#anyways finally made it to stone sky and like. ugh these books are so good..

[planet4546b]

i think very often when i see people talk about being tired of apocalypse stories what they mean is being tired of apocalypse being used as stakes instead of as thematics. something clarified by seeing works like season a letter to the future and the fifth season where the apocalypse is so clearly tied to the personal in a real way. every time in fifth season they mention that all of this is because father earth lost his child im blown away again by how genius of a move that is

[littlemissnoname13]

Wisps of Smoke (Draco Malfoy x Slytherin!reader) - Part 5

Summary: y/n and Draco find themselves drawn to an abandoned classroom every night

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Slytherin!Reader ft. Theo Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini

Warnings: Excessive smoking, mature language and themes, smut labeled as ⚜️, 18+ content, reader discretion is advised, also Draco is kinda soft in this one. Just sayin.

A/n: Ik this was supposed to be the final part but I wanted to wrap things up properly. The last part will be dedicated to the ball itself.

A massive thank you to everyone that has read WOS. Your feedback makes me so fkn happy. I love you all sm.

Word count: 3700

Link to Part one, two, three, and four if you haven’t read them already.

My other stories are over here. And you can join my tag list here.

As always, Smoking is injurious to health y’all.

24th December

Home was just the way you’d remembered it. 

From the Goldchild Ivy covering the white colored walls and the stepping stones leading all the way to the main entrance to the way your parents kept nagging you about your “future” with Adrian Pucey.

“You still haven’t told me what kind of dress you’d like to wear to the ball.” Your mum reminded you after taking a small sip from her wine glass. 

“I don’t know mother.” You sighed,stabbing repeatedly at the sautéed mushroom on your plate. “Can’t I wear something I already own? Like the blue one I wore last year.”

“Well, what is Adrian wearing? May I suggest some colour coordinating?” 

“I really don’t know mother.” You coughed. 

“Well, why don't you ask him?”

“I can't.” You mumbled dropping your fork on your plate. The loud clanging sound earned you an eyebrow raise from your otherwise quiet father. 

“Why not?”

“We broke—we aren’t seeing each other anymore.” You said quietly before quickly standing up and dismissing yourself from the dining table before your parents could ask you a thousand questions.

As you walked away from the table and towards the balcony, you could still hear your parents calling after you while simultaneously speculating about just what you may have done to scare Adrian away. 

You weren’t going to tell them about Draco because you weren’t even sure what to tell them.

I broke up with Adrian because I’m sleeping with Draco Malfoy.

Yes, the one that is getting engaged soon. 

No we’re not together.

I may or may not have developed feelings for him.

Yes, it is inconvenient because I have no idea how he feels. 

Did I mention he is getting engaged? 

You tugged on the sleeves of your sweater to warm your hands up as you stared up at the surprisingly clear night sky splattered with only a few clouds and shimmering stars. 

You took it upon yourself to start counting the stars to distract yourself from thinking about Draco again.

Unbeknownst to you, Draco was standing on the balcony of his room trying not to think of you too. 

The only difference for him was that the sky was a little less cloudy where he lived and he wasn’t going to bother counting stars. 

“Happy Christmas Draco.” You whispered to yourself,staring at the shiny emerald ring on your finger. 

“Happy Christmas Y/n.” Draco mumbled into the night air as he fidgeted with your amethyst ring. 

~~~~~~~~~~

25th December

It was a surprisingly quiet Christmas Morning at the Y/l/n household. 

Your parents were still fast asleep when you walked towards the kitchen to fix yourself a cup of coffee. 

It was probably because your parents hadn’t quite processed your break up with Adrian and had spent their night discussing it.

Seeing it was Christmas, you decided to put a dash of white chocolate and whipped cream in your cup of caffeinated goodness in order to feel a bit more festive.

You were feeling anything but festive. 

There was a kind of dread crushing your insides when you thought about the ball. 

You’d have to watch him dance with her and kiss her lips at midnight. 

Fuck, you’d have to congratulate him after he slipped a ring onto her perfectly manicured finger. 

Just when you were about to take a sip of your drink, you heard a knock on your door. 

You frowned and walked towards the door because it was way too early on in the morning for anyone to come over. 

When you yanked the door open, you saw him of all people, standing on the other side of the door with his white blond hair messier than usual. 

He was wearing one of his rare genuine smiles that showed his pearly whites making you feel wobbly in the knees. 

“Draco—What are you doing here?”

“Happy Christmas to you too.” He said with the smile still fixed on his lips. “Tell me y/l/n is this how you greet all of your houseguests?”

“How rude of me.” You muttered to yourself still befuddled as you stepped back to let him in. “Come in, sit down. Cup of tea?”

“I’m actually in a bit of a hurry.” He said as he fidgeted with his blazer pocket. “Just came to drop off something—ugh hold this.” 

He placed a pack of cigarettes in the palm of your hand before fumbling with his pocket again. 

“Ahh. There we go.” He retrieved a lilac colored box from his pocket and brought it back to its normal size before handing it to you.

“What’s this?” 

“What does it look like y/n?”

“But—But I haven't even gotten you anythi—”

Before you could finish your sentence, he leaned in, tenderly pressing lips against yours. 

The softness of his lips made the heaviness you were feeling on your shoulders fade away as you faded into him—only him and the way he held you firmly around the waist as he suckled on your bottom lip.

“Thank you.”  You whispered burying your face into his chest, trying to inhale a scent of his cologne. “Thank you.”  

When Draco left, you ran up to your room and opened the lilac box to find a blush coloured slip dress folded neatly with a note on top of it written in his neat handwriting.

~~~~

Dear Y/n

I really am sorry about what happened to your old silk dress but I just couldn’t help myself. 

I hope you’ll understand.

I also hope I get to see you wear this one someday.  

Yours,

D.L.M

~~~~~~~~~~~

26 December 

The day after Christmas, the boys decided to do a little cleanup. 

Quidditch and house memorabilia, novelty artefacts they no longer cared enough for and items of emotional value. 

The boys wanted a fresh start. 

A clean break.

A clean slate. 

Theo and Blaise were done with their cleaning so they were now at the Manor helping Draco who was surprisingly not very convinced about the whole “fresh start” ordeal. 

“Remember this?” Theo chuckled, clearing out all the books that covered Draco’s desk and using his wand to cast a quick spell that revealed carvings they’d made the summer before their second year.

“Oh?” Blaise gleefully raised his eyebrows walking towards Theo. “I’d forgotten about this.” 

Draco rolled his eyes and followed Blaise and the three boys stood around the table reading out everything they’d managed to carve out. 

There were some very unholy words, tally sticks and unfortunate looking doodles of Harry on the table.

“Theodore Nott was here.” Draco read out loud looking unimpressed.

“Read this one.” Theo chuckled pointing at a carving. “Daphne Greengrass + Blaise Zabini.”

“Hey! We were barely second years.” Blaise protested while his eyes kept scanning the table. 

As Blaise’s vigilant eyes trailed to the farthest corner of the table, a wicked grin started to form across his cheeks making Draco’s face turn pale. 

“Y/n Y/l/n.” Blaise read out loud smirking at Draco. “Well well Malfoy—From the second year?...Interesting.” 

“It was always obvious even though he expressed himself in questionable ways.” Theo shrugged. 

“What was obvious?” Draco quirked an eyebrow with a scowl on his face. 

“The fact that you were and are absolutely enamoured with y/n.” Theo rolled his eyes. “It has always been obvious to everyone but you. Back me up here Zabini.” 

Draco crossed his arms and looked at Blaise who just gave him an apologetic shrug. “I’m sorry but he’s right mate.”

“I am not enamoured with y/n.” 

“If you say so.” Blaise shrugged.

“And what if I were?” Draco spat, clearly irked by the condescending look on Blaise’s face.

“If you are, then I only have one question for you.” Blaise said with carefully selected words.

“And the question is?” 

Blaise went quiet for a brief second before looking at Draco, dead set in the eye.

“What is holding you back, Malfoy?” 

~~~~~~~~~~

27th December

Draco wondered what life decisions he’d taken to find himself seated at a murky little pub with Astoria reclining against his shoulders—sipping on Butterbeer. 

Pansy, Theo and Blaise were taking shots next to him and you were awkwardly seated right across the table next to Adrian fucking Pucey. 

What was he doing here anyway? Who even invited him? 

Even though he’d overheard you telling Pansy that Adrian was there only because of your parents nagging you, seeing you seated together bothered him nonetheless. 

Draco wasn’t even meaning to eavesdrop on your conversation with Adrian but he just couldn’t help but divert all his attention to your sweet voice and the way your lips moved. 

You were telling Adrian about the sweet shop next door and Draco’s lips involuntarily twitched and curved upwards when he noticed just how excited you were about sweets.

It was like you softened him—made him vulnerable. And the whole feeling terrified him.

Between smoking his fifth cigarette, occasionally chatting with Astoria and looking at you from the corner of his eye, one rather simple thought encircled Draco’s mind. 

Why didn’t he knock Pucey off his broom when he had the chance to?

~~~~~~~~~

28th December

Lightning crashed. Thunder clapped.

Fat drops of rain started to fall on the enormous glass window in Draco’s bedroom. 

You placed your finger on the glass as you watched the infinite droplets race all the way to the bottom of the window.

The howling winds brought in the scent of wet grass and sent the dark curtains flying in all different directions.

You took in the smell of fresh rain and sighed sinking blissfully into his embrace.

Lucius and Narcissa were away, preparing for the upcoming ball and Draco had owled you asking to meet. 

And so, both of you were now sitting on the windowsill in his room that was much larger than the one in the abandoned classroom. 

In fact, it was so spacious that it served as his own personal reading nook—complete with a velvety throw blanket and some cushions. 

His hands held open a book and you let yourself get comfortable between his long limbs, still counting raindrops on the window. 

“What are you doing?” He asked looking towards you and away from the worn out pages of his book. 

“I’m watching the raindrops race each other.” You said with your eyes still fixed on the glass. “infinite little droplets.”

“It's just rain.” He shrugged as his eyes went back to his book. “Quite mundane if you ask me.”

Sure rain was mundane. 

But this rain felt different. It sent you into a state of melancholia. 

You couldn’t dare to tell him but those infinite droplets resembled the amount of times you’d wanted to tell him that you loved him. 

Even though you couldn’t find the courage to tell him, it was like the look in your eyes gave it all away.

It made his features soften as he slowly shifted and got up from the nook to fully open the window.

You shielded yourself as cold drops of rain started to hit your face. “What in the actual fuck?” 

“Shut up and follow me.” He said as he climbed out of the window and onto the ledge.

“Are you mental?” 

“Just do as I say.” He said helping you onto the ledge. 

Both of you laughed hysterically as the rain seeped through your clothes as you sat on the ledge with your bare feet dangling in the air. 

One wrong move and both of you could fall to our deaths. But there came an adrenaline rush with the risk of it all. 

He pushed away the hair sticking to your face and brought your face close to his before pressing his rain soaked lips to yours. 

Theo was right. 

He was fucking enamoured.

~~~~~~⚜️~~~~~~~~

After coming back inside, you walked into his ensuite to fix your ruined hair and cast a quick drying charm to your clothes before heading home.

You had barely managed to pick at the tangles in your wet hair when an equally soaked Draco walked up behind you—clothes sticking to his toned body and hair sticking to his face. 

“Draco. Sorry for hogging the mirror. I thought I’d be done sooner but these tangles are—hmmm.”

He wrapped his arms around your waist from behind you and pressed his cold lips against the base of your neck.

Even though your hair was entangled and unruly, you looked bewitching to him.

Especially the way the thin and drenched fabric of your seafoam colored dress draped your body—transparent and accentuating all your curves. 

He just couldn’t help himself from unzipping your dress while he admired the sight of your dress slowly leaving your body in the mirror in front of you both. 

“Draco?” You whispered as you watched his lips move their way from your neck to your shoulders. His hands gently gripping and massaging your breasts. 

“Yes?” He whispered into your hair as he began nipping on your earlobe—his hands never leaving your breasts. 

You wanted to tell him that you were in love with him but the words just refused to leave your lips. 

“I—I missed you so much.” You said instead as you watched the corners of his mouth twitch. 

He didn’t say a word back.

Hips lips were too occupied with sucking love bites against your skin. 

He didn’t need to tell you that he missed you too. The deep reddish purple markings on your body said it all. 

Draco intertwined his fingers around yours and placed your palms flat against the marble basin in front of you. 

Your dainty fingers brought out the verdant tones of the emerald ring and Draco couldn’t help but admire his family heirloom on you. 

He slowly moved his hands up your arms and let them brush against your bare back—trailing lower and lower till he was barely touching your soaking wet cunt.

“You like it when I touch you here?” He murmured pushing one of his fingers inside for a fleeting second. 

“Hmmm.” You moaned gripping tightly onto the basin and pushing your hips backwards to get more. 

Draco brought his hand to your arse and struck once causing you to hiss through your teeth. 

“Words darling—use your words.”

“Yes….” You whimpered, opening your eyes to stare into the reflection again. There was a kind of unrestrained hunger in his eyes that only made you want him more. 

“Good girl...so fucking perfect..so beautiful.” 

He reached out and wrapped his left hand around your throat and brought your face close to him while the pad of his right thumb rubbed steady circles on your throbbing clit. 

He loved that you were always so wet and ready for him. 

“Draco..I want you inside me..Please..” 

He could have spent hours on end just teasing you with his fingers and tongue if he could. There was just something about you that just made him want to take his time to worship you—to ruin you. 

But time was not on his side and the reflection in front of him was making him increasingly impatient so he did not tease you any further. He simply unbuckled his trousers and pushed his cock where it belonged. 

“Fuck...yes Draco..”

A whimper let your lips at the sudden push and your knuckles turned pale as you gripped tightly onto the marble basin. 

“Look at you…” He murmured against your shoulder as he stared ahead into the mirror—his cock pounding in and out of you. “Taking my cock like such a good girl.” 

He let go of your throat and used his hands to hold your hips firmly in place as he fucked you mercilessly. 

Every time you two had fucked before this, Draco had constantly reminded himself to be a little gentle with you—but today, he wanted to wreck you.

He wanted you to scream his name in a bittersweet mix of pure pleasure and pain as he fucked you relentlessly.

“More...Draco...oh..fuck…yes.” 

Beads of tears started to slip out of your eyes and you started to squirm—clenching him inside of you as your started to feel your orgasm approach. 

“Don’t.” He growled digging his nails into the flesh at your hips. “Don’t fucking come just yet.” 

You winced when he slipped himself out before carrying you back to his room where he sat down at the edge of the bed—positioning you on his lap with your legs on either side as he slipped back into you. 

Draco let you adjust to the new position for a few seconds as you gripped his shoulders as you moved your hips, slowly riding his cock. 

“My perfect little slut.” He sighed cupping your face in his hands as you continued to move against him. 

After letting you ride him for a little longer, he gripped your hips and started to pound into you making your tits bounce up and down. 

“Feels so good Draco—feels so fucking good. Oh god yes.”

With one hand on your arse and his mouth attached to your nipple Draco kept thrusting into you till the room was filled with the sound of your screams mixed with the sound of his skin slapping against yours and the sound rain splattering against the window glass. 

“Fuck y/n...your cunt is so perfect, you take me so fucking good..god.” 

“Harder…”

“So good when you clench me in like that... fuck y/n..I need to fucking fill you up…”

“Draco please..don’t fucking stop...oh..I’m so close..”

You always submitted to him so easily, he enjoyed the control he had over you.

But your sweet moans, the way your lips moved when you sighed his name was enough to make him weak for you. 

You were completely oblivious to the power you held over him. 

He loved you.

And he wanted to say the words out loud over and over again. 

“I love—I love being inside you..I have missed you so much” He said instead. 

“Draco I’m—I’m fucking cumming.” You whined as he continued to move his hips.

“Let go. Fucking cum y/n. Cum with me.”

You let your head fall against his shoulders and dug your nails into his biceps as you succumbed to your orgasm.

He soon followed, painting your walls with his release as he murmured sweet nothings into your skin. 

You held each other close as you both recovered from your highs and and when he eventually fell asleep you whispered into his ear. 

I’ll be thinking of you too Malfoy.

~~~~~~~~~

29th December 

Once glimpse of the calendar and all the feelings you had shoved into a deep dark part of your mind trickled out in the form of tears.

Silent tears.

The kind of tears you cry when the silence of the night gets unbearable.

The kind where you suppress the sound of your wail and hopelessly try and mute any kind of sniffle by pressing your face hard into the pillow because you don’t want to wake anyone up. 

Silent tears are the most painful of tears when mixed with the sound of the clock ticking. 

For some bizarre reason, every second gets more prolonged than the other.

You had tried to hold it together for days. You tried to pretend like Draco’s engagement didn’t bother you. 

But it did. 

You turned your head on your very damp pillow and eyed the pack of smokes on your night stand. Draco had left when he came to drop off your present. 

On an impulse, You stepped out of your bed as your trembling fingers reached for the 25 pack of expensive looking cigarettes. 

The second you opened the box, the slight scent of nicotine wafted up your nose and you slowly placed a cigarette at the corner of your chapped and dry lips and lit it up. 

Like always, you coughed and wheezed the second you inhaled. 

You hated how it felt. 

But you loved how close you suddenly felt to Draco.

In a twisted kind of way, It felt like you were submerged in his presence again. 

Your lips tasted like they had been kissed by him again.

The more you inhaled the better it felt.

In a fucked up kind of way, The word felt right again.  

And slowly, the night faded into morning as one cigarette turned into another. 

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

30th December 

Pansy had flooed to your hour the minute she received a letter last night in your drunken handwriting talking about how amazing cigarettes were and how pretty Astoria was.

With a mug filled to the brim with tea in between her hands, she rested her back against the armchair in your room, tilting her head to get a better look at you. 

Your face was pressed sideways against the pillow and she could tell you’d been crying by the dried mascara stains on your cheeks. 

A half smoked cigarette was pressed into the makeshift ashtray that you’d made out of your bedside table making Pansy wonder if she’d ever seen you this miserable. 

Your duvet was barely covering your shoulders and just as Pansy was standing up to pull them up, your bedroom door creaked open. 

“I just wanted to drop something off.” Draco  mumbled almost like he was talking to himself as he took a step into the room—hand in his blazer pocket.

Pansy didn't say a word as she watched Draco with her eyes narrowed. She observantly watched him pull out a tiny box from his pocket and mumble a spell to restore it to its original size.

“What are those?” 

“Assorted sweets.” He said softly, with his gaze not leaving your sleeping form once. “She wouldn’t stop talking about exploding bonbons the other night at the pub.” 

Pansy heaved out a sigh as she watched Draco place the box of sweets on your bedside table before reaching to gently push away your hair from your face. 

“Don’t get me wrong Draco, but you really shouldn’t be here right now.” 

His weary eyes flickered as he turned to look questioningly at Pansy—retreating his hand from your face. 

“You are getting engaged tomorrow—look at her, look at the state she is in. She won’t say it out loud but It’s clearly killing her.” 

As much as Draco hated agreeing with Pansy, she was right. 

Even while asleep, you looked worn out and restless with your eyebrows scrunched up indicating tension.

He wasn’t even going to get himself started on the cigarettes and wine bottles on your night stand.

“Will you let her know that I came by?” He looked half expectantly at Pansy who gave him an apologetic smile in return. “Never mind I guess.” 

As Draco reluctantly backed away from you,  Blaise’s words lingered in his mind. 

What is holding you back Malfoy?

(To be continued...)

~~~~~~

Part 6: Final Chapter Preview:

The Malfoy Manor was being decorated and every little detail of the decor screamed nothing but aristocratic, pristine, perfect.

It was like everything was just a futile attempt to conceal the dullness, loneliness and the fucked up pure blood traditions hiding deep within the manor walls.

Much like his so-called arrangement with Astoria that seemed so perfect on paper.

Pure blood families, rich family history, old money.

What could go wrong right?..

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

Tag list: @maybesandohnos @justfangirlthingies @lieswithoutfairytales @dracomalfoys-wh0re @hannahhobnob @sycathorn-slush @mxl-foyrecs @daringvixon @linetteyde @imbadwithunsernames @dracoswhore007 @myunngi @goawayimreadingbeach @loxbbg @icedlattewithalmondmilk @paulina1998 @fa-me @loganrwebb @nee-naw-nee-naw-beepbeep @leaveittobecca @dummythiccwitch @desiredmalfoy @badslytherin @dlmmdl @trainintersection @lilsubbyx @lunar0se10 @babydraco04 @anythings-n-everythings @sistheselenophile @louweasleymalfoy @fantasyfairysworld @malfoyxxdraco23 @thebitchybeatle @teawineaddict @fleursbabe @savagelysarcasticslytherin @emma67 @itchywitch33 @thegaudess @berriemalfoy @loloo22 @rvaldez7569 @letoof @quacksonssandtea @marrymetheonott @wh0re4blaise

[bigskydreaming]

Doing some writing today off and on between errands and work, and jumping around various Kings of the Sky installments, specifically Dick, Jason and Cass stuff, so probably gonna post snippets from a bunch of them as I go. 

(Kings of the Sky is an AU that goes canon divergent from the point of Jason calling Dick for advice for dealing with Bruce after the Garzonas case and where things end up going dramatically different from that point on. Including Jason not dying, being part of his own lineup of Titans between Dick and Tim’s, Dick being adopted not long after the Church of Blood incident, Cass being the third Wayne kid to be taken in and adopted and with Tim and Duke being next and then Damian coming along later once they find out about him. This is basically my ‘the family’s alright’ AU with largely ‘Good Dad Bruce’ except for Dick and then Jason yelling some sense into him about the other, respectively, in the first two installments, just FYI).

Anyway, this bit is from a story called “In Their Shadows Grow Trees Of Good and Evil,” set about a year after Cass has been adopted, when she and Jason are both sixteen and Dick’s twenty-one. Also just FYI, because canon has never been specific about what ways Cass is neurodivergent due to the comic-book style ‘rewiring’ of her brain so that she could learn to speak later in life, I tend to go with her being dyslexic and having aphasia. She sticks exclusively to sign language and being a silent presence in her costumed personas, so that there’s no chance of people connecting the dots between Black Bat and Cassandra Wayne, as she mostly speaks verbally in her civilian persona and doesn’t hide her aphasia. The reason there’s not likely to be any obvious signs of aphasia in the snippets of her I post is because I wait until I complete something to choose words at random to replace with aphasia-born mixups, so its more realistic and I’m not gearing her dialogue towards deliberately placed moments. Just in case you were wondering.

In Their Shadows Grow Trees of Good and Evil

“Hey Todd,” sneered an exquisitely obnoxious voice. “Why’s your sister so fucking weird?”

Jason sighed the sigh of a soul a mere century into its eternity of damnation as he rose from the lunch table he’d been studying at and crammed the rest of his books into his backpack. Then he pasted a cheerfully bland smile on his face and turned around, geared for academia warfare (teenage prep school edition).

“Hey Craig,” he said brightly. “Why’d you come out of the womb so ugly your parents had to tie a piece of steak around your neck just to get the family dog to go near you? Mysteries abound.”

The advancing junior slowed a step, momentarily rocked by his truly impressive return volley. The grimace Craig’s already gargoyle-esque features twisted into made his face even more unpleasant to look at than usual, which was quite the feat. Jason would have applauded if just looking at it hadn’t already turned him to stone.

But the bargain basement basilisk kept on towards him rather than turn tail and skulk off to pop his emotional blisters, so Jason sighed a sequel to his first one. Looked like it was one of those days where Craig felt up to powering through. Guess someone had eaten their self-esteem Wheaties that morning. Joy.

“You think you’re pretty hot shit, don’t you, Todd?”

Jason shrugged. “I mean, to be honest I kinda have a one track mind, so right now I’m mostly just thinking about punching you in your mistake.”

“My what?”

“Your face,” Jason elaborated with exaggerated patience.

“Huh?”

“Oh my god, I’m saying your face is a mistake. See, its not as fun when I have to stop and explain it to you. Ugh, you ruin everything.”

He neatly sidestepped the older boy as R2-Dumbass stayed frozen, smoke coming off of his internal CPU while trying to catch up. For a second Jason thought he was home free, but then he remembered the universe fucking hated him so haha, sucks to suck. Also, a small crowd had gathered to witness the verbal jousting match, and nothing invigorated an asshole like Craig more than an audience of like-minded peers. So there was that too.

“Whatever. Laugh it up all you want, you little shit,” the junior rallied. “But just remember, mocking your betters will never change the fact that you were born street trash and you’ll be street trash until the day you die.”

Honestly? Not his best effort. Jason almost felt bad using any of his good material. Seemed like overkill at this point. But he did have a strict Scorched Earth policy to maintain, so.....

“Yeah but my dad could buy out and ruin your dad so that means I still win, right?”

He smirked as the barb landed and Craig’s face set into a sunset vista of strangled purple and furious red. Bam. Direct hit.

“Listen, you - “

“Oh for fuck’s sake, it was rhetorical,” Jason interrupted. “I don’t actually care what you think even a little bit. Nobody does. You don’t matter. Please go be irrelevant elsewhere, you’re fucking dismissed, you loser.”

“Speak for yourself, charity case.” Oh goodie, Craig’s backup singers had finally arrived. Now if only he could remember to care enough to learn their names in the first place. Seriously, who told the extras they could have lines? “All the jokes in the world can’t change who and what you are.”

Jason shrugged and continued nonchalantly up the hill to where his sister was standing with arms crossed, staring down at something on the other side.

“True genius is never appreciated in its own time,” he tossed back over his shoulder. “I’m sure I’ll be immortalized in song eventually.”

The mob of morons deigned to let him go without further incident. Though he suspected that had less to do with his scathing wit and more to do with him being headed towards Cass. She was immaculately presented as always, wearing the Gotham Academy uniform like she was born to it despite hating its uncomfortable stiffness every bit as much as he did. But that was just Cass for you. 

For all that she still struggled at times to engage verbally or speak up in social settings, her mastery of body language remained without peer. She could chameleon-camouflage her way into matching poise and posture with anyone - a skill that had allowed her to walk into school on her very first day with her head held high as though she owned everything in her sight. Exuding so much Queen Bee Intimidation Factor even the other hive queens were afraid to approach her  themselves. Sending forth their drones to try and woo her into an alliance, only to see her remain oh-so-casually above it all, a slightly contemptuous smile adorning her lips.

Basically, she scared the shit out of their classmates without them having anywhere close to a true understanding of why, and Jason was outrageously jealous. Rude. Unfair. Why did his siblings always get all the cool toys when all he had was his rakish charm, scintillating intellect and debonair.....nah, who was he kidding. He was fucking awesome. 

“Sup, sis,” he said, cresting the hill to stand beside Cass. “Just FYI, I just took a popularity bullet for you, which means you owe me your dessert tonight. Its a family rule that’s totally a real thing and definitely not something I just made up right now because Alf is making chocolate soufflé.”

She made no acknowledgment and remained stock still, a Colossus at Rhodes peering down into the shifting shadows of the parking lot below.

He peered down as well, though with absolutely no idea what they were looking at. Solidarity, yo.

“So are we staring fixedly at anything in particular, or should I just pick my own spot and commit?”

His humor was totally wasted on her as always. Instead of laughing and telling him what a lovable goof he was, she just inclined her head in the direction of a blonde girl where she was standing next to the driver’s side door of a Mercedes-Benz, dictating final commandments to her peons before departing. Well, probably. Jason was just guessing, based on his own body language reads, and like, general disdain for literally everyone at this school that wasn’t related to him.

He made a face. An extra special one reserved just for this classmate in particular. “Ugh, Madison Dunleavy? She’s the worst.”

Cass raised a cool eyebrow. “I thought Craig Hendricks was the worst.”

“He is. They’re both the worst. Its a hotly contested position here at Gotham Academy.”

She rolled her eyes and nodded back down at the Queen of Air and Darkness. “So. You know her?”

“Nope,” Jason said. “Come to think of it, I’ve actually never seen her in my life. No idea who that is. Can’t help you, sorry. Shall we go home?”

The Eyebrow of Inquisition speared him with clear intent. Who the fuck needed words when you could pack the Encyclopedia Britannica into a single facial expression?

Jason sighed gustily. 

“I had a slight altercation with her freshman year that led to her declaring her undying enmity for me until the end of time. The word nemesis may or may not have been thrown around once or twice. I can’t recall.”

The Eyebrow of Inquisition lowered nary an inch. Ugh, she wanted more? Why did everyone in his family hate privacy, with the obvious exclusion of himself when snooping through Cass and Dick’s rooms for blackmail material, which was actually intel-gathering and thus another matter entirely.

“Okay so basically what happened was my first week here I overheard her talking shit about me and not even twenty minutes later she was pretending to kiss my ass in homeroom, like probably because of Bruce, y’know? So I just busted out laughing and told her to fuck off and die and she has inexplicably loathed me ever since.”

Avoiding further Eyebrow Inquisition-ing, he made a show of peering around aimlessly. When the silence extended and it was clear Cass was absolutely not going to break first, Jason waved a hand in dismissal and took to peering oh so casually at his fingernails. "I suppose I was less tactful back in those days.”

He chanced a look up, finally, and saw his sister’s eyebrow had somehow managed to mighty morphin power ranger its way into a configuration evoking both judgment and disbelief, with the latter perhaps aimed at the idea he was significantly differing in the tact department these days either.

“I don’t love the implications your face is making right now,” he told her.

She ignored him, because of course she did. 

“Does she know Dick?” She asked instead. Jason shrugged.

“I mean, maybe? She’s probably seen him around at one of those stupid galas we have to go to, and actually I think maybe she has an older brother who was either in Dick’s grade or like, one above or below it? I don’t know.”

Now both eyebrows were doing the dance of disbelief. Okay, so maybe that was poor situational awareness on his part, since it wasn’t like Gotham Academy was a big school with a ton of other kids and also he’d only been in the same class as Madison for like over two whole years, but whatever. There were extingent circumstances.

“Look, she’s a total snob who’s always looked down on me and in return I willfully ignore both her existence and that of everyone and everything even tangentially related to her. Its called equality, Cass.”

She pursed her lips and went back to the peering, because of course in the mind of Cass it made total sense that the Grand Inquisition didn’t need to be followed up by any explanation on her part, what the hell. Like was he supposed to have inferred it?

“What’s this all about anyway?”

“I heard her talking about Dick earlier,” she said without peeling her eyes away from her personal recon mission. “I don’t know what she said though, I just heard her say Grayson, and then I was busy looking at what her body was saying. I know it was about Dick because she shut down when she saw me. And I didn’t like the way she....looked....before that happened. The way she was talking. It was.....”

Jason frowned but held back any follow-up questions while he waited - with total patience because he wasn’t an absolute cad, thank you very much - for his sister to find the word she was hunting for. It was a major source of frustration for her, that whatever neural map her brain followed put body language and spoken language in totally different regions of her brain, separated by a fairly great divide. Meaning she usually had to make a conscious choice to focus on body language or conventional languages - whether verbal or sign. But it tended to be one or the other; she’d yet to master taking in and comprehending both forms of ‘language’ at the same time. And none of them had quite figured out how to convince her that she wasn’t actually missing anything when she chose to focus on one specific form of communication - that she was still observing far more than most people ever would.

“Proprietary,” Cass settled on at last. She nodded her satisfaction with her choice of word, and Jason waited a whole two point five seconds before sticking  his whole foot in his mouth.

“Proprietary?” He asked with a scrunched nose as he weighed that for possible context and implications. “You sure?”

She glared. He winced. It was a whole thing.

“Yeah, I know, sorry, sorry, I heard it the second it was out of my mouth. We don’t actually have to experiment with the legitimacy of if looks could kill.”

Cass rolled her eyes, but eh. That could’ve gone worse.

Jason swiftly redirected attention anyway. Discretion is the better part of valor, after all.

“So. The Queen of Air and Darkness was talking about our big bro, and her mood was.....proprietary, huh?” He recapped while digesting the info like a boss. “Well. Definitely not loving that, I gotta say. Hold please.”

Pulling out his phone and pulling up his most recent texts, he began typing furiously.

“What are you doing?” Cass asked.

“Texting Tom,” he replied, because duh. Hah, now it was his chance to have the answers that should be patently obvious and thus make with the ‘are you kidding me’ when she asked obvious questions she should know the answer to! How do you like them apples, sis?

“Why are you texting your boyfriend right now?”

Jason rolled his eyes, because fair is fair, but never ceased texting for a moment. Time was of the essence here, probably. Well, maybe. Okay probably not. But it’d still been like half an hour since he and Tom had last texted and that’s a very fucking long time in teenage years.

“To be our getaway driver tonight, obviously.”

She stared at him. He didn’t look up, but he could feel it anyway. He was very intuitive like that.

“What?”

Jason heaved another sigh, one keyed to tones of ‘oh my god, do I really have to spell this out,” exasperation. He was just racking up the bonus points here. It was really too bad this wasn’t an actual competition he could actually win and this was all just pettiness taking place wholly in his own head. Lame. 

“Well, clearly we now have to go snoop in Madison’s house aka lair to see if its actually a house or a full on lair. Because she’s either a creeper or like, legit evil, and its important to know which one before we proceed, because obviously we can only bust her for being a weird creeper about our brother as Jason and Cass, whereas if she’s legit evil, that’s gotta go down as Robin and Black Bat. I’ll handle the snooping, you’ll take look-out, but we still need a wheelman and that’s why I’m texting Tom. This is all very mission-oriented, okay. I’m a professional.”

“Right,” she affirmed, while sounding anything but convinced. “Why don’t we just tell Bruce?”

Without looking up or breaking stride, he said: “I’m going to give you til I finish typing this sentence to figure out what was wrong with what you just said. Remember that we are talking about hypothetical danger to our brother, and also Bruce’s idea of a proportionate response to any of his children being in even hypothetical danger. And also our brother’s idea of a proportionate response to Bruce’s idea of a proportionate response. Look, you’re still new so I’m gonna need you to just trust me on this one. Its gonna be a no on telling Bruce without further intel.”

Cass said nothing in response to that, which meant that she was conceding the point and recognized the wisdom of his words. Or maybe that she was just gonna go ahead and do what she wanted anyway and just wasn’t bothering to fight about it, but it was probably that first thing.

“Well you better not just make out with your boyfriend all night,” is what she said at last, and that got his attention reeeeeal quick like.

“Umm. Wow. Okay. So, first off, you’re not the boss of me and who I make out with and when, so jot that down. And second, now I’m definitely going to make out with my boyfriend extra hard, with the exception of when we are actually on our recon mission because as previously established, I am a professional. And also, again, you’re not the boss of me.”

Jason ignored her Eye Roll With Extra Emphasis, and instead just held up his phone to Text With Extra Emphasis, as he read along with what he was typing.

“By the way babe, we have to make out extra hard tonight,” he said, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth while he dragged out his dictation with the kind of focus that usually led to Bruce asking why he couldn’t apply as much intensity to training as he did to pettiness. “Cass has suddenly decided she can dictate terms to me and I need to shut that shit down ASAP, so thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. Smoochies and other gay stuff to the best boyfriend ever.”

Jason frowned as a response pinged back seconds later. 

TheCatsMeow: ....the things I put up with for the sake of your weird family dynamics.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: Yeah, yeah. You’re a saint among were-panthers. Must you mock? Why can’t you just tell me I’m pretty instead?

TheCatsMeow: Sorry. Let me try again. OMG you’re so pretty Jase how did I get so lucky xoxo.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: No. Its too late. It feels forced and unbelievable now. You’ve ruined it forever.

TheCatsMeow: Got it. From now on I will only tell you that you’re repulsive and hideous.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: I’m breaking up with you.

TheCatsMeow: But after I help you with your mission tonight.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: Obvsly. I’m a professional. Why do people keep forgetting this?

TheCatsMeow: And also the making out to spite your sister.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: Yeah we should do that first too. I mean we already penciled it in.

[bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher]

Fear Not, Fair Maiden

(Thank you @spielzeugkaiser for letting me write a story about your amazing art! This was so much fun and it’s so fluffy. I may have thrown in a little nonhuman-Jaskier as a treat but Jaskier doesn’t know so...)

Etheid is the baby green dragon that Borch rescues in “The Sword of Destiny” book. I thought I’d make that scene more interesting and less sad for everyone by sticking to the book canon version for this story.

---

Jaskier woke up somewhere warm and soft and definitely not wrapped in the raggedy blanket he’d fallen asleep with atop his worn bedroll. He groaned in confusion and rose into a sitting position on the soft feather mattress to better wipe the sleep from his bleary eyes. He was sitting on a beautifully carved mahogany bed with four posts and lovely hanging curtains made of pale pink gossamer.

“Where am I?” he yawned to no one in particular. 

In my tower, a voice echoed through his head. The bard leapt from the bed, suddenly alert and terrified of whatever had brought him here. The voice returned, slightly frightened in its own right and clearly looking to soothe. Don’t panic! I’m sorry! I probably should have introduced myself better. Come to the window, my sweet visitor, and let me say hello!

“You’re not going to eat me, right?” Jaskier squeaked. 

Of course not, Jaskier. You’re my guest. That would be highly indecorous of me.

“Monsters with manners. Finally some decent company.” Jaskier made his way confidently out onto the balcony surrounding the tower’s main room and glanced around. “Hello? How do you know my name?”

A large, scaly green head rose over the side of the balcony wall and Jaskier took an involuntary step back. A thin-slit reptilian eye blinked at him. Once. Twice. Then the rest of the dragon’s face and snout appeared. Do not fret, my dear. You are in no danger at all. I merely wish to see a performance.

“You want me to sing for you?”

That was not my purpose in stealing you, but I would not be adverse to some music later this evening. I’m sure your Witcher is already on his way here to rescue you. Jaskier swore he heard the dragon release a deep, dreamy sigh from its steaming nostrils. Ah, I wonder if he’ll climb the spiral stairs and try to avoid the traps or if he’ll fight me first and scale the outer walls. 

“Wait a second,” Jaskier held a finger up. The dragon paused its daydreaming and looked down at its tiny human captive. Well, mostly human from what the dragon’s senses could pick up. Perhaps a bit of dryad in there somewhere. The semi-mortal’s connection to nature was stronger than most; ancient in a way that drew the dragon to him in the first place. Well, that and the handsome, white-haired Witcher who kept the bard close to his side like a favorite puppy. “You kidnapped me so that you could watch Geralt rescue me?”

The dragon’s enormous snout bobbed up and down as it nodded. The bard leaned heavily against the balcony’s edge and released a series of hysterical giggles. Are you alright, Jaskier?

“How do you know my name?”

You met my godfather, once. Borch.

“Oh, you’re the baby green dragon!” Jaskier perked up. This was an old friend, then. “My, how you’ve grown.”

And my, how you haven’t, the dragon observed. If the bard didn't’ know any better it appeared as if the creature was raising its eyebrow at him. You don’t seem to have aged a day.

“Haven’t I?” Jaskier glanced down. “Perhaps I’m just remarkably well preserved.”

Magic, the dragon shrugged. Anyway that is not my purpose here. I’ve grown bored with my usual antics and wish for something better. 

“So you thought you’d make up some entertainment by bard-napping me?”

Correct.

“This is like a play, then? I’ve been given the part of Fair Maiden and Geralt has been cast as our White Knight? My Prince Charming, as it were?”

Yes, although you find Geralt’s animalistic tendencies and Witchery nature more alluring than any fairy-tale prince or wayward knight.

“Hey! Hands off my private, personal thoughts,” Jaskier cried, waving his arms at the dragon as if the gesture might sever their mental link. The dragon huffed out what may have been a laugh.

I cannot help myself, I apologize. My name is Etheid, by the way. So you can stop referring to me in your mind as Baby Dragon I Held Once.

“Sorry,” Jaskier shrugged. He laughed again, this time genuinely. “Do you think Geralt really loves me enough to come rescue me from an entire dragon? He knows you can’t be beaten with one or two flimsy swords.”

He is determined to find you, Etheid replied. He will be here in two days time. 

“So until he shows up do I just...sing for you, then? Is there any food? Oh, is there a bath!?”

You’re the most eager and friendly guest I’ve ever had, Etheid rejoiced. There’s food aplenty in the cupboard in your room. Wine, too. I also have bathwater ready at your request and I can heat it to whatever temperature you like. I even have costumes!

“Costumes!?” The bard beamed widely and clapped his hands together beneath his chin. He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet and even spun in a quick circle. “What kinds of costumes!? Is this going to be a tragic rescue? Is this going to be dramatic and romantic? You mentioned traps, what kinds of traps will Geralt be facing if he comes up the stairs?”

Eager to see your handsome Witcher again?

“Eager to make sure that he isn’t injured trying to save me from your lovely tower, here.”

He will be absolutely fine. These traps were made for squires to outsmart; he’s a Witcher.

“If he loved me as I love him,” Jaskier sighed wistfully, “Then this would be even more fun.”

Etheid considered telling Jaskier the truth about his Witcher’s romantic feelings for a moment but figured that it was Geralt’s job to do so, instead. The dragon could wait. The dragon could write such a fantastical scene that Geralt would have no other option but to admit his feelings to the jovial and kindhearted bard. 

There are dresses, of course, but there are some lovely robes as well. You can take whatever you like from the chest at the end of the bed.

“You’re going to regret saying that!”

Go ahead. Do what human things you must. I’ll heat the water and be on my way; dragons need to eat, too.

“No pesky villagers, please. Stick to wild animals so long as I’m your guest?”

I am not a heathen, Etheid scoffed. Deer only for now. The forest is fat with them.

“Excellent. See you after dinner and a bath, then. I’ll sing you some lovely ballads.”

About your White Wolf?

“I wouldn’t exactly say that he’s my White Wolf,” the bard blushed. “But yes, songs about Geralt.”

---

Geralt reached the base of the stone tower and squinted up. It seemed endlessly tall against the rocky mountainside and the blue of the sky. Jaskier was up there, though, and the dragon was probably nearby. The Witcher had chosen not to wear his armor for this particular rescue mission; it would only make him noisier and this was a battle of the wits. Dragons wanted to be outsmarted, not slain.

Geralt remembered Borch Three Jackdaws fondly, the golden dragon that had shown him such kindness and taught him that not all monsters were to be feared. Well, Borch hadn’t so much taught Geralt about the nature of monstrosity so much as he had reinforced a previously held belief. 

But that didn’t matter now. As he slid into the passage that led to the tower stairs his only focus was his stupid bard’s physical safety. 

No, Geralt, the Witcher corrected himself firmly. He is not your bard, he is merely a traveler who chooses to spend some of his free time dallying about with you. He likes writing songs about your adventures and that is all. 

He could hear the sound of a lute growing slightly stronger as he ascended, and kept his eyes peeled for any sort of traps or pitfalls. He sidestepped two swinging axes with ease and ducked beneath a flying crossbow bolt as simply as he breathed. This tower was for amateurs, not highly trained Witchers with unparalleled senses. Not the most graceful Witcher the Wolf school had ever turned out onto the path. Not Geralt of Rivia, Jaskier’s Witcher. 

---

Jaskier stopped singing suddenly and set his lute to the side, as planned. He laid himself out as Etheid had suggested, the white cotton robe pooling around his bare legs and spilling rather nicely off his left shoulder. He’d cinched a soft blue ribbon just so around the curves of his waist. His hair was ruffled just the way Geralt liked it; the way it was when he saw the Witcher’s gloved fingers twitch at his sides, clearly aching to touch him but too afraid to make a move.

He’ll have to make a move this time, Etheid said. Jaskier could hear the smile in the dragon’s words. Get in position! He’s nearly to your room, Jask!

“Jaskier!” the Witcher cried, bursting through the door only a moment later. The bard could sense Etheid just outside the window, hidden by a thin curtain that hung from the back of an ENORMOUS four-poster bed. Geralt was too excited to find his precious bard safe to care about the looming threat.

“Geralt! You came for me!”

“Of course I did,” Geralt rolled his eyes. “You’re always getting yourself into trouble.”

Ugh, you’re so right. He’s horrible with romance.

Jaskier stifled a smile but Geralt caught it anyway. 

“What’s so funny, bard?”

“My captor doesn’t find your rescue speech very romantic or amusing,” he said, pulling the curtain aside. Etheid’s large blue eyes were focused on the scene, waiting for something good to happen. The dragon had been bored for so long and he’d heard so much from Borch about this White Wolf and his loyal, loving bard. Jaskier whispered the next line as if Etheid wasn't’ supposed to be hearing it, “Perhaps you should make our little reunion more flowery?”

“Jaskier, I - uh,” Geralt swallowed hard and took a step forward. Might as well go for it, the Witcher thought. “I’m so glad that I made it back to your side in time. I’m so glad that you’re unharmed.”

“I knew you’d come for me,” Jaskier sighed, holding out his hand. Geralt stepped even closer, leaning down to press his lips against the petal-soft skin of Jaskier’s knuckles. The bard blushed softly and Geralt felt his own face heating up to match. “You always save me, even from the worst situations.”

“I always will.”

The Witcher had admitted his greatest secret aloud before he could stop himself and he watched the bard’s eyes widen even further. Geralt’s brand of gruff sincerity was unmistakable. 

“Geralt,” the younger man grinned, tears gathering in the corners of his perfect, cornflower blue eyes, “I knew you loved me back.”

“You mean...?”

“Of course, silly,” the bard laughed, throwing himself up off the mattress and into Geralt’s arms. “I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you brooding at that tavern in Posada!”

“Oh Jaskier,” the Witcher gasped. His lips found the side of his bard’s pale neck and out on the balcony Etheid released a happy, contented huff. “I would give anything and everything to know that you were safe.”

“My sweet Witcher,” Jaskier leaned back, cupping Geralt’s face between his hands. His weight was now being entirely supported by the thick arm wrapped around his waist and he reveled in the strength of his beloved before leaning up to kiss him. “Then you must know how I feel every time you leave me on a hunt. Or go to fight with Yennefer about something silly.”

The Witcher could only press their foreheads together and breathe in the happy, rain-shower scent of his Jaskier. “Hmm.”

Excellent, yes! I can’t wait to tell Borch and my friends about this! Etheid cheered. Congratulations, Jaskier! I’m so happy for you!

“Thank you,” the bard murmured. 

“Hmm?” Geralt hummed again, raising an eyebrow. Jaskier pulled his head away and shook it. 

“Don’t worry about it. Are you getting me out of here or not?”

“Can you walk in this getup? Will the dragon just let us go?”

Jaskier shot a curious glance towards Etheid, who nodded.

Tell him you can’t walk, though. I want to see him carry you off to his horse and ride away with the white robe flapping in the wind. Maybe he’ll even wrap his arms around you from behind to keep you safe. Like a real princess. 

“No, I can’t walk in this silly thing at all. Keeps getting tangled around my ankles; I’d probably fall down the stairs and kill myself.

Geralt swept the younger man up into his arms and grabbed his lute from its place on the floor. “Well, we can’t have that.”

“No, my Witcher,” the bard replied with a contented smile. “We can’t have that at all.”

---

And if one of Etheid’s curious friends kidnapped Jaskier a month or so later and three countries over then...oh well. More weird dragon friends for the both of them.

[skylanders-after-the-end]

Culprits and Witnesses

It was a peaceful morning in Skylands. A scenery of pinkish and yellow clouds illuminated by the rising sun. Snap Shot and Wolfgang were enjoying that moment together. They were sitting underneath the cherry blossom tree where they used to train and bond. Lying on top of the soft green grass, their arms around each other and a light breeze brushing past them. Everything was perfect.

“I wish it could always be like this.” Wolfgang’s eyes were calmly set on the sun. “Just you, me and the endless skies.”

“Me too.” Snap Shot sighed and turned quiet. “As gorgeous as this view is, you know what it means.”

Wolfgang sighed as well, only more annoyed than calm now. “Yeah.”

Not a second passed before a giant version of Dreamcatcher appeared in the sky right in front of them. “The sun is rising you guys, you know what that means.”

The couple rolled their eyes before lovingly looking at each other one more time.

Snap Shot opened his eyes to find himself back inside his cell at Cloudcracker Prison. It was all a dream. However, he’s not upset about it. Him and Wolfgang made a deal with Dreamcatcher so that every night they could meet each other in the dream realm and enjoy their time together, even if it’s not real.

The reptile got out of his cell and on his way to the cafeteria for breakfast, he felt a large fluffy arm wrap around his shoulder.

“Hey sleepy head.” Wolfgang smirked as he joined Snap Shot and they could spend some time in the real world, only surrounded by other villains.

Before the cafeteria entrance, Dreamcatcher appeared in front of the two once again, this time in her regular size. She didn’t say a word and just stared at them with expecting eyes.

Wolfgang shoved his hand inside a pocket of his pants and pulled out a small plastic figure of a unicorn, their end of the deal. “This is all I could find around here.”

“Sir Blueberry Twinkles!” Dreamcatcher used her telepathic abilities, which have been reduced to only lifting small objects inside the prison, to hold the toy in front of her. “Finally I can reunite him with his sister! Thanks, tonight I will take you somewhere special.” The floating head winked before flying off whilst enjoying the small toy horse.

The couple giggled before finally entering the cafeteria to fill their hungry stomachs.

Later that morning, the paralyzed Tuff Luck was found. She was brought into the hospital immediately where Whirlwind would take a look at the strange trance the feline was in.

“I have never seen anything like this before.” Smolderdash was as appalled as everyone else to see the lifeless, cloudy blue eyes of the Life Skylanders. “What happened to her?”

“Maybe this has something to do with Hex’ curse?” Stealth Elf could only think of the witch when she saw those eyes, despite the fact that Hex’ curse turned them pitch black. “Perhaps some kind of side effect?”

“That can’t be it. Everyone was freed from Hex’ curse when she surrendered, and this isn’t undead magic anyway.” Whirlwind has been studying all kinds of injuries and even curses for years, but this was new to her. “This is something completely different.”

Unaware to them, Tuff Luck was currently trapped inside her own mind experiencing her greatest fear. There was no way for her to give any sign through her body, she had no control anymore.

As the Skylanders continued to speculate, a deep voice emerged from the shadows. “May I take a look?”

Everyone turned around to see the dark dragon Blackout standing behind them, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. “Of course, maybe you know more than us.” Whirlwind moved aside for the dragon to join the group.

Blackout moved his head closer to Tuff Luck and squinted his eyes while staring into hers. Suddenly the horn at the tip of his snout began to glow in a dim green light before he backed off. “Whoever did this must have access to some kind of psychic powers.”

“We figured that much.” Stealth Elf thought about some possible suspects. “But that color and her completely frozen body… we’ve never seen that before.”

“No… not in this form.” Blackout closed his eyes and focused for his horn to glow brighter. “She’s fighting. She’s trapped inside her own mind and there is no way for her to break free.”

The others gasped upon hearing that shocking revelation. “Is there a way to help her?” Smolderdash didn’t hesitate for a moment and was already looking for answers.

“I’m afraid not.” Blackout opened his eyes again and his horn stopped glowing. “She’s under the influence of some force very similar to dream magic. A so-called nightmare prison.”

“Dream magic?” Stealth Elf wasn’t hearing that term for the first time. “Then I think I know who did this.”

“Oh, yes of course I did!” Dreamcatcher just finished placing her most recent toy horse on the ledge of her window, adding it to her collection. It’s a hobby she discovered ever since she’s been locked back inside Cloudcracker Prison and found an abandoned unicorn toy.

“How? You’re behind bars and your powers are limited, there’s no way.” Stealth Elf glared at the floating head through the bars of her cell before she turned around to face the elf and Blackout who have come to question her.

“Oh no, I didn’t do that. I mean I did see your friend in the dream realm. The poor thing was so lost and afraid, but unfortunately I was too busy helping those two lovebirds so I couldn’t do anything about it.” Dreamcatcher’s dirty grin made it clear that she was being sarcastic.

Blackout was standing behind Stealth Elf and didn’t say a word yet. He was trying to use his advanced knowledge to figure out what was going on. “If you were able to see her then others can enter the nightmare prison, so she can be saved.”

The Air villain turned to the dragon and gained a curious look. “Hey, I know you.” She was staring at Blackout who kept his dead serious expression. “Weren’t you one of those creepy dragons that spread nightmares all over the realm? I hope you know by now that that’s my thing.”

“I don’t associate with that clan anymore.” Blackout remembered the Dark Stygian. It was a clan consisting of gargoyle dragons just like him who would give nightmares to villains until they started to abuse that power. “I stopped them just like we stopped you, but there’s another force out there.”

“So, you’re saying it wasn’t her?” Stealth Elf’s eyes went from Dreamcatcher to Blackout.

“No, I keep watch over her at night. She can manipulate dreams to an extent, but not this drastically and not to the point where it gets dangerous.” Blackout kept eye contact with the accused.

“You’re stalking me? Ugh, creep!” Dreamcatcher scoffed at the two Skylanders once more before turning around. “But he’s right, I have nothing to do with this.”

Blackout didn’t ask any further questions and left while Stealth Elf spitefully stared at the back of Dreamcatcher before going as well.

Meanwhile Smolderdash went to get some advice elsewhere. She entered the Magic Realm where she stumbled upon Déjà Vu who was happy to help. The two made it to one of the highest magical towers in which many Skylanders of the respective element reside in. They were looking for someone.

“Are you sure she’s here?” Smolderdash floated across a long wine-red carpet along the blue stone floor leading inside.

“It’s where she spends most of her time as far as I know.” Déjà Vu turned her head left and right to observe countless shelves filled with books, potions and other ancient relics.

The inside of the building was much bigger than the slim exterior led to believe. The two Skylanders turned and pushed many objects aside in search of a specific one. “Hello?” Smolderdash finally exclaimed, hearing an echo throughout the giant circular room.

Déjà Vu was searching on the other side. After some brief scans of every corner, she finally spotted something. “Smolderdash, look!”

The fiery humanoid hurried to the timelord, who was staring at a pink bottle with cyan, oval-shaped jewels on the side and a diamond cork on top. “That’s it!”

Neither of them knew how to approach the relic. Finally, Smolderdash decided to just grab the bottle before shaking it. When nothing happened, she placed her other hand onto it and gently rubbed. The bottle reacted by trembling, which caused the Fire Skylander to drop it and back off. Finally, the cork flew off and the bottle emitted a dazzling cloud of purple smoke. A slim figure emerged out of it and grew larger with every passing moment, casting an enormous shadow on the Skylanders looking up in awe.

The being reached the point where it was so big that it hit the ceiling. After a painful hiss, it proceeded to shrink instead and adjusted itself to a size more suitable for the room. When the smoke ceased, the giant Ninjini finally appeared in front of the visitors. “Who has summoned the great Ninjini… oh it’s just you.”

Déjà Vu’s eyes curved underneath her mask, indicating a smile, while Smolderdash remained rather baffled. “Ninjini, we’ve been looking everywhere for you!” The fellow Magic Skylander was excited to get a chance to talk to one of the most skilled Skylanders of all time.

“Sorry about that, I just discovered a new spell which can warp reality, so I had to retreat into my bottle to concentrate.” Ninjini, and genies in general, were known for their great amount of power. They can grant almost any wish and thus hold the power of infinite creation. “How can I help you?”

“There was an incident last night.” Smolderdash wasn’t sure how to best describe the situation, but she just needed to know if Ninjini was more knowledgeable regarding the issue. “Tuff Luck was put in some kind of trance, they were talking about dream magic. Her eyes were completely light blue and foggy.”

“Dream magic?” Ninjini knew a good deal about that. “Genie magic does have a lot in common with that, only that there’s an entirely different realm for dreams.”

“Do you know any way to manipulate it?” Déjà Vu was curious. “I would use my time powers, but that would most likely lead to way more problems.”

“You shouldn’t do that, you’re right.” Ninjini pointed her finger at the sorceress while looking into another direction. “I wish I could help you, but unfortunately I can’t access any sort of dream magic. While wishes often stem from dreams, ultimately they are what someone wants in reality. Dreams are far more… unpredictable.”

“I understand.” Smolderdash wasn’t disappointed, but she did wonder what else she could do. “If it turns out that it wasn’t Dreamcatcher then there must be someone else with the power to manipulate dreams.”

“And create nightmares.” Déjà Vu reminded her companion of the dark side to that special kind of magic.

“Right…” The Fire Skylander looked up to Ninjini and nodded with a smile. “Thanks for your time.”

“Always. I will let you know if I find out anything else.” The giantess turned around to pick out some more books for her private studying session while the two Skylanders made their way back to the Academy.

The sun has set and there were no clear answers as to what happened with the unfortunate Tuff Luck. The Skylanders gathered once more to discuss another strategy.

“We have no idea what happened, and our main suspect seems to be innocent.” Stealth Elf spoke to the group in front of her, not realizing how glum she sounded. “I suppose we will have to take other measures.”

“Like what? I don’t think the perpetrator will just show up and tell us.” Spitfire joined the discussion after seeing what had happened and wanted to find a solution. “All we can do is hope for Tuff Luck to snap out of it and tell us herself.”

“She’s not snapping out of it, not that easily.” Blackout’s deep voice traveled through the crowd like a wave. “If even Ninjini can’t reverse it, then we have to catch the enemy and force them to do it.”

“Or perhaps…” Smolderdash announced an idea that just popped into her head, drawing all the attention towards her. “Kaos has something to do with this.”

“Kaos never did something like this, I doubt he even could.” Stealth Elf didn’t even consider the small tyrant despite him posing a serious threat numerous times. “I can’t stop thinking that this has something to do with Hex.”

“Hex’ powers were all absorbed and stored safely where no one can find them.” Spitfire had to remind the elf of what happened a week ago. “And besides, her magic is undead, so dark and scary. Not exactly dream magic if you ask me.”

“Guys!” The conversation was interrupted by Whirlwind soaring towards them with a worried manner. “It happened again!”

The Skylanders followed the hybrid to the inside of the library where Gearshift was on the floor with the same cloudy eyes as Tuff Luck. She was all alone, and no one was even nearby, so there were no witnesses.

“How could this happen?” Stealth Elf was shocked and her eyes were glued to the motionless body of the robot. “And why her of all people? Can she even dream?”

“I cannot.” Everyone jumped up in surprise when Gearshift responded. The Trap Master blinked and suddenly her eyes went back to their normal navy, silver and red colors.

Whirlwind couldn’t explain to herself what just happened. “Gearshift? How did you-”

“Break free from the trance? Magic usually does not show great effect on my systems, so in the case of a trance, hypnosis or other forms of paralyzation, I can simply reboot myself.” The robot stood back up as if nothing happened.

“Well, do you know what happened? Did you see anything?” Smolderdash didn’t fully believe that everything was completely fine, but Gearshift wasn’t one to lie.

“I did, in fact.” Everyone listened eagerly as the Tech Skylander recalled the event. “Before I fell into that trance and blacked out for approximately twelve minutes and twenty-one seconds, a cloaked figure ambushed me.”

“A cloaked figure?” Spitfire tried to think of a villain who could be capable of something like that. “Did you see their face?”

“I saw a mask inside the hood, not the face.” Gearshift described the intruder as precisely as she could. “They are using it to curse their victims. Whatever you do, do not-”

“Up so soon? Didn’t you enjoy the nightmare I made for you?” A mischievous voice echoed through the library, and everyone frantically looked around themselves.

“There!” Smolderdash pointed to the cloaked figure they’ve been looking for. He was standing on top of some wooden platforms near the ceiling.

The mysterious figure jumped down while the heroes all pulled out their weapons and were ready to strike. “You’re the one who’s doing this, aren’t you?” Stealth Elf hissed through her mask while tightly holding her daggers.

“Guilty as charged.” The voice was deep, too deep almost. It didn’t sound natural, more like a distorted recording. Everyone could tell that it was a man talking, yet they didn’t recognize him. “I should’ve known that the robot wouldn’t fall prey to my curse, what a waste.”

“Do not look into his eyes, that is what puts you under the curse!” Gearshift remarked before the figure got closer and purposely attempted to look into each pair of eyes.

The Skylanders tried to turn their eyes away, but they still managed to catch glimpses of the mask. It was a frightening twisted grimace painted in dark and cool colors. No one thought much about it until Smolderdash took a closer look, avoiding the eyes. “Wait… that’s the Mask of Power!”

Everyone stared at the Fire Skylander and then again at the mask before gasping when they realized that it truly was the powerful relic. “So, you recognize it. No wonder since you tried to steal it from me years ago!” The foe was walking around the group like a predator circling his prey, turning his head trying to get a look into their eyes.

“Who are you?” Spitfire looked down to the ground as the intruder passed him.

“You know who I am. I’ve spent eons trapped in my own kingdom, unable to fulfill my plan to rule the Skylands with my rightful powers!” The figure was now in front of the group again. He began to levitate with blue energy underneath him and towered over the Skylanders with a mighty aura. “I am the Nightmare King!”

Just before he could launch an attack through the eyes of his mask, a fireball hit him from the side and he fell to the ground. Spyro arrived alongside a few other Skylander to aid their allies. “And you won’t get the chance to do anymore damage!” The leader glared at the enemy who turned away from the heroes.

Instead of surrendering, the Nightmare King began to cackle. He swung his arm and unleashed a powerful wave of magic, throwing everyone to the ground. “You won’t defeat me. Even if you try, I will turn your greatest fears into reality. The one you will have to fight is yourself!” The villain was certain of himself and already knew his plan. “I’m not in a hurry, eventually you will all surrender to the horrors that plague your minds. No one can escape.” With those words the Nightmare King turned around and vanished in the blink of an eye.

The Skylanders looked everywhere, but he was gone. “Perfect, yet another new villain.” Spitfire sighed and waited for Spyro to come up with the next plan to take the threat down.

“I’m afraid so.” Cautiously, almost paranoid, Spyro looked behind himself to see if there was something there. “Skylanders, there’s a new villain in town and he once again wants to take over the Skylands.”

“He also carries the Mask of Power.” Smolderdash remarked.

Spyro’s eyes opened wide, but at this point nothing could surprise him anymore. “Well, then we will need to find a way to take those powers from him. We all know what a single fragment of the mask was capable of, I don’t want to find out what the whole thing can do.”

As Spyro discussed the plan, Gearshift noticed that something wasn’t right. She blinked and her eyes suddenly shifted back to the nightmare state. Inside her mind, or rather system, she saw something familiar, then she heard a deep scream. She couldn’t make out what it was and before she got the opportunity to look closer, she was back in the real world. The robot didn’t think much of it and continued to listen like nothing happened.

In the meantime, at Cloudcracker Prison all the villains were in their cells and supposed to be asleep. Obviously almost none of them were, but they were all quiet so they wouldn’t receive a warning from the guards. Snap Shot and Wolfgang were no exception. After asking the Trap Masters time and time again they were finally allowed to get cells next to each other. Now they could chat as much as they wanted, despite a crystal wall being in between them.

“Did Dream tell you that she was interrogated today?” Wolfgang was using the bones of the chicken he had for dinner to drum against the bars of his cell as so often.

“For what?” Snap Shot was scratching the floor with his sharp gloved claws.

“Apparently a Skylander was found under some kind of dream spell.” Wolfgang did know what the mischievous head was capable of, but he also knew that her powers are very limited within prison walls. “They thought it was her. Shows how much they trust their own energy fields.”

Snap Shot smirked. “You guys did always find a way around that.” After a few seconds the reptile’s smile faded and his scratching along the floor stopped. “Wolfy?”

“Yeah?” The werewolf interrupted his drumming session since he could tell that Snap Shot was about to ask him something more serious.

“What will you do when you get out?” Snap Shot has been thinking about life outside of prison a lot lately, and he can’t help but wonder what it will look like. “We have two more years, but after that we’re free to go.”

Wolfgang was quiet. Unlike Snap Shot, he spent many years behind bars. At this point it felt more like home than any other place in Skylands. “Well, if the queen is really out of the picture, I’ll just try to get as far away from here as possible. Lay low, y’know?”

“Yeah.” That reminded Snap Shot of Wolfgang’s attempt to flee when the Skylanders found them and the other Doom Raiders on that abandoned island. Back then he would have never dared to run away, but things are different now. “I honestly have no idea. I thought I’d be with the Skylanders until I retire before settling down in some swamp and spend the rest of my days shouting at youngsters who are trespassing through my property.” Wolfgang laughed as Snap Shot paused and thought further. “But now I’m here. I have to get away once I’m out, they won’t want me around.” Snap Shot took a deep breath and exhaled with a sigh. “I can never go back.”

Wolfgang could almost feel Snap Shot’s disappointment through the wall. He knew how respected he used to be among the Skylanders. The leader of the Trap Masters with a track record of catching more criminals than anyone else, including the wolf himself several times. The crocagator told him to not feel guilty about that loss, even though it was his fault. The least he could do now is help him figure things out. “I know what that’s like, losing the life you once had and all the people in it. It’s scary at first and you’re all alone, but eventually you find something new, something that keeps you going. For me it was music and with the Doom Raiders I thought I had discovered my new purpose. Now I realize that wasn’t what I really wanted, not in that way.”

Snap Shot was listening carefully. He loved listening to his partner go on about music, he could tell how happy that made him, but he never expressed anything about his purpose before. “Then what do you want?”

“I want to be free.” Wolfgang’s lips formed a gentle smile as his mind wandered through all the possibilities once he’s out of prison. “No more tyranny and pressure from some greedy ol’ hag. I just want to get out there and share my music, even if no one enjoys it.”

Snap Shot nodded. “That sure sounds like a purpose to me.”

“And I won’t go alone.” Wolfgang added. “I’ll take a grumpy old crocagator with me and maybe, just maybe, he will get into music too.”

“In your dreams!” Both let out a heartfelt laugh before sinking back into their thoughts. “That does sound like something. Getting out there, seeing what no one’s seen before.”

Wolfgang was glad to hear some perspective from the reptile. “And you know the Skylanders; some of them won’t be able to let you go without at least saying goodbye.”

“You’re right about that.” Snap Shot’s sight moved up and out the window. Seeing the star-filled sky gave him a comforting feeling, almost like a spark of hope. “To the future.”

“To the future.” Wolfgang yawned before crawling into his small bed, which has been starting to feel comfortable after so many dreamy nights.

Snap Shot went to bed too and realized that maybe, despite the circumstances, the stay in the prison was exactly what he needed.

[mariapanpan1833]

An OuiHaw Short

I thought of a small scene between the two on a rooftop and thought of some background for it, I can’t guarantee that my writing will be any good, so if anyone wants to rewrite it your totally free to do so. This is just a quick go at writing and I haven’t drafted it and I’m probably not go to reread it and as I’m writing this I have no actually full on idea of what exactly is going on an what I’m going to say.

Ashe rolled her eyes, she couldn’t believe she agreed to this, well that was until she turned to the money looking at how much they had ranked up, “Hell of run, ya know, I could use a good sniper like you around?”

Ashe struggled in the ropes as Widow tighten them behind her, “Ugh, I don’t see how this is necessary, you got enough money.” She grimaced. Widow walked to the right of her and sat on the edge of the roof with her ankles crossed and hands in her lap, “It’s better for me and you if it looks like I captured you.”

“I think it’ll be awhile since they’ll let me out like that.” Widow said, barely showing a crack at her emotions but Ashe could since a hint of distance from her. “I gotta admit, I am pretty grateful you’re giving me some of this, but I have to ask, why do you need the money?” Ashe relaxed in the ropes, sinking back realizing that she probably wouldn’t be able to outrun Widow anyway.

“I owe someone.” Widow quickly answered, still not paying Ashe a glance.

“You? Owing someone? How does someone like you need to owe someone?” Ashe raised an eyebrow.

Widow didn’t answer, after a while she simply stood and took some of the money and put in into one of the smaller bags.

“Where is your phone?” Widow asked, kneeling in front of Ashe.

“It’s in my back pocket.” Ashe answered. Widow was slightly annoyed at where she had to reach to retrieve her phone. She walked behind her and quickly pulled the phone out her back pocket, trying to not let her wonder for it any longer.

she sat the phone down on Ashe’s lap. “Call one of your men to pick up the money.” Ashe nodded as she opened the phone, once she got a hold of the line Widow placed the phone at her ear which Ashe kept up with her shoulder and tilted her head, pressing up to the phone.

Widow let Ashe talk as she took Ashe’s share of the money and went to the end of the rooftop and dropped the money at the side of the building for the Deadlocks to eventually pick up.

Ashe got off the phone and Widow came over and helped turned off the phone before she put it into Ashe’s suite pocket earning a slight grin from Ashe as she lifted her head to look into her eyes.

Widow turned around and laid down with her hands behind her head, exhausted of the long haul they had made today. Both of the women staying silent until Ashe finally broke the ice.

“So... what would you normally be doing if today was like any other day?” She asked, Ashe wasn’t really caring about the answer she just didn’t like sitting in silence.

Widow turned to her head and then back at the sky, “Some other mission perhaps.” she answered nonchalantly.

“I meant if you weren’t working, would do you do in your free time?” Ashe leaned in, paying more attention to what Widow had to say, which Widow made a note of.

“I-...” Widow thought over the question, she didn’t have much free time, a lot of her day was spent on some mission she had been tasked with that day. “Reading a book?” She answered, not sure if that was the answer Ashe was looking for.

“Oh come on, you can’t tell me you don’t like a little fun once in a while?” Ashe leaned forward, opening more into the conversation. Widow turned to the now intrigued Ashe.

“I... wouldn’t mind it.” Widow answered, this only made Ashe more excited, she had gotten Widowmaker to hesitate with her words, it didn’t mean much to Widow but it meant a lot to Ashe knowing that she wasn’t all that stone cold.

“Tell you what, one day me and you could just have a vacation day, one day away from all of this mess, it’ll take some planning but I could get the gang to cover you.” Ashe’s eyes gleamed at Widow, she didn’t really have a female to talk to as she was the female in the Deadlocks, something she’d later would regret not taking deeper consideration in.

Widow thought over Ashe’s proposal, she could take on day off for fun, she wouldn’t say it out loud but she didn’t too much mind having Ashe to talk to today, an easier change of pace compared to Sombra’s non-stop babbling, though she didn’t mind the company, it was time for a new scenery. 

“I suppose, what did you have in mind?” Widow asked, sitting up.

Ashe smirk as she had newly found some confidence in the conversation. “You good with tea? There’s a nice tea shop in town, I wouldn’t mind showing you to.”

Widow let off a small smile, a smirk at best that was barley visible, “Why would you want to hang out with me anyway?” Widow questioned, she never was one to catch someone’s attention, not in the way she wanted, so she was a bit confused why someone like Ashe, a leader of a gang, would want to hang out with her.

“You could use some time to chill, besides, I think it’ll be fun haven’t someone else to than B.O.B and who other than to pick you?” Ashe teased gaining an sly smirk and eyebrow raised from Widow.

“You’re picking me over a robot, how flattering.” She commented sarcastically.

Ashe retracted, “No! I ain’t mean it like that, I just meant-” Widow cut her off by giving her a playing punch in the shoulder while light chuckling.

Ashe nearly went red-faced seeing Widow chuckling, something she didn’t know Widow could do, after all day not seeing her say more than one or two words for the most part.

Widow walked over and untied Ashe and helping her to her feet before nodding over to the ledge signaling for the two women to sit over there.

Widow sat down looking for Ashe to join her, “Wow, that’s, uh, one hell of a fall.” Ashe commented, Widow reached out a hand that Ashe gladly took before sitting down. “I thought you were a sniper?” 

“I am, just never been this high before, how do you do it?” Ashe turned to Widow who had her eyes placed on the city in front of them.

“I don’t have much room for fear, you know? Things like this don’t effect me like it does you.” She answered. Ashe gave a slow uncomfortable nod, scared she brought up something she shouldn’t have.

“Right, no emotions... sorry for asking, I just thought maybe the emotion part was more of an act before I meant you.” Ashe admitted, though she was a little scared this might offend the Talon trooper.

“At the end of the day... I still wish this was an act that I could switch off and on when I wanted.” Widow looked downed, staring at the ground below as Ashe had gotten a more personal view of the spider. 

“So, where are you from?” Widow oddly changed the subject. “Arizona.” Ashe quickly answered.

“You mean the hot state where people are always burning their asses off?” Widow playfully asked getting a chuckle in return from the cowgirl.

“Yeah, I remember Daddy wasn’t too keen on having me burn to death in the sun. Though he was terrible at showing it, so I always had B.O.B, someone looking out for me, when it matter most even when it was just from overheating.” Ashe somewhat joked, though Widow took to heart that last sentence.

“So why not stay? You could’ve been better off with the money you’re parents are now.” 

“Coulda been boring too, look at me! I got an empire behind me, a personally butler, got enough money to not give a damn any more, and I’m pretty sure I’m sitting next to the beautiful person I’ve seen in a while.” Widow turned to Ashe’s sudden compliment.

“But then again, it has been awhile since I’ve looked in the mirror.” Ashe added. Widow couldn’t hide the smile passed her scoff before she stood up with Ashe following behind her.

Widow picked up the rope and began wrapping it up before she could see the Talon dropship in the corner of her eye. “Hey, isn’t it-”

Ashe struggled as Widow wrapped the rope around her neck before eventually tying her up again. “But I thought you said-” Widow cut her off again, handing a a nail file before coming up behind her ear and softly whispering.

“No hard feelings?” She asked, Ashe quickly caught on nodding before asking, “You still good for tea?” Ashe whispered back.

“Oui.” Widow quickly answered.

Once the dropship got close enough, Widow kicked Ashe in the back of the knees making her fall to the ground.

The dropship came to a halt, opening its doors to allow Widow inside. 

“We had a deal, Lacroix!” Ashe shouted, playing along with Widow. Widow walked towards the dropship that Moira, Sombra, Doomfist, and Reaper and rode on.

“Plans change, Ashe.” Widow blew a kiss over her shoulder which the Talon agents hadn’t notice as they began to drag Widowmaker’s earnings onto the ship. “Ay, Dios mio, you weren’t playing around Wid.” Sombra said, walking past her and picking up a bag of loot, which she quickly realized she wasn’t in a good position to be carring something so heavy and threw the bag onto Doomfist, who carried it to the ship.

Widow walked own the ship grabbing a hold of the handle bars on the ship giving Ashe a quick wink before the aircraft took off leaving Ashe alone on the roof top.

[impracticaldemon]

The Shopping Expedition (or, A Gift for Theo) by impracticaldemon

Fandom: Ikemen Vampire Characters:  Theodorus (Theo) van Gogh, MC; also Arthur, Comte Canon Setting; Canon Characters Words: ~ 4500  [Also available on AO3 and FFnet]

A/Note:  Written for Theo’s (Cybird) birthday on May 1st. Happy Birthday Theo!  This wasn’t intended to be so long, but I had too much fun writing the Theo x MC interactions. The story assumes that MC has been there for a while already, but there isn’t yet an established romantic relationship.

~Imp

______________________

The Shopping Expedition

Cuff links? Nice, but boring. Gold tie pin? He did wear a cravat when necessary, but I wanted something distinctive. Watch chain? …I couldn’t remember what he used to tell time, although he probably did carry a pocket watch; after all, he was always in a hurry to get somewhere.  Heh—the thought put me in mind of the White Rabbit from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the image of Theodorus van Gogh wearing bunny ears and a fluffy white tail made me snicker.

It was the day before Theo’s birthday, and I was getting a little—make that a lot—stressed out over what to get him.  I mean, he had everything he needed, between what Monsieur le Comte provided and his own income.  But I’d recently realized that he had very little in the way of personal keepsakes—things he treasured for more than being useful or necessary.  I wanted to find him something special, maybe even something that would make him smile.

Theo had been rude to me from the moment we’d been introduced.  So why was I trying so hard to find him a memorable birthday present? I suppose it was the little things he did in between mocking my (alleged) naiveté and impugning my intelligence. He noticed how hard I worked, for instance, and respected me for it—even checked up on me a few times when he realized I was putting in late night prep work for the next day.  He paid attention to what I was doing, and acknowledged legitimate improvements.  Mind you, his compliments were often buried among his criticisms, but they were sincere and on-point.  And maybe it was my imagination, but there had been a lot fewer insults lately.

I left the jeweller’s—the fourth such shop I’d been in—and frowned down at the paving stones.  The sun was already low in the sky, and I’d promised not to stay out past dusk.  Paris wasn’t a safe place after dark, and a lot of areas weren’t safe at any time. Or so I’d been told, over and over again, by various residents of Chez Comte, including Master Theodorus.

“Planning to take root and grow leaves?”  Snarky comment, snarky tone, big presence.

“Good afternoon to you too, Theo, and how are you today?”

[READ MORE BELOW CUT]

I looked up—quite a ways—and saw the expected sky blue eyes and irritating smirk.  His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, as usual, which made it feel like he was looming over me.  Other shoppers detoured around him without more than a quick glance of annoyance, with the exception of one belligerent young man who called him a rude name that he automatically returned in kind.  They glowered briefly at each other, but there was nothing in it—just an ordinary exchange of ‘civilities’ in Paris of the nineteenth century.  Or any century, come to think of it.

“Seriously, though, you going in or out?”  Theo indicated the shop behind me with his chin.

“I’m fine, thanks.  It’s a nice day, and I don’t often get out to see the city.  Haven’t needed the umbrella so far.”

Eyeroll.  Sigh.  “Give it up already, would you?  Are you here with Sebas?  Little pups like you need a handler—and maybe a leash.  You might get into trouble, otherwise.”

Right.  Why was I trying to find him a birthday present again? Oh yeah, because there was a heart of at least tarnished silver in there somewhere, and… well, I preferred to not think too hard about the rest.  I gave him my best ‘the customer is always right especially when they’re not’ smile. As a travel planner and occasional tour guide for status-conscious co-patriots, I’d had a lot of practice.

“I’m out on my own today, I’m afraid.  Napoleon and Isaac gave me a lift into town, but otherwise I’m completely unsupervised. How about you?  No big brother around to remind you to play nicely with the other children?”

Sadly, I wasn’t able to get a rise out of Theo, although his smirk faded into something closer to genuine amusement.

“What happened to the polite little girl who first arrived at the mansion?  I seem to remember somebody who stuck to ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘I’m sorry’ most of the time.”

“Well, I didn’t get the best first impression of the tenants, and where I’m from, civility is often the best defense.”  I was going to add more—about lecherous writers and their syrup-swilling friends—but time was getting short, and not only did I still not have a present, but I was starting to wonder what was going on with Theo.  It was unlike him not to be twitching with impatience by this point in the conversation.  “Hey, Theo?”

“Hm?”

“Not that I don’t appreciate your company, but what’s up?”

“What do you mean?  I happened to be in town and saw you blocking traffic—thought I’d better wake you up before somebody knocked you down and stole your lunch money.”

I ignored the usual challenge to my maturity and life skills. “But now we’re both blocking traffic, and you’re always in a hurry when you’re on business.”  The image of the White Rabbit with his giant pocket watch came to mind again, and I added:  “You know—‘I’m late! I’m late!’ and all that.”

Theo frowned, apparently not catching the reference.  It occurred to me that I might be quoting the movie, rather than the book—and would Master Theodorus have bothered to read something as whimsical as Alice in Wonderland?  

“I’m never late for business appointments, hondje–what’s with you?”  Before I could reply, he went on.  “Believe it or not, you have a really terrible sense of self-preservation.  I was just trying to look out for one of God’s dumb creatures, you know?”

“Sure.”  Amazingly, the insult rolled right off me.  Maybe I was finally getting used to him, or maybe it was the dawning awareness that he was genuinely concerned and couldn’t bring himself to admit it.  “So, are you staying in town for dinner, or heading back?”

“Haven’t decided.” Theo shrugged.  “The real question is, how are you getting home?”

“A carriage?  I mean, that’s normal, isn’t it?”

“Napoleon or Isaac meeting you?”

“No, why?”  Great.  Now I had no birthday present and I was starting to feel nervous.  “I can always fend off the cabbie with my umbrella if there’s a problem, okay?  Anyway, I know this is usually your line, but I have to get going.  I still have something to pick up, and—for safety reasons—I’m not supposed to stay out after sunset.”

“…I guess I’ll go with you,” Theo grumbled.  At my look of surprise, he shoved his hands further into his pockets.  “You’re almost useful now, that��s all.  Be a waste for something to happen to you when Sebas finally has you halfway trained.”  More quietly, he added, “Still don’t know what they were thinking, letting you out on your own...”

I stared at him, torn between irritation and confusion.  After a moment, his eyes flicked away from mine.  I thought there was a hint of red in his fair cheeks, but the late afternoon sun made it hard to tell.

“Look, Theo, all joking aside, I’m not a child, and I think I can manage to take a carriage home on my own.”

“Who says I’m joking? What part of ‘Paris isn’t safe’ isn’t getting through your abnormally thick skull?  Look, you’re wearing nice clothes, and you’re obviously carrying money. Sure, you’re probably okay shopping on your own during the day, but taking a carriage out into the middle of nowhere just as it’s getting dark?  I couldn’t believe it when Arthur mentioned—” He broke off abruptly.

“What does our literary Lothario have to do with anything?” I demanded.

“Just—it doesn’t matter, okay?”  Theo was scowling, now; it was a familiar, if not especially charming expression.  “The point is, travelling home alone is asking for trouble, and you’re already trouble-prone.”

“Trouble-prone?”  

“Well, you managed to get stuck in le Comte’s door—that’s a first.  And just—ugh.  If you have something left to buy, we should get moving.  Besides, you’re still blocking traffic.”

Before I could find the words to properly express my aggravation, there was a polite cough at my elbow.  A neatly-dressed, middle-aged man had opened the door behind me, and was looking inquiringly between Theo and I.

“Madame, Monsieur… I do not wish to intrude upon a lovers’ quarrel, but perhaps you would be so kind as to find a more appropriate location?”  He bowed politely.  “You see, Monsieur is rather, ah, formidable, and it is not good for business.  I’m sure that you understand.”

Theo shot me an exasperated look, put a hand under my elbow, and dragged me away.  Since I couldn’t do anything about it without causing a scene, I went with him, calling an apology over my shoulder to the shopkeeper.

After we’d gone a short distance, I tried to yank my arm free.  I wasn’t successful, but at least it got my cranky companion to slow down. Once we’d reached a quieter spot, Theo finally let go.  We were both a little red, and this time it definitely wasn’t just the light.

“You—”

“What the—”

Theo shoved his hands back into his pockets.  I would have crossed my arms in response, but I had a bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

“Theo—”

“Hondje—”

I decided to let him go first.  It had occurred to me—as annoying as it was—that he might have a point about the wisdom of taking a hired carriage back to the mansion on my own.  There was no way to call ahead, and the stretch of road between the outskirts of the city and le Comte’s residence was uninhabited and surrounded by forest.  While I was confident that the residents of the mansion would hunt down anyone who harmed me, it made no sense to put myself in harm’s way unnecessarily.  

“Why didn’t Napoleon make arrangements for you to get home?” Theo asked at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence.  “He usually fusses over things like that.”

“I don’t know.”  I thought about the trip into town, and added, “I got the impression that he thought it was already taken care of.  He reminded me to stick to the one shopping district, but that was it.”

Theo suddenly went still, as though something had occurred to him.  Then he scowled again, but it didn’t seem to be at me, for a change.

“Who gave you the money to take a carriage back to the mansion?”

“Le Comte—well, technically I suppose it was Arthur…”  I paused, thinking it over.  “Arthur came up to me shortly before I left to tell me that le Comte had asked him to pass along the money for the trip back.  I was a bit surprised, but it didn’t occur to me to be worried about it.”

Theo muttered something in Dutch that I didn’t quite catch.  It sounded rude, but when I raised my eyebrows at him he just hunched a shoulder and growled, “Arthur, not you.”

“You think Arthur set me up?”  That made no sense.  “But why? I mean, he’s the one who told me—”

I bit off the rest of the sentence, since I’d been about to tell Theo that I’d been looking for a birthday present for him.  Arthur was the one who had recommended the particular shopping district and given me directions.  I’d reluctantly consulted him about possible gifts for Theo, since they appeared to be friends.  I would have preferred to ask our resident angel—Theo’s brother Vincent—but he’d been working non-stop on a painting for the past several days.

“Let me guess.”  Theo had stopped scowling, although he didn’t look happy, either.  “Somebody—probably Arthur, since Vincent’s been painting—told you about my birthday, right?  And you got it in your head that you should get me something, because you would.  Then Arthur suggested where to shop—he knows I like a lot of the artisans in this district.  Sound about right?”

“…Maybe.  But you still haven’t explained what you are doing here.”

“I told you—I had to be in town anyway, and somebody had to look out for the ignorant puppy.”

“I really wish you’d stop it with the pet references.  How did you know I’d gone into town and was coming back on my own?”

“Arthur.”  Theo grimaced. “We were chatting in the front hall, and he mentioned that he was concerned, because he overheard that the coachman wasn’t returning to town for you.  When I said you were probably coming back with Napoleon or Isaac, he made a big show of remembering that Napoleon and Isaac were staying in town late tonight. Bastard.”

I continued to stare at Theo, as the bits and pieces started to click.  It was beginning to sound as though Theo had rushed into town entirely for my sake—so that I wouldn’t have to travel home alone.  Even stranger, Arthur had been able to wind him up with a pretty suspicious story—maybe because my safety was at stake? Normally, Theo was as sceptical as they came.  …Not that I was feeling warm and fuzzy just because Theo had panicked over me or anything.

“What are you grinning about, hondje?”  The glower was back, probably because Theo hated looking like he actually cared about anyone other than Vincent.

“Nothing.”  For some reason, I couldn’t get the smile off my face.

“Just remember that if you had half a brain, and weren’t so reckless, you’d cause a lot less trouble.”

“Right—because it’s my fault that Arthur set me up just so he could mess with you.”

Theo didn’t respond; he seemed to be deep in thought.  Then he hastily pulled out a pocket watch and muttered, “Damn, I really am late, now.”

I stifled a giggle, as the image of Theo the White Rabbit came to mind once more.  “Hey, Theo?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry if you ended up missing something because you were looking out for me.”

He looked startled, then replaced the watch in his pocket and turned away, running a hand through his bright copper-brown hair.  “It wasn’t a big deal.  Otherwise you’d be on your own.”

“I still appreciate it—thank you.”

“Well… just remember that you owe me one.”  He still wouldn’t meet my eyes.  “You still had somewhere you needed to go?”

“Yeah.  Do you mind if I go into that bookstore?”  I pointed across the street.  I was pretty sure I’d been there once before with Sebastian, who was picking up an order for Leonardo.

“Whatever you want is probably in the library at the mansion, you realize.”  Despite his words, Theo immediately set out towards the store.  I hurried after him, unable to repress the thought that it was a lot more comfortable being in nineteenth century Paris with somebody—especially if he happened to be moderately intelligent and good-looking.  Having a glare that parted crowds like Moses parting the Red Sea was a bonus.

I was fortunate enough to find what I wanted, and quick enough that even Theo couldn’t find fault with me for wasting his time.  When I rejoined him outside the store, he was idly flipping through an art book, criticizing the publisher’s choice of paintings.  I could tell that his heart wasn’t really in it, though.

“So, I guess we should get home then?” I asked.

“Yeah, let’s go.  I’d suggest eating out, but Sebas is probably waiting for you, right?”

To my surprise, he held out an imperative hand for my bag, which now contained a neatly-wrapped two-volume set along with the bits and pieces I’d picked up earlier.  For some reason, I didn’t try to refuse, even though the bag wasn’t especially heavy.

“Thanks…”

“Sure.”  He offered his elbow, and rolled his eyes when I stared at it blankly.  “Take my arm, would you?  Last thing I need is for you to trip and twist an ankle now that the light’s going. And stop looking so surprised—makes you look even more out of it than usual.”

“Uh-huh.  Have you ever considered not adding the insults? I hear it can do wonders for people’s opinion of you.”

He looked down at me, smirking.  “Why would I care what people think?”

“You care what Vincent thinks.”

“He’s my older brother, and an artistic genius.  He’s allowed to have opinions.”

“Right…”

We were walking steadily toward the nearest area that was likely to have coaches for hire that would travel beyond the city limits.  I hated to admit it, even to myself, but it was nice to have an arm to lean on, especially since my feet had been sore for a quite while thanks to the uneven cobbles and hard paving stones.  I’d done more walking than I’d anticipated, and late Victorian fashions in ladies’ footwear were elegant, but not especially comfortable.

“Oi, hondje! Don’t fall asleep until we’re actually in the coach, okay?  Or are you hoping I’ll carry you?”

I stifled a yawn, and realized that Theo had a point—about falling asleep on my feet, not about wanting to be carried.  Because I didn’t.  Why would I?

“Oh jeez…  Come on, we’re here now—up you go.”

I let him help me into the carriage, and settled myself decorously on the forward-facing seat. Theo joined me a moment later, having spoken to the driver.  He sat down beside me, and stretched his long legs out in front of him as much as space allowed.  

“Go ahead and nap if you want,” he told me, pulling out a notebook and pencil.  “Maybe I can get some work done if you’re not babbling at me.”

“I don’t babble.”  At least, that’s what I tried to say.  A yawn got in the way, and Theo snorted.  I narrowly resisted the urge to stick out my tongue at him.  Too bad I really was feeling sleepy, though.

We reached the mansion very shortly after that, from my perspective.  I didn’t remember much from the trip itself, which was just as well—or so I told myself.  For one thing, when I woke up, I was leaning on Theo’s chest, and his arm was around me. Moreover, he’d obviously taken off my hat for me, which was just as well, since otherwise I’d have been skewered by the ten-centimeter-long hatpins.  I felt stupidly pleased about that, as well as comfortable tucked up against him, which was embarrassing.  Best not to remember how it had come about.

Theo’s face was scrupulously neutral when I sat up just as we were reaching the mansion.  He just… totally ignored whatever had happened. Not that anything had happened, but still.  I jammed my hat back onto my head, and tried not to yelp when I poked myself with a hatpin. Theo snickered.

“It’s on backward.  Might as well leave it off—you’ll look a little less untidy that way.  Though I guess at least it covers up your hair…”

I wanted to try for icy disdain, but instead I found myself missing his warmth beside me.  Apparently, he noticed something in my expression. His finger lightly brushed my cheek, which suddenly felt very warm indeed.

“You shouldn’t look at me like that, hondje,” he muttered, only partly to me.

“Wh-why not?”  This time, I tried for aloof.  What came out was anything but.

“Well… you look like you wouldn’t mind being kissed, and it is almost my birthday.”

“You’ve been spending way too much time with Arthur!”  Why was I leaning toward him, instead of grabbing my things and hurrying out of the carriage?

“That must be it.”

The touch of his lips on mine was electric.  Okay, what was going on?  I mean—really?

There was a respectful knock on the carriage door, and Theo’s fingers dropped from my cheek.  He grinned at me, but I couldn’t read the emotion behind it.

“Look on the bright side. The driver was bound to think we’d been up to something, since your hair’s such a mess.  At least this way you’ve gotten some benefit out of the embarrassment.”

“What?!  Theo!”

Of course he opened the door at that moment, and it was plain that the driver thought exactly what Theo had predicted he would think.  Ugh!  It was mortifying, but at least the man was a stranger, and hopefully I’d never see him again.

The same couldn’t be said for Arthur, Sebastian, and le Comte, who met us as we came into the house. I’d tried to tidy my hair and replace my hat while Theo paid off the driver, but the expressions on the three men’s faces when they took in my appearance suggested I hadn’t done a very good job.  I came to the conclusion that I’d have to kill Arthur, just to avoid ever seeing the smug, self-satisfied look ever again.  At least le Comte was back to his normal, pleasant self after a bare instant; Sebastian raised his eyebrows at me suggestively—naturally, I ignored him.

Unlike me, Theo was completely self-possessed.  He handed me my bag with a casual, “Try not to drop it, after all that.”  Then he nodded to le Comte and Sebastian, and dropped a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.  I thought I saw Arthur wince, but if so, any pain wasn’t enough to offset his amusement. He winked at me as Theo marched him out of the front hall towards the games room.

“Are you alright, chérie?” Le Comte appeared to be genuinely concerned, so I reassured him that I was fine.

“You’re late getting back,” murmured Sebastian.  “You’ll have to tell me all about it while we work on dinner.”

“Or not,” I murmured right back at him.  I bowed to le Comte.  “Monsieur le Comte—here is the money that Arthur gave me, from you, to pay for the journey back from town.  As it turned out, I didn’t need it.”

“From me?  No… it’s not mine.  But why don’t you keep it, since it appears that Arthur’s been up to mischief again?  The least he can do is help to pay for your parcels.”

When I tried to protest, le Comte smiled gently at me.  I accepted my defeat graciously—after all, there was some merit to his argument.  After a few more pleasantries—which helped to soothe my ruffled feathers, I admit—I went upstairs to change and put away my things. Le Comte accompanied me to the second floor, and detained me briefly outside my door.

“Did you find what you were looking for?  I gather you were trying to find a gift for Theodorus.”

“Oh…”  I hesitated, then nodded.  “Yes, I did eventually choose something, thank you Comte.  It came to me when I was looking at watch guards—I thought maybe a sturdy but elegant gold chain would suit Theo, you see.”

“That makes sense. But I take it that you didn’t get the chain?”

“No…  I wanted something more unusual.”  I decided to confide in le Comte—he struck me as good at keeping secrets, and once I told somebody, I was less likely to chicken out. I reached into my bag, and pulled out the wrapped parcel.  “Open it, and tell me what you think—if you don’t mind.  I’m sure it’s completely the opposite of what Theo would ordinarily read, but that’s why I got it.”

“I’m intrigued, ma petite. But if you mean that you chose something other than a technical work, or an art book, then I congratulate you.  It’s perceptive of you to realize that he could use something to shake him out of his tendency toward ‘all work and no play’—other than drinking with Arthur, that is.”

“Well, to be honest, that was only part of it.”  I made sure that le Comte followed me into my room, since with my luck, Theo would come up at exactly the wrong moment if we stayed in the upper hallway.

“Now I’m even more curious.” Le Comte deftly untied the string that secured the parcel, and folded back the brown wrapping paper to reveal two illustrated books.  “’Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’… and ‘Through the Looking Glass’.”  He looked up at me, and I let out a sigh of relief when I saw the approval in his warm golden eyes.  “I wonder what our ever-practical Theo will make of these?  An excellent choice, chérie.  And no doubt you feel a certain kinship with Mademoiselle Alice? Although I think you chose a more dangerous world to fall into, as it were.”

I returned his smile and shrugged.  “Maybe. I’ve had a number of frightening experiences here, I’ll admit, but I’m not sure that Wonderland sounds all that pleasant.  At least nobody here has threatened to cut off my head for refusing to play croquet using live flamingos.”  When le Comte laughed softly, I added, “But you’re right that I do feel a bit like Alice at times.”

Le Comte flipped idly through the first book, admiring the illustrations.  Naturally, I’d made sure the artwork wouldn’t attract outright derision from the birthday boy.

“Tell me, chérie, what was your other reason for purchasing these books?  I thought it was because of Alice, and your situation here, but I gather that’s not it.”

“Oh—yes, you’re right.” I took the book from le Comte and flipped back several pages to one of the first illustrations, which showed a well-dressed rabbit with a large pocket watch and an air of panic about him.  Underneath, the caption read: ‘Oh dear, oh dear.  I shall be too late.’

Le Comte stared at the White Rabbit for several seconds without comment, and I began to feel anxious again.  Any resemblance to a certain hyper-busy art dealer was apparently all in my head…  Then the polished, ever-courteous, impeccably-dressed man beside me snickered audibly.

“Comte?”

He closed the book, leaving it between my hands, and bowed politely.  “I wish you all the best, ‘Alice’.  If you can get Theo to slow down and enjoy himself, even a little, you will have done him a true service.”

I nodded, but didn’t know what to say.  Who was I to tell Theo to slow down, if he was doing what he wanted to do?  We had a tenuous connection at best, although the afternoon’s events had suggested something more.  Was there more?  Did I want there to be?  What could I—or should I—read into that barely-there kiss?

When Sebastian arrived at my room twenty minutes later, sounding half-concerned and half-annoyed, I still hadn’t moved, and I still didn’t know the answers to any of my questions. The only thing I knew for sure was that I clearly had Theo on the brain.  I apologized to Sebastian, put ‘Alice’ into a drawer to wrap later, and finally got changed. It was time to concentrate on the job at hand, and not Theo’s unusually protective behaviour, or a stray kiss.

[END]

_______________________

A/Note:  Were you amused? Entertained? Please let me know what you thought!  Feedback is an author’s bread and butter when it comes to fanfiction. ♥ There may or may not be a sequel, depending on my time, other writing commitments, and reader interest.  For now, this story is published under my one-shot collection “Teatime Tales from the Mansion”

[cuthie]

Omru: Stuff

  The Vol’dun sun was baking the sand beneath Omru’s paws, not a cloud in the sky to grant even a sliver of reprieve. Sand, sun and danger were the three most common elements of home, so far as Om was concerned. Not that anyone ever truly became immune to their effects, regardless of how ‘used to it’ they were. Chewing on his nails, the little fox boy trotted his way through the dunes, his free hand reaching reflexively for a knapsack that wasn’t there. Those slithering scaley bois better not have taken off with his goods. He had weapons, clothes, knick knacks, trinkets and all kinds of cool stuff in his pack when he had been abducted.  Exhaling through his nose, Omru’s bright orange eyes flickered towards Pazaz. Om was used to the heat, but even the trolls of Zandalar tend to sweat buckets out here. How was the green guy in the blue hoodie not sweltering at this point?

“Does your kind sweat?”

The goblin turned to look at Omru over his shoulder, not bothering to stop walking, “Yeah, of course. Just like yous guys, we sweat through our fuggin tongues.”

“Oh. Wait, what? Through your tongues? I don’t get it.”

  The cackle that came in response sounded almost mean to Omru’s ears. It wasn’t, in intention, it was just.. A wicked laugh. He wasn’t sure if that was something unique to Paz or their species in general. “Yo, just yankin yin’s chain kid. Lil dog humor, s’all. Nah, we sweat. Hell, back home my folks is mostly made’a sweat. Sweat an motor oil. Nasty lil boogers, most of’em. They don’t clean up so good like you an me.”

“Oh. Just used to extreme temperatures, then?”

  Paz shook his head, turning his attention forward again, “Nah. Told ya, elementals friendo. My babe, Luft, is a formless elemental. Best friend I eva made. She’s keepin’ me cool. Like my own private A.C.”

“What’s an A.C.?”

“Air conditionomatic machine. Makes hot places mo’ cooler. Goblin invention, don’t let tha gnomes tell ya otherwise.”

“Gnomes?”

“Short little nosy brats who get punted out of bars for bein’ dung beetles. They build stuff that’s second rate. The Alliance engineers, kindy like what us Bilgewater is for Horde.”

“Bilgewater?”

  “Oh my wow. You really just don’t know nothin’, do yous? Bilgewater Cartel. Like one big dysfunctional family what steals from one another and is always stabbin someones in the back. Tha only goblins what joined the Horde. Plenny’a cartels out there. Mo money in remainin neutral in this war.”

“You were talking about that earlier. Your Horde is fighting the Alliance. Burned down their homes and killed their children in a fire, right?”

  It was Paz’s turn to sigh, “Yeah. It’s complicated. Horde and Alliance has been at war since forever. But we got ourselves a real asshole for a warchief. Like, she’s downright evil. Trust me, you don’t want nothin’ to do with her. Keep ya head down til this is all over.”

“If you’re so against it, why not leave?”

“Ain’t so simple. All my friends and family is Horde. Whether they’re innocent or not, Alliance gonna be out for blood, kennit? I don’t wanna hurt nobody what don’t need they’s asses kicked, but I can’t just shove my hands in my pockets and read about my friends deaths in the Obits, ya know?”

“What’s an obits?”

  Paz pivoted on his heels to turn around atop a swollen mass of sand, “This is the problem with hermits. You may as well be a fuggin Pandy. No, at least they was social. Had cities and stuff. Kid, ya gotta million questions, but even if we talk all week, ya ain’t gonna get edjamicated. Ya know? If ya really -really- wanna know about the world, ya gotta get out of Azeroth’s largest sand trap. We gotta expression where I live, it’s called, ‘Where ya been, livin under a rock.’ And for you folks, that’s literal!”

  Omru folded his hands behind his head, daring to look up at the sky as the smallest of baby clouds came out of nowhere to dip beneath the sun. Woo, that’s a good luck sign. “They’re called burrows and they’re comfy. Buut, I can’t lie. Your way of life sounds way more interesting. Why don’t you take me with you?”

  Paz shrugged his shoulders, “I mean, iffens ya want, sure. I could use the company. I gotta list of errands to run, but I can always pick ya up. Besides, yous people helped the Horde out, Horde helped you out, we made fast friends. Could prolly put you on a boat.”

“You know, it’s not exactly uncommon to hear of a vulpera who abandoned the sands for a life at sea.”

  Paz grinned, “Yeah, I know. I been to Tiragarde. Anyways, check it out, we’re five minutes from where I found yous.”

  As the goblin pointed ahead towards the mountain ridge, Omru’s gut knotted up. How long had he been enslaved? A few months, for sure. Maybe longer. Slavery wasn’t just a Setharak thing. Humans did a lot of it, Trolls even more so. As they traveled closer and closer to the slave mine, Omru went over it again for perhaps the hundredth time. He had been looking to scavenge at a small stone building, could have been the beginnings of a small temple. The sands had a way of hiding and then uncovering all kinds of lost architectures. One minute he had been eating a popkin, a sandwich of sorts, the next he had been fighting against half a dozen snakeholes. They had stripped him of all his gear and brought him here, to the mines.

  A pair of shadows crossed the sky, but as Omru looked up, there was nothing there. Whatever it was had moved fast. Or maybe this place was just putting him on edge and he was seeing things. Only thing up there was that little baby cloud.

“How’s the clothes fit, by the by?”

  Omru grinned as Paz looked back at him again. “Little loose, but I tied it all down well enough. I’ve worn baggier. Just lucky you rescued me and not some hulking Tortollan. Though, their kind only help people in exchange for stories. Not that they’re jerks or anything, they’re just ancient and nosy.”

“Everyone’s nosy, kid. Just the way of the world. You uh.. Gonna be okay in here? I could poke around for yins, if ya.. Ya know. Can’t do it.”

Omru bit at his nails again, snipping just the tiniest chip off his index fingernail and spitting it out onto a hardened tan rock. “Thanks, man. I’ll be alright.”

Paz nodded, then lit up a torch and stepped inside.

  Omru had spent three nights recuperating with Paz. He had been reduced to fur and bones by the time the goblin had saved him, but the rejuvenation magicks from the water totem had been no joke. Over that time, the two had shared plenty of tales, including Om’s capture. How he had been working the mines here with a dozen other vulpera. How he had rebelled time and time again, perhaps once a month for half a year or so? He managed to kill one of the guards on his last attempt. Then, as he had finally found his necklace and put it on, everything had went black. He had woken up in chains, stretched out and unable to activate the wooden totem.  If they were smart, they would have killed him, especially considering the magic he had used against their sorcerers back at the maybe-a-temple. However, when push came to shove, their magick was simply stronger than his had been. Bunch of dicks.

--

“Is you sure at’s all yours? Seems like a lot, s’all I’m sayin’.”

  Omru patted himself down, smoothing out the leather armor, adjusting his belt, feeling his pouches, his weapon hilts and the heft of his knapsack. He had found everything in just a few short hours. In a sing song voice, he piped up, “Got my grappling hook, check. Got my swords, my daggers. Got that acidic bug juice, got a naked troll woman carving. Never know when ya might need to bribe a perv. Got a few books that I know the Tortollan will wanna barter for. I gotta pistol that fires golden bullets.”

“Wait, golden bullets? Where did ya get that?”

“Humans down south. They’re mining down there and making really interesting weapons.”

“Ugh, Ashvane. Sorry, keep goin, I know ya proud and whatnot. Just, do me a favor and walk n talk, kay?”

  The two continued out the mines as Omru listed two or three dozen more items, “And this shovel has a shorter handle than most. Somehow that makes it easier to dig holes? I can’t remember the whole story. Oh and these marbles make fart sounds when you smash them open. I thought it was hilarious, traded a chicken for them. Don’t ask me where I found the chicken. A real desert delicacy. Oh and I got this--”

  On and on he blabbed. Stuff he had. Stuff he used to have. Stuff he wanted. Stuff he heard of. Stuff he saw one time. Stuff he dreamt up that didn’t exist yet. Each item held his curious eye at one time or another. Clearly there was an emotional attachment to his ‘stuff’, and by having found it all, his spirits had been lifted incredibly high. From the mines all the way back to their little hidey hole hours away he chatted about his things, his friends, his family. Where he found the totem necklace, what he had actually been -looking- for when he went scavenging that day.

  As the sun was going down and Paz was starting up a small fire in their home away from home, he couldn’t help but grin at the kid. The boy loved his stuff. It was more than garbage, more than things. They were memories. It probably made nomadic life in the desert a little less lonely.  “Yo, Ommie. I did ya another solid, helpin you find ya things today. Tomorrow, you take me to Keyi, okie?”

  Om plugged a thumb’s up, paired with a wink, “You got it, dude.”

[lemongrassandtea]

VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT EXCHANGE!!!

For @sosoauthor ! Enjoy!!! 

I throw my house keys onto the couch as I walk into the living room of my apartment. “Hey, TJ,” my mom says from the kitchen. “Hey,” I reply, walking into my bedroom without looking up and dropping my backpack onto a pile of clothes. I jump on my bed and sigh, glad to finally rest after a day full of physical work and emotional stress. I still have a new math unit to worry about and a basketball practice which practically broke my back. I get up, rub my tired eyes, and rummage through my backpack for my math folder. I pull out my notes, sketching a right triangle so I can label and memorize the trigonometric ratios. This is the hardest math lesson yet, and it’s draining all my energy. I wish I could just sleep, but I have to start my homework early or I won’t finish it in time. Not that I could sleep anyway. Insomnia has been eating up my sleep schedule recently. In about an two hours, I’m just starting to get into the flow of the math homework and figuring out the problems without checking my notes. ️

I’m almost done when I hear the door open. Chelsea. My mom’s girlfriend. “Hey, Ty, could you take out the trash and feed the cats?” I hear my mom call from the kitchen. Ugh. Even though there’s not that much stuff to do, the few chores I have every night interrupt the flow of math homework enough to make it about an hour longer to finish. 

“Yes ma’am,” I say, closing my folder and getting up to start the nightly ordeal of chores and endless homework. An hour later, as I’m just starting up my homework again, I hear a buzz from across the room. ️

I walk over to my desk and pick up my phone. It’s Cyrus. Pick up, you idiot I think. I hesitate. I want to talk to Cyrus, but I won’t have the time to finish my homework if I take a call with him. It goes to voicemail. After I hesitate for a second, I put my phone face down on the desk. It hurts me inside to ignore Cyrus like that, but I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve always been a jerk, putting myself and my needs before others’, it was just a matter of time before I stopped trying to fool myself and started being classic, cold-hearted TJ again. 

* * * 

The next day I show up to school a little groggy. My cats, Macaroni and Cheese, found really weird places to take a shit, and I spent thirty extra minutes looking for where that bad smell was coming from. “Hey Teej, you ok?” Cyrus asks when he finds me by my locker.

“Yeah, just a slow morning. I woke up a little late and I almost missed the bus,” I reply, smiling softly through the tiredness.

“That stinks. Maybe a baby tater date at the Spoon would make you feel better?” A date? Cyrus must’ve seen my surprise. “But not like a date date. An outing, y’know?”

“Yeah, yeah,” I reply, smiling tiredly through my disappointment. Why would I ever think someone like Cyrus would want to go out with me? “So, you wanna hang out with me and the rest of the GHC until class starts?” Cyrus asks, smiling a sweet and inviting smile. He seems so innocent and pure. I have no place being such a bad friend to him....

 “Actually, I’ll catch you later,” I mumble, collecting my books and walking away.

“TJ?” Cyrus asks, sounding confused. He catches up to me and puts his hand on my shoulder and turns me around to face him. “Is everything ok?” I smile as genuinely as I can and take Cyrus’s hand off my shoulder. 

“I’ll be fine.” As I walk to my first class, I can’t help but feel guilty for my lie.

* * * 

After school Cyrus finds me at my locker. His immediate concern is apparent. “Are you ok, Teej?” I nod silently and smile. “Ok cool. I was worried something happened last night. You didn’t answer my call, and then this morning I couldn’t find you.” Oh. Right. TJ Kippen, being a heartless jerk as always. 

“Yeah, sorry about that.” I quickly grab my stuff out of my locker and walk away. 

“TJ, wait!” I walk faster to keep Cyrus from catching up to me. I shove the doors open and stomp out of the school. I have to go. In a little while, I come up to the park where Cyrus and I first had a real conversation. Here is where the first fond memory of the loving, caring guy I have as a friend now was made. Where I knew, even if he was my sweet little muffin, I was nothing more than a “scary basketball guy” to him. I sit down on the swing and look around at the somber winter sky, the sun already starting to set at 5:00 in the afternoon. I look at my shoes dejectedly. I’ll never be the kind of friend Cyrus needs me to be. I’ve put him in danger. I ignore him just so I can do my stupid homework. I leave him, out of the blue, just so I can sulk alone and— 

“TJ?” I whip my head around to see none other than Cyrus. “OK if I stay?” he asks. I smile half-heartedly. Cyrus sits down on the swing to the left of me.️

“Are you okay?” I stare at the ground and don’t answer. “...Have you been ignoring me?” I nod silently, still a stone-cold expression on my face. “Why?” 

I kick some wood chips on the ground around with the tip of my shoe. After a few unsettlingly silent seconds, I look up at Cyrus, who’s staring at me with pure, real concern. With the sad and caring look in his eyes, I break. “I’m sorry,” I tell him, my voice cracking. 

“Hey, it’s ok—“ 

“No, it’s not,” I interrupt him. “I’m selfish, and mean, and I put you in danger, and I keep ignoring you for no reason and I—“ 

“TJ.” Cyrus looks into my eyes with a warm, forgiving smile. “You’re fine. Do you want to talk about it? Because I know something’s going on.” I sigh a shaky breath through my unshed tears and begin. 

“Every night, when I get home,” I take a sharp breath and collect myself. “It takes me a while to do my homework. Mostly math. For hours. And as much as I want to talk to you... I just don’t have the time. Actually, I just don’t think I’ll have the time so I chicken out and end up ignoring you and—“ 

“That’s ok, TJ. Is there anything I can do to help?” Cyrus is closer now, his brown eyes filled with concern and his hand on my shoulder. “It’s not ok, Cyrus. It’s no excuse to ignore your calls and texts. I’m just a pathetic jerk who can’t even be nice to his friends.” 

“Why are you beating yourself up about this?” 

“Because I care about you, Cyrus! You’re sweet, and kind, and perfect, and I don’t want to mess that up. I’m afraid that me being mean will affect you somehow, or all my dumb problems are gonna stress you out.” Both of Cyrus’s hands are on my shoulders now, and he pulls me in for a tight hug. The swings are too far apart, though, and we end up falling to the ground into some wood chips. I laugh along with Cyrus, and I didn’t realize I was crying until he reached up and wiped a tear from my cheek.

“You’re ok, TJ. Better than ok. You’re one of my best friends, and nothing can change that.” Cyrus pulls me in for another hug and I readily accepted snuggling into his warm shirt. “Hey, how about tonight you come over to my house? If your mom’s ok with it. Then we could study together and you’d be able to finish your homework.” 

I dial my mom’s number and hit call. “Hey, Ty, what do you need?” she answers. I look up at Cyrus, skeptical that this would work. “Um, I just wanted to know if I could stay at someone’s house for a sleepover. Just tonight.” 

There was a long pause from the other line. She sighed. “Ok, but just for tonight. And give me a heads up next time you want to have a sleepover or it’s a no.”

 “OK OK THANK YOU LOVE YOU BYE,” I tell her smiling to my ears. “She said ok!” I tell Cyrus, and his eyes lit up as he hugged me close. This is going to be an awesome night.

 * * *

Later, after studying successfully for hours, Cyrus puts down the book we were reading together and looks up at me with his chocolate brown eyes. “You wanna watch a movie and go to bed? It’s late.” 

“Sure,” I answer, my heartbeat speeding up as he grabs my hand and brings me across the room to his beanbag. I sit down and he hands me a fuzzy blanket and starts logging into his laptop on the desk in front of me. He signs into Netflix and looks at me. 

“Uh... are you ok with a cheesy movie? I promise it’s good, just, I don’t know what you like and almost everyone likes this movie...” 

“Yeah, of course. Whatever you wanna watch, Underdog,” I reply, smiling up at Cyrus and mildly overwhelmed with his hospitality. 

“Ok,” he says and starts to walk out of his room. “I’m gonna go change into some more comfortable clothes and make some popcorn. Help yourself to a blanket.” 

“Wait, you don’t have to get me anything, Cy,” I tell him. 

“No, it’s ok,” he replies quickly, smiling warmly and leaving the room before I can respond. On Cyrus’ laptop screen, a light opening plays over a clip of a lush field. The screen reads A Netflix Original as the opening for To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before plays. When Cyrus returns with a bowl of popcorn, I’m already entranced in the movie. He flicks off the lights and his computer and the fairy lights decorating his room are the only thing illuminating the space. He hands me the bowl of popcorn and sits down in the floor next to the beanbag, his eyes locked on the screen. “Cy,” I say softly. “You don’t have to sit on the floor.” He glances at the beanbag for a second and then looks back at me. 

“No, it’s ok.” 

“No, you’ve been so hospitable and sweet. Here.” I scoot to the side of the beanbag and shift the blanket over so he can have some if he wants it. I look into his chocolate brown eyes and smile, offering the space next to me. Cyrus slowly gets up and sits next to me, tense at first, but slowly relaxing into the beanbag and leaning back into the wall. As the movie continues I can feel him unknowingly scooting closer to me. About twenty minutes into the movie he gives up trying to hide it and cuddles into my hoodie. After a second of not knowing what to do, I decide to wrap my arm around him and pull him closer. 

But he pulls away. 

He leans forward and pauses the movie. Then he looks at me, an unreadable expression in his deep brown eyes. “What is it? Did I make you uncomfortable or something?” I ask worriedly. 

“No you’re fine.” He pauses, biting his lip nervously. What did I say? Does he hate me now? He hates me now. I freakin— “I just...” Cyrus looks up from the ground to my eyes and my heart stops. He grabs my chin and pulls my face towards his and kisses me square on the lips. A rush of emotions wash over me. I’m surprised, but I knew this eventually had to happen. I’m nervous, but I had never felt more at home than sitting next to Cyrus with my hand over his. I’ve never felt so fulfilled, but I’m already hungry for more. 

“TJ, I’m—“ I  put my hand behind his head and pull him closer for a kiss. The fairy lights accented the mood perfectly as time stopped and I was just there, with Cyrus, just him and me. When I pulled away his smiling brown eyes stared into mine. He giggled a little bit. 

“What?” Oh, crap, was that bad? Did I just ruin the moment? I just— 

“Nothing.” Cyrus reaches over to his laptop and plays the movie. He wraps his arms around mine and snuggles into my shoulder. I free my hand from his grasp and wrap it around him, pulling him into my chest and hugging him close. Only thirty minutes later, Cyrus falls asleep in my arms. I reach over to the laptop slowly, trying not to wake him up, and close it gently. As I slowly drift off to sleep next to Cyrus, I know I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. ️

—

So that’s that! I hope you enjoyed this and have a fantastic Valentine’s Day!!!

[babyleclerc]

Favorites

Pairings: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Style: One-Shot

Warnings: Language and implications of sex. Otherwise it’s just pure, fun fluff.

Word Count: 1,364

Summary: Tom asks you a few Marvel questions, which leads to an interesting revelation about his coworkers.

A/N: Soft!Tom destroys me in this piece. I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. ;) Also please don’t come @ me for the thoughts on Hulk/Banner. It’s all in good fun. As usual, gif isn’t mine!

Though it had been a few hours, the smell of sex still lingered in the warm air of your bedroom. Tom lay shirtless on his back, book in hand, while you sat next to him - one leg bent underneath you, the other sprawled across his stomach, hunched over your phone. Tom’s free hand rested on your thigh, absentmindedly rubbing your soft skin in circles. You were lounging in panties and one of Tom’s old shirts, just the way he liked you to be. Spotify’s Relax playlist played softly on your Amazon Echo, filling the comfortable silence.

“Babe?” You ask, as your thumb swipes up your Instagram feed lazily. 

“Hmm?” He replied, eyes never leaving his book as he turned the page. 

“If you couldn’t play Loki, who would you want to be?” You double tapped a picture of Seb in sunglasses. 

“Thor.” He responded quickly, eyes still locked on his book.

“And if you couldn’t play Thor?”

“Loki.” 

You grinned, hitting his chest lightly. “Cheater.” You say, still Insta swiping, while Tom cracked a smile.

“I am the god of mischief.” He retorted, winking at you. After a few minutes of silence, he reached towards his nightstand, grabbing his bookmark and placing it inside his book, snapping it shut. 

“Now you’ve intrigued me.” He says, letting his right hand fall to your hip, tugging at you gently. 

“About what?” You glance up from your phone. 

“First - mercy. Please.”

You sighed dramatically. ‘Mercy’ had become a very popular word in your relationship over the past few years. It was to be used when the other person wanted something - such as putting a phone away for undivided attention, calling a truce in a tickle war, pressing pause on a fight, etc. In this instance, he was asking you to put down your beloved iPhone. 

You tossed your phone to the side of the bed in compliance, physically turning your body to face him but keeping one leg tucked under you and the other across his torso.

“Alright, phone has been mercy’d to oblivion. How can I help you, sir?”  

Tom chuckled at your pet name that was usually reserved for the bedroom. “I have questions for you.” He began, his left hand wandering down your thigh slowly. 

“Hit me.” You say, grinning. Time with Thomas alone was a rarity these days. Between filming Infinity War, rehearsing for theatre productions, and your career - you hardly at time together anymore. It was a constant mix of varying levels of effort, exhaustion, and commitment to keep your relationship thriving and happy. So intimate, uninterrupted conversations like these were the most precious to you. You had once equated them to having the significance of an infinity stone, which had made Tom laugh and tease you unceasingly. 

“Who is your least favorite superhero?” He finally asked.

You crinkled your nose, “In the Marvel universe?”

“Hmm.” Tom affirmed, still letting his hand wander.

“Ugh, I was hoping you wouldn’t say that. Superman is the fucking worst.” Tom laughed in response, “Uhmmmmm, I guess Hulk?”

“What?! Why?” He asks you, bewildered. 

“Ugh, I don’t know. There’s just something about Bruce Banner that gets under my skin. Like he was basically trying to become Cap but obviously turned out to be a way suckier version ‘cause he fucked with the gamma rays and now he’s screwed as Hulk. And he’s always whining about not being able to control it but like, dude, you literally did this to yourself, so, why don’t you try taking Tony’s advice and learn how to actually manage your green situation?!”

Tom’s bewildered laugh echoed across the room. Eyes closed, mouth half open, his hand gripping your leg as he struggled to control his breathing. 

“Darling, you are not allowed on set. Ever.”

“What!” You shout, outraged, but laughing. “I cannot be the only person with this opinion.”

“I’m fairly certain that almost no one else agrees with you on this one. No sane person anyway.”

You scowled at him, folding your arms across your chest. “I guess that’s why they call it an opinion.” 

“Yes, right,” Tom chuckles, tucking your hair behind your ear, “Let’s hear more of these wild so-called opinions. Favorite superhero in Marvel?”

“That’s such an unfair question,” you groan, falling over onto your left side, opposite Tom.

“It’s not a test, darling.”

You glared at him, “I can’t pick. I love them all for separate reasons.”

“Just pick one.”

“Nooooo.” You whine, taking your right hand and intertwining your fingers with his. 

“Alright then, narrow it down for me. Who are your top three?”

“Cap, Thor, Bucky.” You respond immediately. 

“Ahh. This makes sense now.” Tom murmured in response, fiddling with your hand in his. “Arguably the three most attractive men in the MCU, eh?”

You blushed, and instantly began to protest. “That’s not why!”

“But you don’t deny it!” He laughs, “After all these years, the truth finally comes out: my seemingly devoted wife has the hots for my coworkers.”

“That’s not true and you know it.” You huff, though your scarlet cheeks give you away. He pokes your side in teasing adoration. It’s not that you found them sexually attractive (you were hopelessly devoted to your lover with unwavering certainty) but they weren’t exactly ugly, either... 

“So all those months of me begging, pleading with you to go out with me, really I was just vying for your attention over Chris and Sebastian?” Tom teased, pinching your waist lightly. “I would hate to have seen the outcome if Hemsworth hadn’t been married.”

“I’m starting to think I picked unwisely.” You say dryly, glaring at him and swatting his hand away. 

“Oh come now, darling. It’s only a bit of fun.” He catches your hand and placed a gentle kiss on your wrist. “Besides, what fun would life be if I didn’t tease you a little?”

“A more pleasant one.” You mumble, while Tom laughs against your wrist, lips still hovering over your veins. 

“Come here.” He commands, sitting up so that he can pull you onto his lap. You obliged, scooting over his stomach, straddling him, allowing your hands to rest on his chest. Your hair sloppily falls to the sides of your face as you peer down at him, still frowning from the topic of conversation. He smiles up at you, causing your insides to turn in all different directions. All it took was that look to make you forget how insufferable he could be at times. 

“You know, you didn’t ask me the most important question of all.” You say softly, tracing your fingers on his chest. Tom’s right hand rested on your waist, while his left gently curled a lock of hair between his long fingers. 

“And what question is that, my love?” He asked huskily, eyes lost in drinking you in.

“Who my favorite Marvel actor is.” 

Tom smiled, slipping his right hand underneath your shirt and gently rubbing along your low back. “And who might that be?” He played along, meeting your gaze. 

You raise both hands to cup his face, lightly tracing a finger over his stubble. You whisper softly, “Thomas William Hiddleston.” Before pulling him into a slow, meaningful kiss. You sigh happily into his mouth as he reciprocates, allowing all of your muscles to relax into him. 

His arms wrap around your frame, squeezing you gently as he breaks the kiss to nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck.

“Have I told you recently that I love you?” He asked, kissing you softly. 

You smile, shaking your head. “Not enough.”

“Hmmm, we should fix that.” He murmured against your skin, placing another kiss just below your collarbone. “I love you.” A kiss on your shoulder. “Je t’aime.” A kiss on your arm. “Te amo.” His nose nuzzled your soft skin, before raising his head to look into your beautiful eyes once more. The woman he could not live without; the woman who gave his life meaning and purpose. Who made the sun rise and the stars shine across the sky. “Se agapó.” He whispers finally in Greek, before he pulls you in for another night of slow, passionate, lovemaking. 

Fin.

Tag List: @markusstraya, @punkin-pie-mofo, @hazohazahazbro, @irishprincess9, @jedionironthrone.

Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!

[blazardragon]

Korotan D - Chapter 2: English Translation

Here’s chapter 2 of Korotan D! Like with chapter 1, I want to highlight who appears for any fans of any particular characters, but it’s a lot harder this time around because chapter 2 begins with Class E reuniting with each other, and then later, Kayano, so just about everyone appears. Some highlights include Nagisa being shown to have picked up some of Korosensei’s teaching habits, the return of Karma vs Terasaka antics, Hazama being amazingly clever, Takebayashi’s otaku-ness being incredibly useful, and a professional Kayano.

As a heads up to readers, this chapter is nearly twice as long as chapter one (which is among several reasons why it took so long for me to finish this), so while there’s much to enjoy, it may take some time to read it all. Like last time, I scanned and inserted pictures as they appeared in the book.

Chapter 2: Graduation Trip Time

“It’s been awhile!”

“How have you been!?”

At the airport, a reunited 3-E was chattering with each other. They talked with those who went to the same high school or lived in the same neighborhood, and thus met each other often, and they talked with those whom they haven’t seen since the anniversary of Korosensei’s death, a time when everyone in Class E gathers together.

“Sugino, looks like you’ve gotten even more buffed since the last time I saw you, huh?”

Sugino smiled at Maehara, who had called out to him.

“Yeah, I guess so. I’m aiming for entering the pro leagues in four years, so I’m carefully honing my body.”

Sugino’s body had gotten even bigger than when he played at Koshien.*

“I bet you’ll kick ass on the college baseball scene, too!”

“Yeah!”

Sugino was feeling great, but he suddenly looked nervous.

“Kanzaki-san…!”

She was always a beautiful girl, but now she’s dazzlingly beautiful.

Sugino’s heart secretly leapt in his chest.

“It’s been a while, Sugino-kun. When you were playing at Koshien, I was cheering for you as I watched you on TV.”

“Really!? Thanks so much! They say it was a miracle that we made it through that first round, but maybe it was all thanks to you, Kanzaki-san!” Sugino said as he breathed raggedly through his nose.

“Hey, sorry I’ve been neglecting to keep in contact with you all.” Takebayashi appeared out of nowhere together with Okajima.

“Ah-, Take-chan, long time no see! Oka-chin’s** here too~!” Kurahashi waved her hands.

“You decided on going to the Metropolitan University of Agriculture, right Kurahashi-san?”

“Yup yup, I’ll get to play around with all sorts of living creatures there~ You’re going to be a doctor, right Take-chan?”

“My application tentatively went through, so I’ll need to steadily work on my weak points. Okajima, are you going straight forward on the path of eroticism as usual?”

Okajima puffed out his chest as he answered Takebayashi.

“Well, you see, I’ve got my heart set on eroticism, so I don’t need something like college. I’m going to dive straight into the freelancing business and take erotic gravure photos of women all over the world!”

“Wow~, I don’t really get you, but that’s so cool!”

He received praise from Kurahashi, but Kanzaki found him a little disturbing.

 The jet airplane that Class E had boarded took off with a roar. It steadily grew further from the ground, and in no time at all, only the sky and the clouds below remained visible.

“Hey, so are we gonna arrive at Kayano’s filming site?”

“Hmm~ Who really knows~? This movie is a massive international collaborative work, which means their shooting team will be quite conspicuous, so as long as we’re near the site, we should be able to find them somehow, right?”

Karma responded to Yada’s question with a carefree tone. Terasaka shouted upon listening to the exchange.

“Karma, you bastard! You’re the one who came up with the idea, so be more serious about it!”

“Of course.”

Karma sneakily took something out of his backpack and handed it to Terasaka.

“Okay, here you go, Terasaka.”

Terasaka eyed him suspiciously as he took and opened the package, revealing a t-shirt and banner inside. The t-shirt had a photo of Kayano’s face plastered on it, with the accompanying caption, “Mase Haruna is my wife,” in large letters. Takebayashi then took the shirt and turned it around, revealing the words, “I’m serious” in large letters on the back.

“This is quite well-made,” Takebayashi said in admiration.

“I had such a hard time selecting a picture. If you wear this T-shirt and raise this banner, I have no doubt the locals will pity you and take you to her. Good luck~“

“Who the hell would do that!?”

Hazama, with a book in hand, glared menacingly at Karma and Terasaka, who were making a ruckus.

“Ugh, looks like those boys haven’t grown out of fooling around since middle school.”

“Shut up, Hazama! You’re just as much of a bookworm as ever, you know? And what’s with the English novel, anyway?”

“This is the original novel Kayano’s movie is based on. It might give us clues regarding the location of her film shoot, am I wrong?”

Everyone around her resounded with an “Oooh!”

“So? What kind of story is it?”

“The hero is a no-good man who gambles for a living and dreams of getting rich quick. One day, he ends up helping out a girl from Japan and, after mistakenly thinking that she likes him, protects a Buddha statue from rogues for her sake.”

“A buddha statue?”

“It’s no ordinary statue. It’s the key to unraveling the mystery left behind by an ancient civilization. It’s an ancient civilization in an adventure novel, so of course the key is going to be some worn-out item, right? The buddha statue is housed in an old temple, powerfully depicted as one eroded by the jungle’s trees. This scene is surely going to be used in the movie. The place we’re headed to is the perfect location for this, correct?”

Hazama waited for Nagisa’s reply, who was looking over his shoulder as he listened to her.

“Yeah, there are famous temples designated as World Heritage Sites. Many of these temples are scattered inside the jungle, some buried as if they were eaten by the jungle itself. I researched these temples in advance and wrote up a summary of my findings, so please take this, everyone.”

Nagisa gave out guidebooks containing information on the locale’s Heritage Sites to everybody.  

“Thanks, Nagisa! That’s an aspiring teacher for you. This reminds me of Korosensei when we went on that school trip.” Isogai thanked Nagisa as he received his guidebook.

“Ha ha ha…… these aren’t as thick as his, though.”

Karma also took a guidebook from Nagisa.

“Well, you can’t do more than what you can. Takebayashi, how’s things going on the SNS?”

“Ritsu helped me out. We’ve collected all the information posted about the staff for Gold City.”

Ritsu sent all the photos they had collected to everyone’s smartphones.

“There was nothing written down identifying the film’s shooting location. However, we did find a few landscape photos of the shooting location uploaded online. Please look at these photographs.”

“The temple is pictured behind Gold City’s lead actor, Jerome March.”

“Woah, it’s Jerome March! He’s so cool!”

“He’s the biggest young movie star right now!”

Hara listened to Nakamura as she raved in high spirits.  

“I also expanded our search to include locations shown in anime. For the sake of making a holy pilgrimage, I’ve learned to compare the backgrounds drawn in anime with photos and identify their locations. After all, even now, anime backgrounds are often drawn by tracing real-life landscapes. For example, I can determine which direction to go based on which way the antenna on a house might be installed.”

Takebayashi fixed his glasses.

“S-so you’d go that far…”

Takebayashi saw that Yada was a little put off by his words, but he didn’t mind her reaction and continued speaking.

“When I analyzed that location through this method, I found some ruins in Nagisa’s guidebook that have a high probability of being the location of the film shoot. It’s in a post from six hours ago.”

“Alright! Then let’s go to the Wat Baken*** ruins!”

Sugino yelled out to everyone from the tension built-up inside of him. Watching how excited everyone was, Nagisa remembered the past. Their English skills which were nurtured when they were in middle school are now being fully utilized to collect all this information for their overseas trip. Feeling Korosensei’s existence close beside him, Nagisa gently thanked his former teacher within his heart.

And so, with their hearts filled with anticipation, Class E enjoyed their plane trip.

 “And, action!”

 A sharp voice resonated throughout the ancient ruins. In a gaping wide opening within the jungle laid temples from a dynasty which had boasted of greatness over a thousand years ago. Even now, the huge stone buildings still held a solemn majesty as they remained affixed to the ground.

That group of temples was the shooting site for the international collaborative film Gold City, but there was a tense atmosphere drifting through as the staff watched the actors with nervous faces. The leading actor, Jerome March, had made multiple blunders, so the director, Nathonni, was fuming mad. Since his teenage years, Jerome has been in hit after hit, raising him to stardom. Paired with his bright and uninhibited character, he was able to become a young star boasting popularity worldwide. Thanks to that popularity, he earned a role in Gold City.  

On the other side was Kayano, who returned to the world of entertainment after entering high school and performed in one TV drama or movie after another. As a competent young actress fluent in English, she, too, got a role in the movie.

In the scene they are currently shooting, Jerome, who plays the hero, has just arrived at the temple with the girl who came from Japan. The girl, named Rin, murmured under her breath as she faced the temple her archeologist father had studied for so many years.

“This is the temple father devoted his whole lifetime to studying.”

“So, we’ve finally reached your dad’s temple, huh……? Talk about worn-out.”

Nathonni stood up from his director’s chair.

“Cut! That’s no good. Jerome, that remark about it being ‘worn-out’ isn’t needed there. Don’t add any unnecessary ad libs. Focus on playing your part properly!”

Jerome, who ruined the drama with his lines, shrugged his shoulders and sulked.

“There’s a lot of onlookers who came to see my magnificent self, so I just can’t concentrate!”  

As Jerome said, many spectators were gathered around the film site. Adults and children alike were highly interested in seeing an international star appear on shoot.

Rather than return to her car, Kayano took shelter from the sweltering heat by taking cover under the shade of a tree as she waited for Jerome’s mood to improve.

The heat of the tropical jungle took its toll on Kayano, who had just come from Japan when Spring had only barely begun.   She had to preserve her strength for her next appearance.

As she was sitting in her chair and cooling herself down, Class E suddenly came into her mind.

Everyone should be on their graduation trip right now. I really wanted to go with them…

She knew that such things would be impossible once she began working, but she deeply regretted that she had to miss such an opportunity to meet with all her precious friends in Class E.

Memories of her days in Class E flooded into her one after another.  

She remembered the time when she pretended to be fine as she bore the pain of the tentacles, the time when Korosensei came to Kayano’s rescue during their class trip, and the time she made that giant pudding. And, she remembered the time when Nagisa and Korosensei saved her life……

“Kayano”

While immersed in her memories, someone shouts out the name she was called when she was in Class E.

 This isn’t good. I’m so immersed that I’m hearing voices. Furthermore, of all things, it’s the voice I’ve wanted to hear the most……

 She stood up from her chair and shook her head.

“Kayano”

This time, she heard the voice clearly. She turns to face the direction of the voice and finds a familiar face. It was Nagisa.

“Nagisa!?”

She yelled out without thinking and rushed over to him. It wasn’t just Nagisa. The faces of everyone in Class E were lined up with Karma in front.

“Eeeh, why is everyone here!?”

“Ahaha……,” Nagisa answered ambiguously with a laugh. Karma explained in Nagisa’s place with a mischievous smile on his face.

“It’s really just a coincidence~. The destination for our graduation trip just happens to be the same as your film location~”

“I’m so surprised! I was just thinking about all of you, so I thought I was seeing an illusion!”

Kayano showed them a smile full of joy.

After not seeing Kayano up-close after so long, her friends in Class E where all charmed by her figure. Dressed for her role, she wore a tank top and shorts, giving her a rough appearance, but at the same time, her appearance shone much more brilliantly than ever before.

“That’s an international actress for you. You’ve gotten even cuter!”

Kayano felt shy from such a voice. As Class E noisily clamored around her,

“Haruna? What’s up?”

Nathonni went up and called out to Kayano.

“My dear friends have come to see me! We were classmates in middle school!”

“Oh? If they’re your friends, then they’re welcome here. You’re a true professional. A respectable actress.”

Nathonni bluntly praised Kayano. While Kayano thanked him for his kindness, Karma boldly began speaking to Nathonni.

“I’m a fan of your work. I got into your stuff after seeing Kill Romance, and I flew from Japan to Hawaii to watch Sonic Ninja.”

“I’m happy to hear that! Please promote this movie more and more in Japan!”

Karma firmly shook the hand offered to him by Nathonni.

“Ah, over there, isn’t that Jerome March?”

As Okajima pointed his finger, Yada and Nakamura followed suit.

“You’re right! It’s Jerome!”

“Wow, he’s super handsome in person! He’s got such an aura!”

Jerome turned his eyes towards the onlookers, and, upon noticing the girls in Class E, responded with a courteous raise of his hand.

“Jerome looked this way!”

“I saw his face for a second!”

The girls of Class E made a racket over every single move the young superstar made.

At last, Jerome left his trailer, making the filming site boom with energy as the staff sped up his preparation.

“Director, I’m ready.”

Upon hearing the star’s words, Nathonni and Kayano returned to the site.

 The tension was high on the site as an important scene between Jerome and Rin fast approached them.

Kayano and Jerome stood by themselves before the temple as the makeup artist nimbly reapplied their makeup. The camera operator had his lens trained on the flames.

As if to pierce the thick atmosphere, Nathonni’s shout flew through the air.

“Action!”

The camera was turned towards them.

Waking up after a fall, Rin spoke to Jerome, who watched her with a worried gaze.

“Thanks for saving me again.”

“From now on, I’ll save you as many times as it takes.”

Rin had made a sweet expression, but suddenly her expression turned severe as she said,

“You’re only in it for the money.”

“Yeah, I do love money. But you know, there are other things I love besides money!”

“Like what!?”

At Rin’s strong response, Jerome grabbed both her shoulders.

“You.”

Jerome’s face closed in on Rin’s, ready to kiss.

Class E watched Kayano’s kiss scene unfolding before their eyes.

“Oh shit, it’s a kiss scene!” Okajima whispered in a low voice.

However, Rin turned her face away.

“Cut, cut!”

At the same moment the director’s voice called out, Kayano apologized to Jerome.

“I’m so sorry!”

“You’re nervous because your partner is the Jerome, right? Relax, relax.”

She smiled at Jerome and took a look at her face, biting her lip in frustration.

“Take two, action!”

They reshot the scene and redid the kiss scene. The part where they say their lines went by smoothly, but once they got to the kiss, Kayano would get nervous and become stiff as a board, making the footage unusable once again. After that, they botched take three, then take four, and after take five, Nathonni yelled out,

“Cut! It looks like this isn’t going to work no matter how many times we try. Let’s shoot some more scenes, and once you’ve thrown off your reserve, go back to the kiss scene.”

“Wait a sec, can we postpone the kiss? We can look forward to it later.” Jerome winked at Kayano.

While the film staff moved around the cameras and lighting for the next scene, Nathonni gave Kayano a long, hard talking to. Class E watched Kayano anxiously.

Then, the film group went on their lunch break. Class E had lunch at one of the food stalls close to the entrance of the ruins, where they joined with Kayano.

“Good work, Kayano-chan~”

When Kurahashi greeted Kayano with an innocent smile, Kayano felt as if she was back in Class E.

Forgetting even her tiredness from working on the film, she let out a natural smile.

“Hinano-chan!”

“You’re amazing! You spoke super-fluent English with Jerome March!”

Upon receiving praise from Maehara, Kayano smiled bitterly and shook her head.

“It was pretty unsteady and shaky. Even though Korosensei and Bitch-sensei drove it into me, my skills will quickly grow dull if I don’t use them.”

“I didn’t get that impression at all though? Your acting was also almost completely spot on. It was only near the end when you looked like you were having a bit of a hard time.”

Maehara’s words made Kayano recall her repeated performance mistakes. Everyone else wouldn’t understand since they don’t know how she usually is, but her acting earlier was so unbelievably poor compared to her usual abilities that she couldn’t help punishing herself.

 I’ve done so many kiss scenes already, and yet…

Muramatsu asked Kayano with a broad grin,

“So you were nervous having such a handsome Hollywood star come in such close range after all?”

“Y-yeah, you might be right, ahaha.”

Kayano forced out a laugh as she tilted her head. Understanding the true meaning behind Kayano’s smile, Karma whispered into Kayano’s ear,

“I’m sorry Kayano-chan…… if there’s a kiss scene involved, then I guess it would’ve been better if I didn’t bring Nagisa, huh?”

“Huh!?”

He hit the nail on the head, making Kayano’s face instantly dyed in a bright red.

Seeing a competent, veteran actress lose herself over a single person was amusing to Karma, so he couldn’t help messing with her a bit.

Curious about filming, Yada asked Kayano,

“Hey, hey, isn’t it tougher to be in an international collaborative film compared to a Japanese drama or movie?”

“Y-yeah…Well, somehow I manage to get by with my English, but the film’s staff come from all sorts of different countries, and almost nobody out of the people hired on site can speak in English, so when you put all that together, it makes things very difficult for the line producer. Everyone is using everything they have, but it still takes a lot of time.”

“Wow, really?”

“The director will suddenly come up with an idea, but every time the staff tries to implement it, we end up with something nonsensical, and there are times when we simply don’t have enough manpower to do it anyway.”  

Karma was in admiration.

“Ah, that’s so like Nathonni. It’s the directors with that degree of selfishness that are able to make interesting movies.”

Karma glanced at his wristwatch.

“I want to hear even more stories from you, but I guess it’s almost time for you to go, Kayano-chan?”

“Ah, you’re right. I gotta go.”

Just when Kayano went to stand up from her seat, they heard a fierce argument in the distance.

“What the……it sounds like it’s coming from the filming site.”

With an anxious expression, Kayano made her way to the filming location.

 Cultural Notes

*Koshien is the name of a baseball stadium in Japan, where the national high school baseball tournaments are held. Only the best high school baseball players get to play there. Great job, Sugino!  

** -chin is a cutesy way of saying -chan, mostly used by teenage girls who want to sound cute

*** A “wat” refers to any officially recognized Buddhist temple in Thailand, Cambodia or Laos. Based on the list of notable wats in Cambodia on Wikipedia, the Wat Baken ruins might be based on the Wat Bakan, a pagoda regarded as one of the holiest sites in Cambodian Buddhism.  (Again, based on what I read on Wikipedia. Regrettably, I have almost zero prior knowledge of Cambodia.)

Nagisa gives out guidebooks just like Korosensei! That makes me so happy!! That part where he’s remembering Korosensei really gets to me, too. Kayano’s woes only reinforce my firm belief that I would hate being an actress.  

[the-heat-of-the-moment-gabe]

Tagging game

ASDFGHJK Thank you so much @oftrickstersandmoose for tagging me and saying that about my blog!! That’s sooo sweet <333

I am going to do this thing, even though no one probably cares that much... Still, I will use this opportunity to tell everyone that reads this that THEY ARE AWESOME AND SIMPLY SOME ADORABLE CUTE LITTLE ANGELS ^-^

Nickname: Riri (no one actually calls me like that, but I found out it’s another abbreviation of my name so I love it =)) ) Gender: Fangirl (that’s it. That’s my gender. Forget about female, I am a fan-femme ❤︎)    Star Sign: Libra ^^ (the most indecisive person ever, I admit it)  Height: a bit more than 5ft 1′ I think? (I know, I know... I am literally a shrimp! But at least I get to stay in front of tall people and watch better everything XD) Time: time...time is irreversible.. the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole... But, yeah, it’s about midnight here, if that’s the question =)   Birthday: Oct 1st  ❤︎ Favourite Bands: *pulls out powerpoint project* Are you sure of this?? *brings pictures and merchandise* jk XD My favorite band EVER will forever be Fall out boy I love them SO much,my wonderful adorable obsession!! <333 I also love mcr (my babies asdfghjk), p!atd, bvb, Green Day, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Rolling stones, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Skid Row, The Offspring, The Beatles, Journey, Metallica, Gnr, Whitesnake, Foreigner, Boston,CCR, Van Halen, BOC, Asia, lynyrd skynyrd, alice cooper, Eagles... The list can go on till tomorrow :)) Also, a special mentioning would be Abba and Modern Talking <333 and, of course, my second favorite band (I shamelessly admit I have 90 songs of them on my phone device), QUEEN XD Favourite Solo Artists: hard to choose, uggh... My favorite singer used to be Celine Dion, so... I also love Kylie Minogue, Michael Bolton, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, Barbra streisand, Amy Grant, Bob Dylan, Elvis, too many to think of right now... Could I add Richard too?? =)) (even though he always says he is NOT a musician, his voice is wonderful aaaahh *sighs*)  Song Stuck in My Head: “All star” by Smash Mouth! It’s kind of making me feel more confident though, but it’s annoyingly catchy... Oh and yeah, how could I forget about “anyway you want it” by Journey, it got stuck in my mind for a whole week, I am so glad I got over it  Last Movie I Watched: Forrest Gump =) (watched it today, I admit I have cried a lot to it, and now I have only southern accents stuck in my head heeelp) Last Show I Watched: Big Bang Theory <33 (I adore sitcoms) I was trying to see if I can get to watch more Star Trek on tv, but instead I saw this :) When did I create my blog?: umm...My main one, I think around October last year?? And this secondary little thing that made my life better, I think sometime in May :)) What do I post? Post or reblog?: Both? =)) I reblog brilliant posts and I write anything that comes into my mind about Gabe <3 Also, I just simply adore making photo edits, gifs and stuff like that with him, so... Last Thing I Googled: it’s actually “sunburnt” because I got one during hiking yesterday, so I needed to know how to treat it better XD (I am so glad I didn’t have to do this game earlier, when my last thing was “how to burn people”, I assure you I am not a psychopath hehhe... Even though it was annoying that google was showing results for “good comebacks”, not actually burning people alive...) Any other blogs?: Hells yeah. Not many though. My main one where I haven’t posted anything for six months, a side blog with nice book quotes and nature landscapes that finally turned into a fandom one (oops!!) and one with song lyrics where I make photo edits and post mostly fob and mcr lyrics because when I don’t find them on google I must make them by myself :D  But here I have most of my followers <33 Do you get asks?: Umm...Nope, never got one, only messages, but happily waiting for some =)  The Story Behind My Username: *coughs*......it was, my darlings, the summer of 2017 when me meets the other inner me and I’m like “yo, I know about music” and the other me is like “yo, I know more about music!! ”, “that’s impossible! Do you wanna start a side blog? We’ll call it after your new favorite song ever that makes your heart sing and melt in the same time because of the most adorable mellow sweet feathered golden angel, that small tiny muffin who ruined your life” and I was like “yeah that’s cool” and that’s it XD Actually, I came up with the idea of this blog when I realized how obsessed I was with Gabe and at 2 AM I was creating gifs just to post them here, and the only logical username that came in my mind was this, I just love the heat of the moment!!! <33 *starts humming while eating a candy bar and sobbing in a corner* Following: 155! ;D Followers: 563 AAAHHH MY BEAUTIFUL RAYS OF SUNSHINE I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH THANK YOU FOR BRIGHTENING MY LIFE EVERY TIME YOU PRESS THAT “follow” button I JUST WANT TO WRAP YOU ALL IN WARM BLANKETS  ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ *hug attack to everyone who reads this* Favourite Color: GREEN! Grass green, cyclam, turquoise, that coral red-orange wonderful thing, blue violet, sunflower bright yellow (guess why ;)))... Average Hours of Sleep: probably eight hours. Sometimes 6, sometimes 11... Two weeks ago I slept only one hour, yesterday 12, so it depends XD Lucky Number: 111 <3 Not lucky, but favorite one I guess :)) But usually all my lucky numbers contain “1” so... I also love 21, dunno why Instruments: Fountain pen. JUST KIDDING! If it means musical instruments, I used to play piano and violin, but now I only know a bit to play the national anthem, that’s all... Currently I am into guitar, I have been trying for six months to learn how to play it from youtube tutorials, I can play couple of chords ;D What I’m wearing right now: whoa easy there, tagging game! (just a joke again, sorry ^-^) It’s actually only a dress with green and pink floral print because summer nights when you don’t want to go to sleep, just to stare at the stars, hum songs and spend time on tumblr, that’s why :) I just find dresses easier to wear when the heat outside overwhelms you How many blankets do I sleep with?: umm... Like now, during summer? Only a white sheet, it’s too hot (even though I sometimes want to go back to my warm blanket in case of monster night attacks). But on winter I can sleep with two wool blankets or even more... :)  Dream Job: Cardiothoracic Surgeon or any kind of doctor in general :)) It’s been my dream since I was two, I just love anatomy...<3 (probably I shouldn’t add my temporary dreams too, like becoming an actress, a Broadway singer, a detective or a novel writer and artist, should I?^^)  Dream Trip: aaah hard to say, but I think it would be a road trip in Arizona or any western desert part in general, while driving an old rusty convertible car (preferably an impala, of course), watching the ruby sun going down into the lakes painted on the azure sky and the stars sparkling brightly at night, feeling the freedom air and humming old rock songs (and singing “take it easy” when I get to Winslow, AZ :D)... Also, another dream trip would be in my favorite cities: NYC (to see Tiffany’s and Broadway :)), Paris (mainly the opera house and get to sing “bonjour Paris” like in Funny Face) and Rome (driving  a scouter or riding a vintage bike on the old streets, while picking ruby geraniums and singing Dean Martin songs aahh). Also, a trip to provence where I can dance through the lavender fields, the Alpes with warm small cottages or Greece would be wonderful (as long as I can admire the landscapes and the local culture with not so many people around... ^^) Favourite Food: grilled chicken with french fries and any kind of dessert (chocolate especially)<33 Also a bunch of sour soups, pasta, fish, meat, pizza and hamburgers, jam with butter and honey, cereals with milk, bacon and eggs, meatballs, chicken soup with dumplings, boiled potatoes with butter and parsley, pancakes, and this list could go on and on.... (now I got hungry ugh...) Nationality: Romanian :) (this should explain the “sour soup” thing)  Favourite Song Right Now: umm...*trying to make up my mind while sweating nervously* Probably still the heat of the moment, or Tiffany Blews by fob... But right now, I mean really RIGHT NOW, I think it would be “don’t stop believing” it’s so uplifting and purely...gorgeous :)

Sorry for the long post, in real life I never speak up, yet, here, I am a chatter box oops >.<

Now, the ceremony of tagging people! *drums beating*... Aaaand the nominees are....LEONARDO DiCAPRIO!! (SOORY just a silly joke ^^) Now, for real, I am tagging :  @scarlettwinchester23  ( ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ) , @sabriel-fanboy-83, @akhuna01, @hunters-hiraeth, @tricksterxangel, @lisiblack, @chaotictrickster, @quaker-wtf-lass and any other cinnamon roll that wants to do this, but I know you won’t do it unless I tag you, so, here you are : @that-sweet-person-who-read-my-ramblings-and-wants-to-do-this-game-too  ❤︎  You have been officially tagged ;) 

I love you all so much!! <3

[persorene]

The Wooden Sky

*an addition to my fic Into the Unknown, this takes place shortly before Corrin leaves the fortress. I promise I will get back to the actual story line soon, I just have so many ideas for JakobxCorrin fluff while still in the fortress and ugh, I keep writing them. Sorry! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!! Thanks for reading!*

“Oh! Look at that one!” her dainty finger was outstretched, pointing upward to a glistening ball of light in the night sky. The princess was looking over the balcony, leaning on the heel of her left hand and marveling at the dim lights. Her eyes flicked across the sky, locking on to each heavenly body that caught her attention, as she tilted her head back, her long, red mane poured down her back like flowing water “Isn’t it lovely?” she mused quietly.

“Yes, milady, it’s stunning.” her butler replied, he was standing beside her, watching her marvel at a sight she so rarely got to see “Absolutely stunning.” his cheeks flushed, the latter half of his statement had been directed at her, rather than the star above them. He cursed himself for being so bold with her, though she hadn’t seemed to notice he was talking about her.

She sighed mournfully, dropping her right hand back onto the balcony’s stone railing.

“Lady Corrin?”

“I wish I could look at the stars more. I wonder what it would be like to lie on my back and look up the sky and drift off into my own thoughts…”

“Milady-”

“And then I feel silly for acting as if such ordinary things are a magical experience. I just know so little of the outside world that I can’t even imagine simple pleasures such as stargazing the proper way.” she looked over her shoulder at Jakob, he’d stepped closer to her without even noticing it himself. His snowy white bangs fluttered in the cool breeze, she felt her cheeks warming and quickly looked away before he noticed it.

Her gaze was fixated on the mountains in the distance, she wondered what they looked like up close “What if I jumped off of the balcony and ran away from here?” she asked so softly he could barely hear her.

“I would jump after you and follow you wherever you went.” he responded immediately, he hadn’t needed to think “However, we are rather high up. So,  I would prefer you don’t jump.” he teased.

She giggled at his banter and stepped away from the ledge “Thank you- for bringing me out here. You really are too good for me Jakob.“ 

“Nonsense milady, I live to serve you. Whatever you may wish, it is my job to provide.”

“Your job.” she quietly repeated.

He instantly regretted the way he’d phrased his thoughts. “Of course, that isn’t the only reason I do this. You know I think very highly of you, princess.”

“I know, you are my best friend after all.”

He stared wordlessly at her back

She always called him that regardless of how inappropriate it was. It was becoming harder to ignore the hidden sentiment in her overly generous compliments. “Yes, well, then.” he stammered awkwardly, she was the only person who could fluster him "I do believe Gunter will be making his rounds soon and he won’t be thrilled if he finds out I have you out here. Come, let’s get you ready for bed milady.“ He opened the door behind them and bowed, gesturing for her to go back inside.

She stepped around him and into the warm hall of the tower, quietly pacing down the wooden floors and toward her room. Jakob, as always, followed close behind her.

Sunlight filtering through the curtains washed over the room. Corrin’s eyes fluttered open as she sat up in bed, stretching her arms and yawning heavily. She groggily looked around her room, it was empty of it’s usual contents, no breakfast tray, no clothes had been laid out for her, no Jakob to greet her from her sleep. The bright sun hinted at the morning being nearly over. ‘Odd.’ she thought 'Jakob never lets me sleep in this late.’

She swung her feet over the bed and walked to her wardrobe, she opened the door and shoved garment after garment aside until she found her favourite dress; a flowy light blue gown with a champaign coloured silk ribbon around the waist. Corrin dressed quickly and took a seat at her vanity, wrapping her fingers around the handle of her brush, she began to work at the tangles and knots. ‘Gods, I forgot how much it hurts when I do it. Jakob is better at this than I am, he never catches the tangles.’

After several minutes of struggling with her matted hair, she had it brushed and smoothed into place. The princess crossed her floor and opened her door, the other staff members were making their usual rounds, tidying the rooms, cleaning, preparing meals and doing the wash. Yet, there was no sign of her loyal butler.

“Excuse me.” she stopped an older maid who was walking down the hall with freshly folded linens stacked neatly in her arms.

“Yes, your highness.” the maid said with a courteous bow.

“Have you seen Jako- I’m sorry, I mean the head butler, at all this morning?”

“Oh, him. Yes, he gave us our morning meeting and then vanished. He usually goes straight to the kitchen and prepares your breakfast milady, but this morning he left the fortress in quite a hurry.”

“Oh, he did? Well, thank you.” the princess curtsied and walked down the stairs to the main floor, terribly confused as to why he would have felt the need to leave.

A flash of icy blue rounding the corner in front of her caught Corrin’s attention  and pulled her from her guesswork. “Flora!” she chimed and bolted after her maid “Floooora.” The  boisterous princess caught up to the stoic woman quickly.

“Morning Flora!” Corrin said cheerily, attempting to get the young woman to smile.

“Goodmorning- your highness.” She spoke each word deliberately and slowly, twisting the title with unspoken anger and resentment.

“Did Jakob happen to tell you where he was going this morning? I can’t find him and one of the servants said he’d left so I thought he might've told you where he was heading…” her voice trailed off as she realised Flora hadn’t been listening to her. In the last few years, she and Flora had begun to drift apart, a large rift growing larger each day made their interactions increasingly uncomfortable.

Flora growled under her breath and inhaled sharply, she absolutely despised the closeness between the princess and Jakob. However, she did belong to the little red head and she was obligated to answer her “He’s gone to the market.” her answer was abrupt.

“He has? Did he say how long he’d be-”

“No, he said nothing more” Flora interrupted and turned back toward the kitchen door “Besides, you can surely survive a few hours without him right beside you.” she muttered angrily, not loud enough for the princess to make out what she’d said.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Corrin questioned lightly.

Flora moved without responding and entered the kitchen, she could only tolerate the nobility so much for one day.

Corrin frowned at the closed door. She had no idea what she’d done to earn such dislike from her maid, someone she’d once considered a friend. Jakob never allowed the maid to behave that way, but she was still aware of Flora’s growing animosity toward despite his best efforts to shield her from it.

With a groan, she sauntered down the halls and into the library. She thumbed through the books, tracing a finger down the spines and contemplating what genre she felt like reading before finally selecting one of the titles she’d read countless times. Taking a seat in her favourite spot on the over-stuffed emerald coloured sofa, she decided she’d just wait for him. Surely he’d not leave her alone all day.

She couldn’t seem to focus on her book, Jakob had been right, she’d stayed awake far too late the night before. With each page that passed, she felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Her eyes fell shut and a minuscule snore escaped her lips. She whipped her head back up, fighting off the sleep. She made it another chapter before her head drooped back down. 'He’ll wake me when he returns.’ she thought to herself, allowing the heaviness to overtake her as she drifted off into a nap.

Jakob entered the tower, a canvas satchel slung over one shoulder held the items he’d left to purchase.

“Your master has been searching for you all day.” Flora said snidely as she walked passed her superior, her heels were clicking even louder than usual giving away the anger she attempted to hide.

The butler’s lavender eyes searched the room for his princess, it was strange of her not to be at the door greeting him as he entered “Where is she?” he asked as he closed the heavy wooden doors behind him. He sounded worried, this only irritated Flora further ‘Why does he have to care about her so damn much?’

“She’s in the library, asleep on her sofa, she dozed off while she was waiting for you.” the maid hissed.

“Good, leave her there, make sure no one disturbs her for the rest of the day.” he answered, now rifling through his bag, something was clinking in his satchel as he fished through it.

“You’re her butler. You do it.” she snapped.

He looked up from his bag and glared at her “I have something else to do for now. I don’t ever ask you to keep an eye on her, just this one time don’t be yourself and be helpful instead.” he walked off up the stairs to the second floor, not bothering to look at the woman he’d just angered.

Flora was livid, her blood boiled. 'How dare he talk that way and act is if he can get away with it?‘ With a growl, she ignored her sensible side and decided to confront him. She stomped back to the staircase and stood on the first step “What did you do for her this time?”  she shouted up after him "You know, no matter what you do she won’t love you back! You’re a fool.“ 

He stopped walking, she heard the floor creaking under his weight above her. His weight shifted and she listened to each step as he came back down the stairs. The butler was now standing one step above her, he stared angrily at the blue haired woman below him "I have had enough of your allegations. I do not have ulterior motives. I do what I do for her because I am her butler and her friend. She has no one else in this world, but apparently you think I can’t be kind to her. Enough is enough Flora, do you know what sort of damage your statements could cause?” He was whispering but still managed to convey his seething fury. He had a knack for snide comments and rude speech that never seemed to fail him.

“I’m not stupid Jakob.” she folded her arms, not backing down from him as most people would have. “If you think you have anyone fooled you’re dead wrong. The servants talk, you should know, you’re the boss aren’t you? I know you’ve heard the rumours, and I know they’re true. You’re sickeningly close to the princess, you’re so in love with her you can’t think straight and it keeps getting worse. Every damned day I think you may come to your senses and leave well enough alone but you shock me and seem to fall for her more instead.” She paused, he looked both angry and hurt by her words. As much as he pissed her off, and he pissed her off like no one else could, she still loved him. She hated hurting him. Even here, arguing in a dimly lit stairwell, she couldn’t help but get lost in his eyes, in his confidence, in his voice. She sighed and continued in a gentler tone “I am your friend, so I want to help you. You’re going to get yourself killed if you don’t knock it off.”

His voice was back to a low growl  "I. Am not. In love with her.“ The anguish lifted from his face and his denial had returned full force. 

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”  Her crystaline eyes searched his, desperate for him to come to his senses, to realise what he was doing. 

“I’ve nothing to convince anyone of. I am an excellent butler, a butler tends to his master’s needs. My master requires care and-”

She’d had enough, he was lying to himself and she couldn’t tolerate it any longer. The maid turned and stamped away from him, not wishing to continue this pointless argument that they’d had so many times before.

The white haired young man watched her stomp down the hall and heard a door slam in the distance. Turning away, he marched up the first flight of stairs, down the long winding hall and up the second, steeper flight that carried him to the servants quarters. He walked to the final room, his room and opened the door, he yanked his satchel from his arm and lay it on his dresser. Closing the door quietly, he walked to the center of his room and shoved his bed from it’s usual place, leaving the floor empty. He drug his chair from the corner and placed it where his bed should’ve been. The butler went back to collect his satchel and hung it across his chest. Carefully, he climbed into his chair and stood up slowly, wiggling a bit to make sure it would hold him. His left hand reached into his satchel and pulled out a glass jar of coal black paint and a thick brush while he steadied himself with the right. He was no painter, but if Corrin wanted to be able to lie down and see the stars, he’d make it happen to the best of his ability. 

With a sweep of his hand, he brushed a wide swath of black onto the wooden ceiling. Then another, and another until he had covered a large portion of the area. He let it settle into the wood before adding streaks of dark blue and grey. The young man tilted his head, examining his work. For being his first painting, it was turning out nicely. His hands worked quickly, adding splashes of deep purple and speckles of white. After he’d flung on enough smaller stars, he began to slowly and carefully add in larger stars, attempting to replicate the ones she’d seemed most entranced by the night before as they’d stargazed on the balcony.

His arms were tired and his calves trembled from holding his odd pose for so long, but he was pleased with his work. He stepped down from the chair and rearranged his room back into it’s usual lay out. As he glanced out his window, he was greeted by the darkness of night. “Damn” he whispered, his project had taken longer than he’d expected and he’d still not had a chance to see Corrin, his stomach knotted at the thought of her having spent a day without his company. In his ten years with her, he had only left her alone a handful of times.

The butler ambled down the stairs, his exhausted legs fought him with each step. A groan escaped his thin lips as he descended the second set and limped along to the library on the main floor. His alabaster hands grabbed the elegant, scrolled handles to the library doors and opened them slowly, keeping the tumblers quiet in case she was still sleeping. He glanced in and a smile quickly spread over his face as he took in the sight of his master. She was sprawled out on the sofa, her hair spread out around her like the petals of a flower, her dress was tangled around her legs, her mouth was slightly opened and her book still lay open across her stomach.

Carefully, he crossed the room, making sure his boots landed softly and didn’t disturb her sleep. The butler reached the side of the sofa and stood silently beside her, watching as she breathed. He wondered what she was dreaming of, if it was of him. He so often dreamt of her. 'What am I doing? I can’t think of her this way.' He thought, though he didn’t take his eyes from her. 'Flora was right, I am a fool. I never should have let this go this far.' Gently, he ran one finger down her cheek and through her hair, feelings the silky waves beneath his skin 'But how could I have stopped it? I’m only human after all, I can’t control who I fall in love with.' He shook his head 'No. Don’t justify yourself. You know this is wrong.' Yet, as he watched her, he knew he was too far gone. No one could ever compare to her. Long ago he had made a decision, he could be with no one if not with her. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone else, he could never love them this way, this purely or this deeply. 'How can you be so precious to me?' The thought struck as he continued to watch her.

“Lady Corrin.” he said smoothly, placing one hand on the back of the sofa and leaning over her. “Milady, wake up.”

“Mmmm.” she whined, wiggling in place and tossing her head to the other side. She sent his heart fluttering with each movement.

“Princess, wake up please.” he said a bit louder.

Her crimson eyes lightly fluttered open “Jakob?” she asked as she squinted at him.

“Yes, it’s me. Come now, I need to move you into your bed.”

“What? What time is it?” she sat up and ran her hands over her face, her voice was hoarse from disuse and sleep.

“It’s nearly ten, my lady.” he answered, his already silky voice even more soothing than usual.

“You were gone all day.”

“I know, I apologise princess. I had an errand that needed tending.”

“An errand?” she questioned.

“Yes, this place requires my constant care milady. Though I didn’t expect this one to take so long.”

She didn’t seem satisfied with his answer but she didn’t push further. “Jakob.”

“Yes, Lady Corrin?”

“Could you carry me to bed?” she asked, her eyes were still half closed and she looked ready to fall asleep again.

“Milady! You know you’re too old for me to carry you. You’re nearly eighteen, that’s very improper.” he gently scolded. Over the last few weeks, he’d been attempting to normalise their relationship. Honestly, the fact they’d been allowed to carry on the way they had for years now was nothing short of insanity.

“Jakob. Please.” She muttered in her hands.

'Why must I feel this way when I’m trying to do the right thing for you.' He sighed, as much as he wanted to reign in their bond to an acceptable level, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her no. Especially not after the comment she’d made yesterday; about jumping from the balcony. He’d replayed it in his head a hundred times since then. Had she meant it? He was so afraid she was truly that desperate. He feared she’d run away, or worse… and he couldn’t live without her. She was his reason to live, though he’d never been bold enough to tell her that. “Alright, milady. Come on.” He stood and gently eased his arms under her, pulling her into his embrace and cradling her to his chest. 

The pair climbed the stairs and he carried her into her room, sitting her on the edge of her mattress. He dug through her dresser and found her a nightgown “I’ll step out while you change, call me when you’re ready for me.” He lay her gown beside her and stepped out of the room.

The princess dressed alone, and sat in front of her mirror “Jakob.” She said softly. He entered the room instantly, as she knew he would. Wordlessly he crossed the floor and stood behind her. He reached around her, his muscled forearm catching her eye as he grabbed her brush and began to ease it through her thick hair. She watched him in the mirror, admiring the angled features of his face, his smooth alabaster skin, tracing his light pink scars with her eyes 'I wish I could tell you how much you mean to me.' She thought. He looked up and noticed her watching him, their eyes caught one another’s and held in the mirror for a moment. Neither moved to end the gaze, they allowed it, the intensity of unspoken affections was felt on each side. The princess was certain he loved her, but, he’d never act on it. And she couldn’t either. He looked away first, returning to focus on her matted tresses rather than continue to torment himself. He lay her brush back down silently, his fingers ran along the edge of her mane, tugging it free from her gown. He lifted it and smoothed it down her back, letting his hands linger on her shoulders as he watched her in the mirror.

“Anything else for you then, princess?” He asked softly, still not removing his hands.

'So much more, but nothing I can ask for.' "No, that will be all for tonight.“

He nodded softly and lifted his hands from her. "If you need anything else… you know where to find me.” With a bow, he exited her room. Corrin listened to his footsteps above her as he walked to his room, she listened until he was out of range. 'Where were you?’  The thought hadn’t left her since he’d returned. There were no errands. She knew this much. He would have told her. 'What if he was with someone. A woman perhaps. He may love me but he’s a grown man, he has needs and he can’t wait for something that may never happen… what if he leaves me.' The thoughts were getting to her. She frowned at her reflection 'Do you even realise how much I love you, Jakob?' She had to know. She couldn’t spend her days fearing his departure, her life was rather miserable enough without the added anxiety of losing her one friend. 

Her bare feet lightly padded down the hall and up the back staircase to the servants’ quarters. She reached his door and opened it slowly, he was sitting at his table, writing something. He glanced up at her and smiled, she’d been visiting him at night for years, it no longer surprised him. “Yes, milady?” He asked softly.

“Can we talk?” Her voice was meak as the fears rose in her throat again.

“You know I always have time to talk to you, Lady Corrin. What’s wrong?”

She stepped into his room and took her normal spot on the edge of his bed “Would you ever leave me?”

He laughed before he could stop himself “Of course not! Where on Earth did that come from?”

She flopped back on his bed, staring at his face as she spoke “It’s just that, today you were-” a smile began to break across her face as she watched him “What? Why are you smiling like that?”

A soft chuckle broke from his lips “No reason.”

“Anyway-” she rolled onto her back with her eyes closed “today you… you.” Her breath caught in her throat as she opened her eyes and saw the night sky depicted on the ceiling above her. “…Jakob…” his name escaped her lips like a reverant whisper. “When did you- how did… is this for me?”

He nodded “It is. That’s what I was doing today. Securing purple paint was harder than I thought it would be, though. And the painting took longer than I’d expected. I really didn’t intend to leave you alone all day milady.”

She was gazing at his handiwork intently “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“I’d do anything for you. It may not be the 'proper’ stargazing you’d imagined… but this wooden sky will have to do for now.”

She laughed “You really are too good for me. You know, when I imagined properly stargazing, I imagined I’d be with you. Will you lay with me? Just for awhile. I know it’s not appropriate, but…”

He smiled at her. 'How could I possibly say no.' He crossed the floor and eased onto his bed beside her. The space was small and cramped, their bodies touched and the heat between them was growing. His face was burning, more from her presence than the warmth. 

They lay in silence, for how long she wasn’t sure. Jakob spoke first, in a soft tone “One day, we can lie beneath the actual stars like this.”

Corrin smiled, his statement implied that he intended both of them to be out the fortress someday, and together nonetheless. “Promise?” She asked.

“I promise.”

[theharvestersbook]

01: Meredith

Meredith had no idea where she was, and she didn't really care because there was warmth, and a sense that nothing could go wrong. 

She felt safe.   From a distance, she could hear laughter, like a melody just out of reach.  It was a gentle static that contained the lyrical sound of her mother’s voice.  Meredith couldn't make out any words, just muffled laughter and music.  It was lovely, and she wanted to stay there forever. But slivers of a shadow crept in, and began to divide and dim the warmth.  The laughter and music fell away and Meredith found her luxurious confidence being replaced by nervous anticipation.   Suddenly, there was a horrible tearing sound.  Meredith heard voices screaming, as a wave cold darkness rushed over her.  

#

Meredith sat up with a gasp, sweating in the dark. The dreams were getting stronger and more real.  She couldn't even call them dreams anymore because it felt as if she was actually there, in that chamber of warmth and safety.  And she could feel it all being ripped away. Meredith lay back and tried to control her breathing.  They definitely weren't dreams anymore.  They had become something else, but she didn't know what.  She knew she would have to tell Maya about this.  But, she didn't want her mama to worry.  Mama worried about everything already. Meredith placed her hand on her chest and breathed slowly and deeply.  She closed her eyes and tried to think happy, peaceful thoughts.  She tried to find her way back to the safety of that warm chamber.  Instead, she wrestled with dread and anxiety for a long time. She finally fell into a fitful sleep and dreamt real dreams about large balloons rolling around and over her.  Every time one of them rolled over her, it felt heavy, like thick, gooey rubber, and she couldn't breathe.  It was an awful feeling, nearly suffocating.  Then the balloon would roll on past and she could breathe again.  The dream went on all night.  Suffocating.  Breathing.  Suffocating.  Breathing.

#

The next morning, Meredith dragged herself out of bed and staggered to the bathroom mirror and pondered the stranger looking back.  Crazy nap-head.  Dark circles.  Pale complexion. "Sheesh." She worked her worn wetsuit on over her hips and let the top half hang off her waist.  It was cool again outside and the water would be sharp.   She pulled on a hoodie, zipped it halfway and grabbed her ragged gear bag and cap on her way out of her bedroom. Spaz was in the kitchen, waiting to be fed.  Meredith dropped her bag on the floor and bent down to scratch her cat on the head.  He purred loudly. "Good morning, slacker.  Do any good last night?" Spaz turned and glared at Meredith with angry green eyes. "Alright," she smiled as she stood up, "Not judging.  Just asking." Meredith poured food into a dish on the floor for Spaz, and grabbed a quick bite for herself.  She checked the time.  Five fifty-five. Four minutes later, Meredith stepped aboard the Queen Caretta.  The breeze felt cool, but that wouldn't last.  The colors in the sky and the water announced the coming of the sun, and the robe of heat she would drag across the gulf.  But while it lasted, Meredith loved the chill of early morning.   "Mornin', Mama,” Meredith sang out,  “Papa Gill." "Mornin', Mer," they replied in unison without looking up.  Maya was making notes in her log.  Papa Gill was checking the harvest equipment. "How'd you sleep?" Maya asked casually as she wrote her notes. "Ugh," Meredith sighed, "stupid dreams." Maya looked up from her log and narrowed her eyes at Meredith, who was stowing her gear.  Then, Maya looked over at at Papa Gill, but didn't catch his eye.  So, she went back to her logbook. "Mmmhmm," murmured Papa Gill without looking up. "Dreams can be stupid as stones, and just as heavy."   Meredith finished stowing her gear, and then sat on the gunwale, facing Maya.  She looked at her mama, wearing shorts and a white t-shirt under a zipped hoodie, with her thick, brown hair pulled back under a suncap.  So clean.  So strong.  Her mother's eyes flashed with the color of the shallow gulf water on a clear day as she scanned the sky for weather signs. They were both of the water, Maya and Meredith, both tan and both fit.  Sometimes, people mistook them for sisters, which secretly tickled them both.  Meredith, because she wanted to finally be a grown woman, and Maya, because she didn't.  But unlike her mama, Meredith had blonde hair and brown eyes.  Meredith thought about this difference as she sat and ate her breakfast, waiting for the other harvesters to arrive. Her eyes found their way out over the flat gulf water.  On the horizon, she saw the silhouette of a commerce tanker hovering over the water as it left port.  Probably taking a load of artifish to one of the other Quads.   An angry buzz from overhead announced the passing of a patrol drone, headed out to look for food smugglers, no doubt.  Meredith took a slow bite of her breakfast and was grateful that Mama and Papa Gill knew how to hunt and harvest.  GM food, like artifish, funnel-corn and vita-green made her gag, and she could not imagine how the Corporates and Creatives ate it.   "PG Wales, Powering Forever", Maya muttered angrily. Papa Gill nodded and kept working.  “Let it go, Hun.” Even though it was illegal, Papa Gill managed to stow a real fish or two on the boat after a day's harvest.  The local corporate food inspectors looked the other way because the harvest crew of the Queen Caretta made quota, and Papa Gill shared the real fish he speared with the inspectors.  The patrol drone would be searching for real smugglers, the ones who sold fresh fish illegally.  Not Harvesters, who were just spearing their dinner. It made Meredith glad to be a Harvester, even if the Corporates and Creatives dressed in Superbia clothes, and got private drones and long holidays.  She wasn't sure what she would do with any of that fancy stuff, anyway.  She tried synthahol once, at a Harvester party, and it was just as gross as artifish.  She was happy to have real food, crappy clothes, and spend every day in the ocean. The drone buzzed off into the distance, so Meredith turned her gaze back to the tanker, moving slowly across the horizon. "Mama, ‘member the Spill?" "Of course I do, Meredith", replied Maya, sounding a bit irritated. "Do you think my daddy would have helped?" Maya put down her log book and looked up at Meredith. "I do, Mer," she said a bit more softly, "I do." This made Meredith feel good about her daddy.  She never had a chance to know him very well; there were only a few, blurry images of him during the First Northern Oil Conflict between SonTech and Moon Energy.   Most of the images she had of her daddy were with his mates in the 32nd Cyborg Drilling Platoon.  But there was one of just him without his mates or his exo-suit.  It was her favorite because she could tell where she got her hair and eyes, and her smile. Her daddy’s Platoon was ambushed in the Arctic oil fields and he fell through the ice and drowned, Mama said.  Pulled down to the bottom of the Arctic by the weight of his exo-suit.  The PG Wales Corporation sent a posthumous award to Mama that said something about "successfully defending a hostile takeover", but Mama just threw it in the trash.   "Your daddy was a good man, Mer," Maya reassured.  "He would have helped us clean up after the Spill." Meredith thought back to the Great Gulf Oil Spill, when that giant drilling platform exploded and just puked all this oil into the Gulf.  Some oil Harvesters were killed, and so many sea creatures, she couldn't even count. That lady from PG Wales, Sue something or other, got on GlobaVision and promised everyone how PG Wales would make everything right.  Meredith heard they even interrupted the Murderball Championship to send out Sue Whatshername’s message. But nobody believed Sue. Mama said she didn't have time for "That Fool" from PG Wales, and that was the last time they looked at the Globavision.  Instead, Mama just volunteered, she and Meredith and Papa Gill, to help clean up.  It was almost the hardest thing Meredith ever had to do. Almost. She thought back to the cleanup.  There were lots and lots of volunteers, and they did save some animals.  Which was good.   But it seemed like tons more animals died.  They died choking on thick, black oil.  It still made Meredith's stomach move to remember all the goo-covered animals she pulled from the gulf.  Pelicans, gulls, skimmers, terns; so many birds, dead or dying, blinded and flopping around in the black, gooey mess.   And there were fish everywhere, too.  Thousands, maybe millions of fish had washed up on shore.  Papa Gill said they looked like they had been battered for a fish fry in hell, which Meredith always wondered about, because she never heard of a place called hell.  But, she didn't ask Papa Gill at the time, because it was a very grim day. It was the big animals that really made Meredith sad.  Some were fast enough to get away from the oil.  But most weren't. They got trapped between the oil and the shore.  Mostly, it was manatees and turtles.  Some dolphins.  Mostly turtles.  Lots of turtles.  They said it all but wiped out the last loggerheads. Some were kinda saved.  They got picked up and taken to places where they were cleaned up and put back in a less polluted ocean, far away.  Some couldn't survive in the wild anymore, and were given to amusement parks or zoos, like Globa-World. Meredith knew that the animals they put back in the wild all died anyway.  She looked at her Mama and Papa Gill and wondered how she would survive without them. No one ever thought about how smart animals would do without their families.  Everyone was completely clueless when porpoises and dolphins beached themselves everywhere after the spill.   Meredith knew what it was; they were all going crazy with grief.   She looked at Maya and thought, that's why Mama works so hard at everything; to keep from going crazy. "Yo, Bitch!" called a raspy voice that yanked Meredith away from her thoughts. Meredith turned to see a big girl with brown dreadlocks walking toward the boat.  She wore a dive bag on her shoulder and a mean grin on her face. Meredith smiled and waved.  "Hurry up, Sam.  Or we'll leave your sorry butt behind." "Yeah, leave this behind," Sam responded, as she grabbed her crotch and thrust her hips at Meredith.  Then she saw Maya and Papa Gill and quickly softened.  "Oh, sorry, Maya.  Sorry, Papa Gill," she said guiltily. "Mornin', Sam," said Maya sweetly. "Howdy, Samson," teased Papa Gill. Sam frowned and tossed her bag under one of the benches on the boat.  "Papa Gill, that doesn't even make sense," she said.  She turned to Meredith and shook her head.  "Old man jokes." "C'mon," laughed Meredith as she slapped Sam on the back, "Papa Gill, we're going to get the rest of the gear loaded." Papa Gill stood up and looked at the girls.  He grinned again and added, "’Bout time you two did something around here." Sam bobbed her head sideways and pursed her lips as she grabbed the cart on the dock and pushed it toward the storage shed.  She and Meredith were halfway across the compound when they heard a shout and looked up. Walking toward them and waving were two boys.  Kaikane, dark and lean, with tribal tattoos that curled like vines from his shoulders to his wrists, and good-natured Hamish, lumbering along with his shock of white hair and perpetual grin. With them came Neha, a slight girl with her perfect, black hair, perfect skin and perfect smile. "Hurry up, slackers!" Sam yelled over her shoulder.  The boys shifted into a trot.  Neha smiled and waved, but did not change her pace toward the boat. "Fucking princess," muttered Sam. "Sam, be nice," scolded Meredith. "Yeah, I'll be nice when Neha starts pulling her weight around here.  Just because she's rich doesn't give her an excuse." Meredith frowned at Sam as she opened the door to the gear shed.      As she stepped inside, the irony of calling the huge building a "shed" struck her.  It was actually a very big building.  Inside was a large, saltwater pool that Papa Gill and Mama used for training Harvesters. Two doors to the side led to locker rooms with showers where trainees could change before and after training.  Papa Gill had told Meredith that in olden times, it had been called a "natatorium". At the far end was Papa Gill's shop, or laboratory, if you wanted to call it that.  He was always building weird contraptions and doing secret experiments in that room.  No one but Maya was allowed in, and she usually left smiling and shaking her head.  Whatever went on in there, Papa Gill kept it locked tight. On the near side of the saltwater pool was Maya's workshop.  She  had her own special setup, but hers was aimed at helping sick sea creatures.  There was an operating table, several saltwater tanks for smaller creatures, and even a lift for hoisting big animals, like dolphins and manatees in and out of the pool. Meredith was amazed at how much her mama knew about sea animals, and couldn't even count how many sick animals she had nursed back to health. But everything that Meredith and Sam were looking for was neatly shelved in steel cabinets just to the right of the door as they walked in.  They had just started loading the harvest gear onto the cart, when Hamish and Kaikane trotted breathlessly up. "Don't hurt your wee selves, girls", Hamish teased, "the men are here to save you." "Shut up, Hamish," Sam snapped.   Hamish stopped, and looked with raised eyebrows at Kaikane and Meredith.  Kaikane just shrugged and grabbed an empty charger.  Hamish started to say something to Sam, but Meredith interrupted him. "Where's Neha?" Meredith asked. "Doing something for Maya," Kaikane gestured back to the boat. "Figures," Sam sneered. "What is wrong with you, today?" asked Meredith. "You've been bitchy ever since you got here." "Yeah, well," shrugged Sam, "couldn’t sleep last night.  Fuckin’ dreams will not stop.  But, whatever.  Let's just get this stuff on the boat, okay?"  Sam kept working without looking up.  Clearly, she did not want to talk about it. Meredith watched Sam for a moment.  Sam was having dreams, too.  Were they the same, like Meredith's?  Were they as real?  As intense?  She opened her mouth, but decided not to ask.  Not here.  Not in front of the guys.  Instead, she started loading gear and looked at Hamish.   "How's your Gran doing?" "Great!  She was off in her skiff with Max before I even got up,” he yawned.  “Left me lunch and a note.  All it said was, 'Hamish, off to find more samples.  Safe Harvest!  Love, Gran.'" "More samples?" "That's what she's calling it these days.  She's convinced Corporates are watching her, and doesn't want to leave any 'evidence'.”  He emphasized with his fingers.  “So, she leaves cryptic notes instead." "Funny," Meredith chuckled, shaking her head, "she's a funny lady."   "Yeah," Hamish shrugged, "I guess." Meredith admired both Hamish and his Gran. Him, for how physically protective he was of his tiny Gran; it was sweet that he believed he could protect her with his physical presence.  Her, for how she refused to be protected. Meredith turned to Kaikane.  The minute she did, she felt her heart hiccup a little.  Kaikane was quiet and smiled in a kind and relaxed way that made Meredith drowsy.  She took a slow breath to calm her heart and said, "Hey Kai, you know Papa Gill is gonna want to know what's going on with your application." "Yeah, I kinda figured he would," Kaikane answered.  He stood up and caught her staring.  She looked away.  "Why is he so worried about whether I go to the Academy or not?" "Cause he cares about you, Kai," Meredith said, trying to pretend to count how many regulators she had in her hands.  "He knows you don't really want to go to the Academy.  Everyone knows you don't want to go." "Everyone but my father," Kaikane mumbled.  He looked back down to check the charges on the batteries he had grabbed.   Meredith carefully looked back up at Kaikane, secretly grateful that he was not looking her way.  She noticed the way his dark hair fell in thick locks across his face.  "So, what are you going to do?" she heard herself ask. Kaikane looked up and answered with a surprisingly sharp tone, "Well, I guess I'm gonna go, aren't I?"  Seeing that he had stung Meredith, he relented and added in a softer tone, "Sorry.  But, it's not like I have much choice."   "Geez, Kai," Sam said from across the room, "You don't have to get crappy about it.  She's just asking a question.  Hope you don't go off on PG when he asks, cause he is going to ask." "I know he's gonna ask," Kaikane said.  "Can we just talk about something else?"  He paused and raised a sarcastic finger at Sam.  "I know, let's talk about your dad, Sam.  How's rehab?" "Fuck you," Sam replied without looking up. "Don't start shit you can't finish, brah" Kaikane said.  He gave Sam a slight smile and went back to loading batteries. "Fuck.  You." Sam emphasized by standing up and glaring at Kaikane. "C'mon mates," Hamish interjected, "It's all bollocks.  No way to start a dive.  Lets just get this stuff loaded."  Meredith looked at Sam and Kaikane and thought, what just happened?  She looked at Hamish for an answer, but he only shook his head and kept loading gear. Just as he loaded the last piece of equipment, Neha appeared. "Hey everyone," Neha announced as she entered the shed, "how can I help?"   She stood smiling flawlessly in the doorway. Sam looked up and said, "Oh, great.  Perfect timing." Neha's smile faded.  "What?"  she asked, "did I miss something?" "Just all the work," Sam said, more than a little sarcastically.  She pushed past Neha, giving her a small shoulder bump as she passed. "Sam!" Neha objected.  But Sam did not look back.  She just pushed the equipment cart down the dock. "Maya asked me to...," Neha started to argue, but was interrupted by Hamish. "Don't even try," he advised, "she's in a regular mood today.  Better off letting her stew.  Probably that time of the month." Neha and Meredith looked at each other, and punched Hamish in both of his arms. "Ow!" Hamished objected. "What was that for?" "Your lucky it wasn't somewhere else," Neha threatened while Meredith nodded in agreement.  Hamish just watched stupidly as the girls turned and jogged off after Sam. "Brah," Kaikane said, sliding up behind Hamish, and placing a hand on his massive shoulder, "Don't try to understand it.  Just take it like a man and move on."  He looked up at his friend and offered a casual nod. "Time to dive, brah," Kaikane said.  He slapped Hamish on the shoulder and headed toward the boat.   Hamish frowned and rubbed his arms.  "I don't like getting punched all the time," he mumbled as he closed and locked the door to the shed.  The deck bounced as he trudged after the rest of the harvesters.

#

Maya started the silent engines of the Queen Caretta and pushed the sturdy boat down the canal and toward the open gulf. Once they were up on plane, Meredith enjoyed the cool breeze and the gentle motion of the Queen gliding across the flat gulf water toward the artifish fields. She sat and watched the brightening sky.  She loved this time of day, when the blue, grayness of the water and the sky met on the horizon in a way that she could not tell where one ended and the other began.  It reminded her that she really lived at the bottom of one ocean and the surface of another.  Two oceans?  Or one, layered ocean? The Queen Caretta swayed on the incoming tide and the only sound was the rhythmic splashing of the her wake.  Meredith studied each of her friends, captured by the hypnotic morning dance of the Queen, and lost in their own thoughts about anything and everything. Sam was surely thinking about her father's struggles with his demons.  She had been the only force that had kept him from completely giving in to the siren song of sniffies.  But it was a struggle, and a lot of pressure on Sam.  Soon, she'd have to make a choice whether to move on and live her own life, leaving him to his self-destruction, or stay and keep fighting the losing battle to save him.  Either way, Sam would lose. Kaikane had different problems with his father.  His family had been relocated here by PG Wales after their island home was finally covered by the oceans.  Kaikane's father, having lost everything to the rising tides and to PG Wales, who turned what was left of their flooded island home into a water park for Corporates, became obsessed with the idea of wealth and influence.  He was determined that his son would follow the secure path and enter the Corporate Academy.  Kaikane had other ideas about what he wanted, but he struggled to find the courage to live his own life. Fatherless Hamish was worrying about his Gran, out somewhere on her skiff with only Max, gathering her "samples".  Hamish's father died with Meredith's daddy, although Hamish never spoke of it.  He just fretted over his Gran, who was as fiery and wild as anything you could find in the ocean or the swamps.  Gran had been a Harvester forever, and looked both old and young at the same time.  Hamish thought he could protect Gran, maybe because he couldn't protect his father.  But gran didn't need protecting. Meredith suspected that Gran was the strongest and smartest of anyone. Meredith's eyes settled finally on Neha.  Neha smiled blankly at the horizon as the wind tossed her perfect hair.  She looked like a fashion model on Globavision.  What did Neha worry about?  Did she worry about the parents she never knew?  Did her wealthy aunt have any secret problems that Neha quietly wrestled with?  Even though her natural beauty and grace made her an easy target when Sam or Kaikane were venting their frustrations, Neha never reacted badly, never returned anger or spite.  Neha was always steady and calm, and it made Meredith curious, and sometimes, furious. "Hey Kaikane," Papa Gill broke the early-morning trance, "Have you heard back from the Academy?" Everyone looked at Kaikane with an awakened curiosity.  Kaikane took a slow breath, nodded and, without looking at anyone else, said, "I got my acceptance last night."   "Your father must be very pleased," Papa Gill observed. "Congratulations," he added sincerely.  Papa Gill sat beside Maya and watched Kaikane with steady, cool eyes that always sparkled with a secret smile.  Kaikane looked relieved, and grateful for Papa Gill's support. "So, are you actually going to go?" Neha asked innocently.  She leaned toward Kaikane with sincere interest.  "I mean, just because you've been accepted doesn't mean you have to go, does it?" "Well, I don't really have a choice," Kaikane shrugged.  "My father says it's my ticket off the artifish fields."  He stopped and looked at Maya and Papa Gill.  "I mean, no offense..." "None taken," Papa Gill assured with a smile. Up to this point, Maya had been quietly listening from the wheel of the Queen.  "You have to do what's right for you, Kaikane," she called back, "There's no shame in that.” "Well, I mean, it's what my dad wants; what he says," Kaikane explained. "Not so much how I feel about it.  I like it out here, on the water.  It feels free." "So, why are you so worried about what your father wants?" Sam challenged.  "It's your life.  Worry about what you want.  If you want to stay on the water and on the fields, then stay." Meredith put her hand on Sam's arm.  "Sam," she said softly, "don't start."   Sam pulled her arm away from Meredith and looked at Kaikane.  "So, seriously, Kai.  What do you want?"  She stood up and took a step toward Kaikane.  "What do you want?" she repeated with emphasis.

"It's not that easy, Sam", Kaikane defended.  "My father served in the Corporation.  He shut down the last tuna processing plant in Samoa after tuna went extinct.  He was part of the artifish development program.  He's been a Corp most of his life.  So, it's a family thing.”   He shrugged and looked out at the water, “It’s just different for me, is all."

"Different than what?" Sam suddenly snapped.  "You think it's easy for me to say 'No' to my father just because he's not a Corp?  You think it's easy to do what I want because I'm adopted?  Because I have a shitty home life?"  

Neha stood up and faced Sam.  "Whoa, Sam," she held her hand up like a shield between Sam and Kaikane.  "Where did that come from?  Kaikane's just saying that there's an expectation, him being a Corporate legacy and all.  This isn't about your situation at home.  And, oh.  By the way?  Let's not forget that you're not the only orphan on the boat, okay?  So maybe stow the attitude?"  She emphasized her statement with wide eyes and crossed arms.

Meredith looked at Hamish, who just sat, watching everything play out.  She expected him to say something about being an orphan, about having a difficult home life, but he just sat and watched the drama unfold.

"Shut up, you fucking princess!" Sam jabbed a finger at Neha.  "Your aunt is so rich, you have no idea what anyone else here has to go through.  Why are you even here?  You sure don't need the money."

Meredith looked away, out at the water, and stopped listening. "I'm going to watch for the field buoys," she announced, as she stood up and walked to the bow of the boat.

Sam leaned in on Neha and pointed at Kaikane, "All I'm saying is either do what you want to do, or don't whine about it when you decide not to.  It's your choice."  She let out a heavy sigh and added, "God, this is so stupid."  Shaking her dreadlocks, she stalked up to the bow of the boat.

Neha watched Sam as she went.  Then, she turned back to everyone else, she asked, "What is her problem today?"

"Who knows?" shrugged Hamish.  "She's been like that all morning.  She said something about bad dreams.  But last time I had an opinion about it, I got punched."  Hamish smiled at Neha, who just rolled her eyes.

"Her father's back in detox," Papa Gill revealed.  "It only just happened last night.  So, ya'll might want to think about cutting her a little credit.  Like my Paw always said, 'You go poking' a cross varmint with a stick, and yer likely to get bit.'” He looked around at everyone, then added,  “I'll have a small word with her later.  But in the meantime,... well, I'd let her be."

Papa Gill nodded once for emphasis, and then walked over to Maya.  He rubbed her on the back and whispered something into her ear.  Maya nodded in response, and Papa Gill went below.

#

Sam sat by Meredith's side.  From the bow of the boat they watched the horizon for the buoys.  The Queen sliced through the grey-green morning water as the sun began to rise behind them.  

They sat in silence.  Sam stared at the water and wrestled with herself.  Meredith looked at her hands and thought about her daddy, drowned in icy, black water.  She didn't have the problem of deciding whether or not to listen to his advice.  There wasn't any.  

She opened her right hand and looked at the birthmark on her palm.  Four concentric rings, broken by intersecting lines.  If she didn't know better, she would have thought it was a tattoo, the lines were so clean.  But it wasn't a tattoo.

When she was little, she hated it, and tried to scrub it off.  Mama joked that she had the cleanest hands in the harvest village.  But as she grew older, Meredith came to love the strange mark.  She never could decide on a meaning for it, and never could think of a clever story to explain it.  So in the end, it simply belonged to her, and only her.

Like not having a father, having the birthmark defined her.