Mina.

Mina had tied the arms of her jumpsuit at the waist, leaving her torso covered only by a loose tank top that hung on her elongated frame. She had an access panel off one of the bulkheads and had her head and arms buried in the enclosed space beyond.

Cass watched as Mina blindly grabbed a tool from her belt and reached back in to tweak something or other. Taught muscles rippled under mottled gray skin with patterns that were constantly shifting with the music and occasionally bright little nodes of bioluminescence glittered along predefined paths.

She drew her head out and wiped at sweat on her forehead with the back of her arm. She had a long braid of black hair, threaded through with streaks of silver, held out of her face by a red kerchief that rested behind her large batlike ears.

One of those ears twitched and she glanced at Cass, finally noticing her. Whatever she was expecting to see, it wasn't Cass because she jumped in surprise, clumsily fumbling the spanner in her hand.

Reddish yellow beads of light flashed in patterns along her skin as she hunched her shoulders as she had on Eosphorus. She averted her gaze, only sneaking quick glances at Cass.

“Um… hi,” Cass said with a tentative wave. “Mina, right?”

Mina made a small nod.

Her face was almost human, but with a slightly flattened, almost catlike nose, and the seams of her jaws extended past the edges of her lips. And the large eyes that Cass originally thought all black, were actually shot through with a dark red around W-shaped pupils.

“I'm Cass,” she said, trying to shove down any lingering terror. “I mean, as of like 20 minutes ago. Ria kind of put me on the spot…”

Oh she was rambling. Just get to the point, she told herself.

“Um… thanks for saving my life,” she said.

Mina's lips quirked in a tiny smile and she ducked her head in acknowledgement.

“And I guess thanks for grabbing my bag. I really appreciate it.”

It was a shot in the dark, but it hit the mark judging by the way the pattern on her skin shifted, adding patches of a sort of greyish reddish pink that Cass could only assume was a blush.

Mina made a gesture. No, it was a sign for a word. Something casually negative. It's nothing. De nada.

It took a moment for Cass to parse the meaning and Mina made an apologetic smile and tapped her throat.

“Oh,” Cass replied. “I'm sorry, I didn't-”

“Mina!” someone shouted from down the corridor that Cass had come from. “Mina! Our guest is missing… ah.”

Cass recognized the other human. Tre. They were dressed just as impeccably as before, the collar and rolled sleeves of a bright white wrap shirt arranged just perfectly. Their olive skin was flawless, dark hair once again pulled back without a single strand out of place. Vivid purple eyes that couldn't possibly be natural swept over Cass dispassionately, as if she were a rather unremarkable insect.

“Fucking hell,” they said, equally dispassionately. “Ria was supposed to keep an eye on you.”

“I'm sorry,” Cass replied, slightly taken aback. “She showed me the shower and when I got out, she was sort of… gone?”

“I swear on the spirits,” they muttered. “If she's off modeling cathedral acoustics again…”

Mina interpreted them with a gentle tap to the arm.

She signed rapidly, more rapidly than Cass could follow, but she did catch a series of gestures that corresponded to letters: “C-A-S-S”

Tre looked back at her, somewhat more appraisingly this time.

“Cass, huh? So you remembered your name?”

“Uh… no,” she admitted.

“Oh hell, you didn't let Ria name you, did you?”

“Not…exactly.”

On cue, a familiar voice crackled over the intercom.

“Heeeeeey, friends! Aela's starting to wake up and she's probably going to wanna have a meeting. Also it's breakfast time and I'm hungry.”

Mina huffed an amused sound and Tre rolled their eyes.

“No, you're not,” Tre snapped back. “You don't eat.”

“Well duh,” Ria responded. “Obvs not. But breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Aela says I have to make sure you don't miss it again.”

Tre grumbled something under their breath, but apparently complied, trudging their way down the hall.

Mina offered Cass a shy smile and a gesture similar to the one she had made back on the Eosphorus.

“Are you coming?"

The mess turned out to be little more than a glorified kitchenette adjoining a multipurpose communal space with a table set against one of the bulkheads.

There was another sheet of holoplex where the table met the wall and beyond… some kind of mirror image of the room, only it was tailored to what Cass had to assume was Ria's personal aesthetic. Everything was pastels and glitter, with tacky throw pillows and kitschy art.

Tre wandered to the kitchen area and began making themself busy with breakfast. Meanwhile Mina slid into a seat at the table and pulled a data tablet out of a pocket in her jumpsuit and began scrolling.

Before Cass could determine whether she was supposed to sit or where, Aela staggered into the room. Her hair was mussed and her eyes were lidded, and she wore nothing but a pair of underwear and an oversized t-shirt that read "I'm not the step dad, I'm just the dad that stepped up".

Ria had mentioned something about the captain needing to recover after the drift (whatever that was), and the android did appear to be very out of sorts, practically hung over.

"Um... Captain-"

"Mm-mm," Aela cut Cass off with a raised finger and slumped heavily into the seat across from Mina.

Cass slipped into one of the remaining seats and watched in fascination as Tre fetched a mug from a cabinet and filled it with an unnaturally vibrant green liquid from a dispenser labeled "Aela juice: do not drink".

No words were exchanged as Tre set the streaming mug down in front of Aela. The whole routine felt practiced, familiar. This was a crew that seemed to know each other on some deep, intimate level. The whole thing made something deep within Cass ache.

Aela took a sip of whatever “Aela juice” was and made an appreciative grunt. Then she cracked her eyes open to peer blearily around the table.

Her gaze swept over Cass, seemed to notice something and cleared her throat.

Tre sat down, noticing nothing amiss, and began sipping at their own mug. The scent of strong coffee and whatever aromatics were in Tre’s breakfast, made Cass’s stomach growl.

Aela cleared her throat again, earning a confused “huh?” from Tre. Aela sighed and pointedly looked between Tre’s coffee and breakfast and Cass's lack thereof.

“There's coffee in the dispenser over there,” Tre grumbled, gesturing vaguely in the direction of assorted apparatus embedded in the wall of the kitchenette. “Mugs are right above. Don't drink from any of the labeled ones. Auto-chef does algae and yeast cakes. Don't select recipe 135, the aromatics are from a limited batch. It's mine and off limits.”

“Thanks,” Cass replied, maybe more to Aela than to Tre.

Auto-chef turned out to be a somewhat intimidating touch screen interface (again with a pair of googly eyes glued just above). It boasted 26 base recipes with infinite customizability. It was all some combination of yeast, algae, nutritional supplements and aromatics, so Cass figured “infinite” was probably a bit of a stretch. Fortunately (or possibly unfortunately), it featured an option labeled “surprise me”. She selected the surprise and hoped for the best. Given how hungry she was, it probably wouldn't matter.

The coffee maker was significantly less enigmatic. Coffee, black, unsweetened, hot, perfect. Present-tense Cass had never had coffee before, but past-tense had very clearly relished it judging by the satisfied grin the aroma brought to her face.

She turned to glance back at the table and hefted her mug in Mina's direction.

"Do you want any..."

She trailed off at Tre’s urgent gesturing over Mina's shoulder. A frantic hand sliced over the throat. Stop.

Cass had committed some manner of faux pas, but what exactly, she couldn't begin to guess.

Mina hunched her shoulders (she did seem to do that a lot) with an uncomfortable expression on her face.

"No, thank you," she signed. "I don't drink coffee."

At least that was the gist of the signs. Cass wasn't familiar enough with the dialect to understand perfectly, but she got the message.

As she carried coffee and algae cake back to the table, Ria joined them. She perched on a virtual stool in her holoplex, legs crossed with an oversized bowl in her lap. But rather than cereal every spoonful was full of oscillating abstract shapes that occasionally clipped through the bottom of the spoon. Cass could just make out the box at one of Ria's elbows that read "Möbius O's!"

Ria met Cass's eyes and gave a wink and a cheeky grin.

“So…” Aela said finally, bringing Cass’s attention back from Ria's pastel mirror universe. “What are we going to do with you?”

[lockedtowers]

"i'd dance in it if it'd ask first." shifts to hide beneath the thin overhang, shaking away some of the droplets that'd wet her hair. hand paws at her face to wipe away the water, frown on her lips as eyes cast back upwards to the sky. it was a beautiful sight, she just wasn't in the mood to feel it at the moment. choice a large faction-- though, interest can jump between cycles quickly. as was a feline nature.

makes a shift to hiss at the sky, but stops herself. twitching nose as she straightens her spine. fingers run briefly through her hair, the curls already pulling from the weather. hand then reaches out, pawing at the droplets in front of her. this, she's okay with, though shakes her hand once more afterwards to get the drops off. a small hum leaving as she takes another step back.

"i could leap, perhaps. though if i recall, clouds are just fluffy water particles.. would be a bit too wet, too. ick."

      CLEO OPENED HER MOUTH TO RESPOND before opting otherwise, a little voice in the back of her mind halted whatever words threatened to spill before she could be too blunt.  instead, plump lips curled into a smile, a hint of strain visible in the creases - unnoticeable to anyone who wasn’t AWARE of her usual habits.  this was followed by a sigh that elicited a chuckle from deep in her chest.  her depths glanced upward to the very source of cassie’s resentment where deep gray clouds rolled like a churning sea.  the pitter patter of droplets was swiftly felt along the mummy’s own skin, and thus she allowed tension to ease from bunched up shoulders.

          she l o v e d the rain.  an unusual sight growing up…  as well as back at what was currently called home.  the dark haired ghoul craved the cool but inviting touch of it, an affection she didn’t often get outside of being caught in the storm.

     “hm, let me know how that goes.  the sky is… pretty high up there.”  an obvious statement meant in mirth.  “maybe just learn to dance in it.”  something she yearned to do then, though the weight of her bag garnered her attention.  she needed to place it somewhere safe before attempting to spin about.

[master-of-stupidity]

Fuck it gonna put all my Tangled rants into a single thread that I'll just continue on if needed-

Oldest to newest btww (also spoilers most of these r about Eugene btw ik ik I'm a lil autistic spare me 💀)

That one part of Bruno is Orange but Eugene coded-

"Did you hear about that Father

Sent his own infant son away

And said "It's to *dangerous* for

you to stay so, I had to *save* you" "

I may be cringe but I am FREE

Yo omg ok so my brother is singin a Into the Woods song while I look at Tangled stuff n it made me remember a scene from the play where Gothel yells at the Prince "Rapunzel can think for herself!" n like- dude Cass said the same thing in Cassandra's Revenge to Eugene! Ooo girlll-

The way I would kill so many ppl if it meant getting a series about Lance n Eugene as kids like broooo imagineee-

Its crazy how like I'll be enjoying my day than suddenly I'll see a post of a mf going "Hey what if Eugene thought he was a yr younger cuz he was like a rlly scrawny kid?" Yeah ok sure n what if I hit u with a *metal pole*

My tangled ocs r so random its hilarious- like it goes from a bodyguard,a greedy businessman,a ringleader,n than that one serial killer who turns ppl into meat pies like how did we get here???? 😭🙏

I just remembered like just a few days ago my brother randomly said "vase" while playing Fortnite n my ass just said "vAHse" just to fck w/ him n like that kinda reminded me of that one scene of Eugene n Cass like damn they were sibling coded frrr lmao I miss em

Wdym there was a scrapped Eugene n Lance childhood episode??🧍And WDYM it's literally everything I ever wished for and more???????? 😃

Would love to see Eugene n Martin Kratt interact solely to see Martin be appalled n slowly lose his mind over how Eugene knows jackshit about animals 💀🙏

I think the Eugene genderbends look so weird to me because none of them kept the infamous goatee like cmon man don't be a coward give that girl some facial hair 🗣🗣

I should not be relating Heather's music to scenes from Tangled the Series yet here we r 😭

Omggg thinking about how Eugene proposing to Rapunzel in tts came from his abandonment issues n him literally not being able to see a life without Rapunzel omgg shut upppp leave me ALONEEE

Literally despise with every fiber of my being how the writers of the shitty Wreck it Ralph 2 movie had fcking RAPUNZEL of all ppl say "Do ppl assume all ur problems were solved just because a big strong man showed up?" They fcking HATEE the movie Tangled *so much* bro istggg

OMFG THE VOICE OF KING FREDRIC FROM TANGLED IS MR. FCKING KRABS WHAT?????

The way I wanna be bold n talk more about the "Over the Corona Walls" ep- esp about Staylan n Eugene n all the icky implications of that but I'm also so scared too cuz I fear ppl won't take me seriously or think I'm overanalyzing too much 😭🙏

Lowkey not over the fact Eugene was willing to trap himself back in an abusive relationship, "leaving" the one person he HAS died for n would die for again, all to save his best friend like bro don't TALK TO MEEEE

As u can tell I am totally normal n not at all ill about Eugene or this show 😁

What if I gave Eugene like- slight wedding trauma after the whole "Beyond the Corona Walls" incident??? I think it'd be kinda cool n in character ngll 🤭🤭

No but that prompt for the unaired Lance n Eugene episode STILL makes me so fcking ill bro stg can't STAND those mfss bro 😭😭

"And if I gave up on being *pretty* I wouldn't know how to be ALIVE" is SO Eugene coded idc idc idccccc

You think if I put Eugene Fitzherbert in The Amazing Digital Circus he'd be a walking dumpster fire considering he needs an identity to function n in TADC u like- quite literally don't have one??? 💀

Was listening to an audio last night n now I kinda wish we knew like- what Eugene's mom was actually *like* in a way considering I don't think her character was ever explored :((

Why is this plushie literally Eugene Fitzherbert omgg I want it nowwww

To the ppl who only see others as their pfps lowkey rlly hope y'all just see me as jester Eugene Fitzherbert cuz that'd be rlly funny n I'd love that 💀🙏 like yes I truly am just Eugene in a jester fit yappin my ass off on twitter dot com LMFAOOO (btw follow me @/theratbatjester)

[astral-athame]

Caleb inviting Cass & the OT4 (or maybe the whole "coven") to visit his cousins in England for the summer...ofc Cass has the unfortunate dynamic w/her mom & stepdad, which hasn't come up yet in our threads. How would Cass react, assuming that her friends don't know about that part of her family?

(me, realizing that 3/4 of the OT4 have serious problems w/their family history: 😥)

((OH GOSH. OKAY. I HADN'T THOUGHT OF THIS!!!

Cass would be a bit wary about going right from the start because she's terrified she'll run into her mother and/or step-father. It's less about how her mother and step-father would react (they'd absolutely be sweet and charming and chatty and come across as totally normal because they like to keep up appearances), but it's the after that she's worried about. More questions about them or, if the group seems to like them (because they're very likable on the surface), the suggestion of going to visit them / spend time with them / etc. Or her mom and step-dad inviting them all out for a nice dinner or something. Again- it's not that she thinks her mom or step-dad will do or say anything particularly awful or whatever, but she'll be stuck between getting to just be herself with the OT4 and trying to act a certain way around her mother and step-father and she knows at least one of the OT4 will notice. (In fact, I wonder if Pogue wouldn't catch onto it first since he has slightly similar issues with his own parents). The thought of all that would have her so anxious, even if she was doing a good job at not seeming too anxious or upset or anything.

So, again, right from the start Caleb suggests that they go to visit his cousins in England for the summer and Cass's heart drops in her chest, but she's smiling and acting like she thinks it'll be fun (because if they don't run into her mom and step-dad it will be fun, and hopefully Caleb's cousins don't live near enough to where her family lives and she can just make up excuses all summer as to why they can't go visit her mom and such). The whole time they're planning out the trip, her nerves are frayed but she's acting totally normal because she doesn't want to ruin this for them or make them feel like she's not looking forward to it (she is looking forward to it, overall!) and she's trying to, like, gently coax their plans for what they're gonna do over the summer away from where her mom lives to lessen their chances of actually running into her when they get there. I think she'd actually do a pretty good job at hiding how anxious she is about it leading up to it. There might be a moment or two here or there where one of them picks up on something being up, but I think it'd be small enough for her to pass it off as other things.

It'd be when they got there that her facade would start slipping more. Like... she's totally fine when they're together at wherever they're staying, but they'd go out to do things and she'd seem slightly on edge sometimes. Distracted. Her eyes darting from person to person like she's looking for someone. And if she happened to see her mom and/or her step-dad out somewhere... she'd either be making up an excuse to dip into a small store or she'd be fully leading their whole group away, hoping she's done it before she was seen.

Of course, she knows that they're gonna have to meet her mom and step-dad someday but... she's avoiding it as best as possible. She'd be happier if she could keep them apart forever ^^; But I can see, like, if her parents did happen upon the group, they'd be sweet and chatty and incredibly pleasant, so the only things that would give away that something was wrong would be that: 1) Her mom would absolutely ask: "Cassia, why didn't you tell us you were coming here on holiday?" because, even though she's smiling and acting totally normal, her mom is upset that she didn't say anything. She feels slighted by it. (Cass would say something back like "I didn't want to bother you, mum, I knew you were busy." or "I was hoping we would have a chance to surprise you." despite knowing how much her mom hates surprises). And; 2) Cass won't do or say anything to give it away, but because her lovers know her so well, her sudden tension would be obvious. It'd be so clear that she didn't want this to happen. Like... if she could just disappear, she would. (I also picture her mom fretting over her slightly- smoothing her hair down or fixing the chain of her necklace, little things like that that can come across as caring but are actually more controlling when you know their actual dynamic.)

Even after the encounter, she'd be insisting that nothing was wrong, though! Even when they could tell something was up. She'd insist that, like, "I just wasn't expecting it" and "I knew my mum would be upset that I didn't tell her we were here". Things that could potentially make sense... but I feel like the other three would know were just attempts at her brushing stuff under the rug, so to speak.

Her dynamic with her mother is weird. Her mom isn't mean to her, really. Not in an obvious way. And she doesn't do things with the intent of upsetting her daughter, either. But she makes little comments that sting. She tells her she needs to act and dress a certain way ("Please, Cassia, wear some more color! Stop being so dreary! You're doing yourself no favors by wearing so much black. Do you know what type of men you're inviting to yourself dressing that way?"). And, the worst of it, is that neither her mother nor her father are aware that she used to sneak to the top of the stairs at night when they were arguing in the kitchen before they got divorced, just to listen to what they were fighting about. Her father almost never raised his voice- he always sounded more pleading or defeated than anything. But her mother yelled a lot, and that's also how she overheard her mother, on at least two separate occasions, tell her father that she never wanted kids, anyway. That she didn't want to be mother. That she felt like she'd made a mistake marrying him and having a child with him. And it's a big part of why she's always, always, trying to conform to what her mother wants her to be while she's with her. Then there's the dynamic with her step-father. He has a short temper and has yelled at Cass plenty. He's never physically abused her or anything, mind you (though he has threatened it), but he gets scary when he's mad. He's the main reason that, when someone yells at her, she can't help but cry and tremble and flinch when their voice raises again. And just... yeah. He's not been in her life as long, and she only sees him a couple times a year, but he's had enough of an impact on her that she's scared of him.

Also, if they did end up going out for a nice dinner with her mom and step-dad or going to their place for a (slightly) more casual dinner situation, she'd be dressed more according to how she knows her mother would want her dress, which might tip off the group that something's up because Cass always just dresses however she's feeling that day without a care in the world. But for her mom? She's wearing something nice, something a bit more elegant. She does her hair up and gets slightly panicked if anything looks to be out of place (doesn't have to be in an updo, but she's definitely being more particular about how it looks, how it's settling on her shoulders, etc). She's constantly checking herself on the way there- her necklace is still sitting right, her makeup hasn't smudged or anything, her hair still looks nice, her dress isn't creasing- all these things she doesn't usually pay much mind to. And all through dinner, she's quiet and polite and she can't help but fall into speaking like her mom, picking up on her accent and all. She hardly eats. Sits up perfectly straight (because the one time she doesn't, her mother notices and just gives her a look and Cass knows that's her mom's way of telling her she's slouching without saying anything). Even if she had somehow managed to fake her way through all the obvious questions and concerns from her lovers before that, there'd be no way to talk herself out of how she was acting at dinner. In fact, I think when it was all over and they were out of there, she'd have an awfully hard time keeping herself together because it would have been so stressful for her. And yet, again- SHE WOULDN'T HAVE SAID ANYTHING. Not leading up to it. Not during it. Not even after it unless someone asked. She'd just as easily pretend that it never happened at all. I do think they could get their way through the dinner without things being too painfully awkward- I can't speak for Jayn, but I think the boys are both good at keeping up the flow of conversation and her mom and step-dad, again, are acting so sweet. They're laughing and chatting and asking questions about Caleb / Pogue / Jayn's lives and interests and no matter what they say, there's no obvious judgement or anything. In fact, they seem pleased to learn about them and always have good follow up questions. And I know they'd especially love Caleb- he's smart and charming and wealthy, and while Pogue is all those things too, Caleb comes across as more straight cut while Pogue comes across as a little more rugged. They'd like all three of them, overall, but they'd especially love Caleb. So they're trying to make the best possible impression. Which is another thing- Pogue, again, has grown up in a similar situation (though his was every day), so I think he'd know better than to make a scene or say anything even if Cass looks uncomfortable and he knows something is up. And he'd ask the same of Jayn and Caleb, too, if he noticed they were picking up on something being wrong with Cass, because he knows that Jayn, especially, might have a few choice words for Cass's mom and step-dad if she's realizing something is off... but he also knows that making a scene or anything is going to break Cass and all the blow back of it is going to later fall on her. He knows because that's how his parents are. "We have the privilege to walk away from this without ever even having to see them again if we don't want to. But Cass doesn't. We'll talk to her later about it. For now, just keep playing along, okay? We just have to make it through dinner."

ANYWAY- I have a lot of feelings about the massive differences in the way Cass's parents treat her and interact with her and how that's left her feeling unsteady and it's also contributed in large part to the fact that she keeps secrets that don't even make sense to keep and her desperate need to keep people happy with her even at her own expense and... yeah. I could go on, but I've already written way more than I should have- oops ^^;))

[thegraveyardshifts]

He listened to her story about being on good terms with her ex and let out a particularly un-interested 'huh' at the lack of juicy details, the likes of which Chester had imagined were completely off the mark. "You know what? Props to you for having a healthy and mature outlook on the end of your relationship," They even gave Cass a little clap as more of a congratulations.

So, why are you selling them now? The witch could be honest, explain that art was something they took up in prison, and that the therapist they'd had while inside encouraged such creative pursuits to help deal with the mountain of shit life had thrown at them.

"Well, one, it's for the fundraiser to rebuild the place I now call home," An easy lie, Chester didn't consider NOLA his home, never would do. "Two, I owe my dealer. Three, art is cheaper than therapy,"

"Nah, cause I am not the one who did the breaking up, it was him and I understand why he did it, we ended on pretty good terms, for the most part. Also if I did that my family would be very upset with me cause both of our families are very civil towards one another." She smirked at the witch thinking she would do such things. Maybe she would have if she had a mean bone in her body, yet for the most part she thought she was a decent woman in this day and age.

"So why are you selling them now? Do you have some bills to pay or trying to make it up to an old girlfriend?" She asked being a little nosy yet wanting to understand why they would sell such pieces.

[shatteredfears-arch]

anyways @greenherb yes im doing this again bc i love ur headcanons and can never fit prompts in the ask box;;

seeing as ive seen u say the girls collect insects to join their indie hives w the cadou as queen, n ur dani esp ive seen have wasps and bees (wasps, known for destructive nature and violence, bees known for intelligence and dani is the only one of the three that actually tries to stop ethan attacking her by hiding while vulnerable and closing the window) and also butterflies (beautiful and what most ppl dont know, savage af) how do you think the insects the girls collect also influence their personalities, since the blowflies obvs are why the three are carnivorous, and the other insects can explain why they’re able to eat the fruit and stuff around the house, most insects have specific associations and i’d love to hear ur opinions 🥺

[wildwcmen]

@soulwrites​ liked for a wishlist starter and i’m giving u the angel plot xoxo

"how and why are you always around?” it was a rude way to thank them for saving her life, but cass had never particularly valued her life. that was a bit of a lie, never was a bit of a stretch, but it had been a long time since she’d valued her life. sometimes she felt like an entirely different person. in addition, she was clumsy. on this instance, it was really just her clumsiness that got the best of her, tripping in the street at the worst possible moment. she could probably thank the new heels she was wearing, but they gave her a few inches of height that she desperately needs.

she glances around in a calm manner, entirely too calm considering that she had almost been ran over, only to look back to her savior with a warm smile. “i guess i shouldn’t complain about your good timing, huh? come on.” without another word she takes his hand, attempting to guide him into the store she had been walking to. “i won’t trip this time, i promise, but maybe you should stick around for now! just in case.” her bleeding knees were ignored as she attempted to move on.

[dramatisperscnae]

"There we go." Dick doesn't even try hiding his relieved smile when Phen suddenly clings to him, doubtless soothed and encouraged by Tim's joining in the hug, proving it safe. "We've got you. You're safe now. I promise you, you're safe now."

And she's staying with them. Even if there's no room in the Belfry, Dick will find room. She can have his room if need be; he only ever uses it after a hard night when he's too tired to make it back to the penthouse, and at that point he can just sleep on the couch. Phen is absolutely staying with them.

He strokes her hair gently, soothingly, even pressing a soft brotherly kiss into her hair as he keeps murmuring quiet reassurances. Probably she won't understand that either, but she's got time to learn. They'll teach her.

Tim's thanks earns the boy a fond hair ruffle, Dick flashing him a warm smile before the question that follows gets a chuckle. Food is probably a good idea for all of them, though he's not sure he's up to standing at the stove himself right now. Still, they could all probably use a treat, and he's never met a kid yet who didn't like sweets.

Carefully Dick pushes himself to his feet, keeping an arm around Phen to assure her she doesn't need to let go yet if she doesn't want to. "Can you get the butter out of the fridge, Tim? The cinnamon and brown sugar, too, out of the pantry." The bread is easy enough to reach, as is the skillet he needs, but the rest of it requires more reaching than Dick is quite willing to do with freshly broken ribs.

@normaltothemax

Nightwing is angry, angry, angry, though he’s doing a very good job of hiding it. He’s angry on the inside, though all his actions, his touches, are still gentle, kind, relaxed, safe. At one point, Tim says something that brings a bit of that hidden unhappiness to the surface, but it falls back just as quickly as it came.

Nightwing is angry, yes, but not at her.

It doesn’t make sense.

Tim says worried. Tim says scared. Tim says help me, me too, I want. And then Tim is pulled into the embrace as well. His arms go around Nightwing in return, and—

And Phen doesn’t think Tim would be punished for her incompetence. Which only makes it more likely that this is an embrace, even if she doesn’t understand why.

Unless…she does.

Because Nightwing says comfort. Says it so loud he may as well be shouting it. He says comfort and holds them, and Tim holds him back, and Phen…

Her own arms finally wrap around Nightwing as she clings to him with a soft whimper, eyes squeezing tightly shut. She starts to tremble, everything she was holding inside beginning to leak out. She should be punished for this display of weakness. She should be punished, but Nightwing just keeps saying comfort and it’s okay and safe.

Her father tried to take her back and they saved her.

She’s safe.

@arobinwithoutbatman

[dhampiravidi]

"You know I can't predict those sorts of things." (Pogue to Caleb~)

(cue me, answering this w/3 ficlets bc I am nothing if not a chaotic, eager-to-please & indecisive bisexual who fuckin' loves Pogue/Caleb. TW: descriptions of blood-covered stuff/gore, ridiculous angst.)

Guardian angels were not, as humans believed, assigned to guard specific people. No: instead, they were sent at specific times to nudge those considering sin back onto the righteous path, or to give those feeling alone the strength to continue (which was often defined as hope). They were supposed to follow their charges around, invisible and only using their empathetic abilities (direct communication was not allowed) to complete their mission. Once the mission was complete, the angel was to return to Heaven.

Caleb had been so happy to help the young woman whose parents had recently separated. She had a kind heart, and she was brilliant for her age. She deserved better than constant melancholy. After following her around for about a month, quietly encouraging her to pursue her relationship with another young woman, her mood had improved. It probably helped that her father had been inspired to write a new book, but Caleb wasn't questioning a good thing.

And then Pogue called to him. Caleb arrived just as the man let her drop to the ground, lifeless.

He remembered feeling cold. His eyes burned. Then the next thing he knew, the man had been torn asunder, and Caleb was entirely covered in blood and gore. The faint glow that came from his skin could hardly be seen. He was trembling, hovering just above the cobblestones. There was a gap in his memory, and then he was flying back to Heaven, clean and guilty.

It was almost a decade before he and Pogue met again, but years were nothing to immortals. They lay in cool grass, staring at the stars. Pogue had told him that Jack the Ripper was the name given to a murderer in England, one who had never been and would never be caught. Caleb's initial reaction had been to accuse the fallen of using the girl as bait, knowing that two would die if Pogue called Caleb.

"You know I can't predict those sorts of things."

Pogue had been cast down for questioning their Creator several times. Since then, he had bathed in the blood of many who he believed deserved it, and Caleb had been there almost every time--not that he would remember.

--

They all knew about the prophecy that the Oracle had delivered days before they went to war. Caleb had been the one who received it, and he had repeated it at the cabin meeting, where the heads of each met with Chiron. It was their whole friend group, plus a few other demigods. Everyone was uneasy. No one could understand what any prophecy meant in its entirety--until after the events it detailed had passed. But it was hard to find anything positive in the line that said "the son of the sky would fall", especially since Ouranos was their main opponent. Ouranos, who the ancients had called the literal sky.

They won the war, with some losses, but it wasn't a pyrrhic victory.

The Greek and Roman demigods and their allies had been spread thin. Ouranos had seized the souls of all who were posthumously placed in the stars, and bullied some of the sky immortals into fighting for him. He was even siphoning Apollo and Artemis's godly essences for power. In fact, that was his greatest weakness. Once the twins were freed, Ouranos had trouble controlling his army.

It took the might of his scythe, which some of Pluto's minions had found in the Mediterranean, to break the bonds holding Apollo and Artemis. Apparently, the weapon could hide its wielder from all magical and regular sight. Caleb volunteered to use it, since he could fly to Ouranos's base without need for a vehicle. He didn't count on Pogue knocking him out and stealing the scythe for him, but he did wake in time to catch his boyfriend when the blast of energy shot him out of the sky.

"You fucking idiot. You knew." Caleb sat by Pogue's bedside, frowning. To put things plainly, if Apollo hadn't been there to heal his son, Pogue would've died from either a heart attack or the trauma from the burns he suffered. Instead, he was put on bed rest, because he was still weak. That didn't stop him from smiling for Caleb's sake.

"You know I can't predict those sorts of things," he replied, working hard to feed himself French fries from the tray their girlfriend had brought. Pogue was the only demigod at camp who had received Apollo's gift of foresight. Those who were set to go on quests typically had a few dreams showing glimpses of current events, and similarly, he had short visions of the future when he slept.

Once he recovered, his friends were going to give him all kinds of hell for almost dying to save the world. He didn't need to be a fortune teller to know that.

--

"Funny to see you here, Parry." Caleb set his jaw as the vampire chuckled, turning around with his hands up in a gesture of peace. Caleb Danvers was part of an elite group of monster hunters who worked in secret to keep humans safe from what could otherwise easily kill them. And for the last month, he'd found plenty of dead ends despite the leads that random townspeople kept giving him. "Did you really need to hypnotize all of them?!"

The vampire gave what might've read as an innocent smile if the hunter was stupid. But he wasn't.

"C'mon, Cay, you know it's hard to forget me."

Cay. Like they were both still alive, stealing glances when they weren't training or running amok with their friends. Before that girl they'd sworn to keep secret screwed Pogue over, killed him. He had reanimated right there in his house, as his parents dressed him for his funeral. He said they tried to kill him the moment he sat up. Not surprising. They hadn't been very forgiving when he was alive, either. So he killed them, avoided his sire, and disappeared. But he always found Caleb, every few months. Their encounters ended the same way every time.

The hunter never went for his weapons. He just rushed forward, augmented speed landing him right in front of his target. He threw a few punches, and only one connected, grazing the vampire's cheek. Pogue just chuckled.

"Don't waste my time."

"Fine." He shoved Caleb against the alley's wall, careful not to let the other man's head hit the surface, and attacked his lover's neck. Caleb groaned--every lick, every nibble, every kiss made his skin burn. But he couldn't, wasn't, just going to lie there. His fingers sifted through Pogue's hair, nerves lighting up as they brushed against silk, and then he tugged. Pogue made a sound deep in his throat before he looked up--and that was when Caleb crashed his lips into his, gasping and biting hard enough to draw ichor. Both men clawed at each other's clothing mindlessly, until their tightening pants told them to pay attention and fucking fuck.

Before Pogue had fangs, he would have gladly sunk to his knees and serviced Caleb, doing everything he could to please him and cum along the way. That was then.

Caleb took both of them in hand, hissing as he stroked them both and Pogue rutted hard enough to vibrate. It was maybe thirty seconds of panting into each other's mouths before they came. They sank down, huddled together with tired smiles.