#cuz if it is i might drop 10$.just for his hat

[nerdyspies]

my boyfriend reminded me sky existed ao i redownloaded it and im having a BLAST. i love when ppl come up to me and grab my hand and drag me around like yes PLEASE IM SO LOST

[teruki-inoue21]

What S2E12 might mean for the “future” of Link Click

It’s been a long 10 weeks, and we’ve been thru 11episodes. Now that we’ve been blessed (or rather cursed?) with the PV of the last episode of Link Click II, I want to clarify a few things regarding what could happen later on in the plot, like in Link Click III or whatnot. So, let’s go!

• Qiao Ling’s (MORE improved) role

=>So, abt our ladyboss, Qiao Ling. In the first season, she didn’t have much of a role. The only notable thing I remember her doing is introducing new ppl to the series. Like, Xu Shanshan, Master Si Wen, etc etc. But this time in season 2, she has a bigger and more important role. She’s fighting side-by-side with CXS, helping in the investigations, being a great elder sister for Xixi, AND formulating plans too. However, the PV for the last episode gave us an even bigger reveal as to what will or might happen to her going on with Link Click III.

Now that Xixi is dead (f**k Qian Jin), it seems that she has transferred her powers to Qiao Ling. Welp, people with these powers have always been the prime focus of the show, and now that Qiao Ling ALSO seems to have powers, there’s no doubt that her importance in the story will be much more from now on. I personally believe that in the event CXS actually ends up dying, she’ll be a key role to get LG to try again to save him. More on that later.

• Qian Jin

=> What can I even say about this guy? I’ve hardly seen anyone so loathe worthy and despicable in anime history. But I’m not here to hate on this guy RN. What I’m here to talk about is his connection to the main characters, some hidden characters, and his motives.

Now, Episode 11 has clearly shown us his motive. He wants to use CXS to go to the past and stop his wife from her supposed betrayal. (I swear, dude’s just TOO hung up on his wife who he murdered HIMSELF!) . But what’s odd is that his motive is just too personal. What I mean by that is that, when the poster for Qian Jin dropped, his shadow was the supposedly infamous Hat Guy aka Liu Xiao. This tidbit made all of us think that he HAD to working with/for Liu Xiao, and thus, his motives shouldn’t be personal. But here we are, with his motive having NO connection to Hattie. So why was his poster designed like this anyway? Maybe Hattie was the guy who told him about CXS? But even so, that makes Hattie’s role too meh for the plot..

• Liu Xiao aka the Hat Guy (and more new characters?)

=> Even though it’s been 11 out of 12 episodes, we still know almost nothing about Liu Xiao except for the fact that he’s abroad. But despite being so ambiguous, all of us know the amount of significance this guy has over the events of Link Click. Or do we?

Let’s talk about that.

Ever since the very first episode of Link Click, we know that the client who gave our main trio the Emma job wasn’t Emma herself, but rather someone anonymous. Thanks to @mimicha-arts ‘s post, we know that someone was keeping tabs on CXS, LG, and QL. Now, let’s say that it was Hattie. That would make a lot of sense, since he seems to be some kind of overseer of the events unfolding or some grandmaster himself (I’m saying that due to the fact that he’s being likened to be similar to Lu Guang).

But even if that’s the case, what could be his motive? Well, even I know shit about that. However, as I said in an earlier post, I believe that the big bad of the series isn’t Qian Jin, but Liu Xiao; and that he would have a showdown against Lu Guang. Maybe Liu Xiao was shown as the shadow to Qian Jin to show us how evil he could be? Cuz think of it like this: shadows are dark, right? So, if Qian Jin’s evil, doesn’t it make PERFECT sense if his shadow, LIU FRIKING XIAO, is MORE twisted and/or evil? Yeah…

So, we’re wrapped up with Hattie now. BUT, what if I told u there were MORE characters to be introduced?

Take a look..

Now, there’s someone on the roof of that one building. I may be wrong in thinking that it’s a new character and could simply be Chen Bin, but part of me still wants to believe that it’s a new guy, probably with special powers too, (as for whether they’d be an ally or enemy, I’ll leave that part to you guys).

• The Contents of Liu Min’s phone

=> This topic has been a major question since the first episode of Link Click II, and hasn’t been answered still. Liu Min’s phone. What’s even in there that Qian Jin had to literally kill his own mentee to get that thing? What’s so important in that phone that even this far in ep11, it’s a major item for the villains? Is it related to Liu Xiao? Quede Games? Does LTch need it to go back in time?

As for the answers, all I can do is speculate. I think that, as Liu Xiao IS Liu Min’s brother, there has to be some info on him there. Then again, it might also be related to Emma and Quede? But whatever it is, it’s a very important material. If not explored in II, I believe it will be important for III.

• Lu Guang and alternate timelines

=> And now, to the infamous “Lu Guang is a time traveler” theory. Well, we all have the general go-thru for This theory. In a given timeline, CXS dies, and to save him, LG keeps jumping thru time over and over again …

I believe I’ve already talked about how the alternate timelines theory is important for the plot of Link Click III. Here’s the post

• The meaning of “Can’t Live Without A Good Brother”?

=> Episode 12’s title says the most ominous yet very emotional line: “Can’t Live Without A Good Brother.” Such a thought-provoking title, don’t y’all think?

Funnily (or ironically, I don’t even know at this point) enough, this sentence can be thought of by two perspectives. Y’all guessed it - Qiao Ling AND Tianxi’s. So let’s go over those and deduce whatever plot points we can find for Link Click III.

Li Tianxi’s POV: So, the photo that started it all, for our pink-haired twins features a line written in crayon by Xixi, which says, “I can’t live without my good brother.” Odd, no? How she calls her brother good despite knowing that he’s actively involved in killing a multitude of people? Well, this is Link Click we’re talking about; and this, there’s always a reason for everything. Let’s say that Tianchen really IS a good person, or at least he wants to be (from Xixi’s perspective ofc). Why wouldn’t he be? He cares about Xixi a lot, prioritizes her safety first, even his deal with Qian Jin exists so that he can ensure safety for his sister. He even said in episode 11 that doing all this killing business for Qian Jin was truly hell for him and he wanted to escape. Hmm.. know what this sounds like to me? A pinch of sister complex! Yup! Tianchen is a really good brother. And all he’s done and has Been doing is so that he can have a better life with his sister. The fact that Xixi wrote “I Can’t live Without My Good Brother” means that she doesn’t want to lose her brother to the forces of evil that include Qian Jin… and maybe, that one childhood friend of Tianchen’s? (Of course I’m talking about Liu Xiao, and there u go, I mapped out the possible Link Click III content from here and how , even tho dead, Xixi will be crucial to the plot of what I predict will be Lu Guang V Liu Xiao). In that case, we can conclude by saying that Li Tianchen actually is a quite tragic character (more on that on a separate post).

Qiao Ling’s POV: Now, I’m most excited to talk about her POV, since I believe her insight on “Can’t Live Without A Good Brother” stems from CXS’s death in S2 (which I think is guaranteed to happen). Over the course of these two seasons, we’ve seen and have come to love the dynamic between Qiao Ling & Cheng Xiaoshi. S2E8 even shows how much QL cares about CXS, as she always looks out for him not just as a friend, but as a sister as well. So, let’s all assume that CXS and LG lose the fight against Qian Jin, and at the end, CXS dies. Remember what I said about Qiao Ling inheriting Xixi’s power and how that can help play a role in Lu Guang’s attempt to change/reverse CXS’s death? Well, here we are. Given that CXS dies, we can all imagine how distraught QL and LG will be. It is then QL decides to use Xixi’s power to transfer CXS’s power to Lu Guang (that’s the most reasonable thing to do, as Lu Guang knows better about diving in the past than Qiao Ling), but in a worse case scenario, she uses it herself? Whichever the case, I believe this is the way the staff will answer how Lu Guang has been time traveling despite not having the power to do so, and also kick start the events of Link Click III.

The Overseas Trip

=> Another thing that has technically been confirmed by the director, Li Haoling himself? All of us know that the director has said that the overseas trip that CXS and LG went on during their university days will definitely come into play later on. So far, whatever hint of that we have is the ED, THE TIDES, where the duo go on and investigate (?) a house that looks identical to the house of the main character of the 2002 movie, The Time Machine; and a rough animation draft of CXS and LG in holiday clothing riding a car. I say that, the overseas trip is not just limited to the ED. Sure, the ED is definitely showing us something related to that, but considering that trip is how both CXS and LG (or just CXS since according to the alternate timelines theory, LG should already have his power) unlock their powers, it DEFINITELY will come into play in Link Click III.

• Emma?

=> Very few characters in anime (or should I say donghua) always haunt the narrative of the story even after they’re dead. Such is really the case with Emma. Even though we see her die (yet again) in S1E11, she still appears on the S2 OP, VORTEX. BUT, she is literally NOWHERE in the main events of S2. Well, it would definitely make more sense to include characters who have more roles in S2 in the OP (Like Milady Wang Juan, Capt. Xiao Li, prolly also Xiao Ma?) rather than a character who seemingly has no role in the season, right? That is PRECISELY why the fact that Xiao Li doesn’t appear in the OP despite being so important but EMMA does, alludes to the fact that we’re not done with her arc yet. This means that, yep, Liu Xiao is linked here…

CONCLUSION:

Welp, there ain’t not conclusion, not yet. Not until there’s a confirmation AND a trailer for S3 and we get to see Liu Xiao face reveal.

Til then, I’ma go feral sitting on my toilet seat and thinking about S3….

[rubys-domain]

ladies and gentlemen and nons, it's time for

Doing every single domain* but only with x character/s 2: electric boogaloo

*not actually every single domain but that's not a catchy nameeeeeee

give it up for our guest star of the day: Lyney!!!!!

*camera pans to Lyney as the spotlight shines on him and he bows with a confident yet smug smile on his face*

let's see if this pretty boy can magic his way through all of teyvat's domains, shall we? ;)

(okay i'm dropping the tv show host voice now)

viridescent/maiden's - there were only 5 enemies so it was alright. not the comfiest clear by a long shot, but with better kiting skills than mine it definitely works

noblesse/bloodstained - hoo boy. despite the pyro abyss mage that i knew for a fact lyney had no chance of dealing with completely solo, i did it anyway cuz i'm the graystillplays of genshin players chongyun mains. and. yup. he died. and this is when i realized that an er sands would actually not be a bad idea for solo-ing purposes. since he gets that one stack from his burst, he can still go back up to full health if he ever drops below the usual 60% hp. of course the nre was still essential for me, but this trick definitely helped prolong his lifespan a bit. i did unfortunately have to use my other non-pyro teammates tho, i.e. barbara, candace, and lisa, all lvl >40 (again, i'm doing this to find the most efficient friendship farming strategy for domains). and of course they died too. but i beat the domain in the end. with the tiniest sliver of health on lyney. so yeah.

blizzard strayer/heart of depth - i has donned the er sands. and boy. despite the obvious loss in damage after giving up my atk sands, it was by far the most comfortable clear, despite having to fight a fucking abominable snowman. it's thanks in part to those little moments where the thing will sometimes just stand around not knowing what to do. it's not a slow connection thing it's just. idk, the movement code being wonky or whatever. (i'm not a game dev; don't come after me for not knowing game dev terms.) because of those, i had an easier time dodging, and also getting headshots in. i am not going to redo the previous two with the er sands (even i'm not that masochistic), but it definitely would've made those clears at least a little bit more comfortable

tenacity/pale flame - oh my god, that was actual pain and suffering. he literally died three times — it was awful. -20,000/10 would not recommend. unless you have some kind of shielder or resistance to interruption, these fuckers are a nightmare to fight

shimenawa/emblem - despite the electro abyss mage and his annoying electro ring thing, it was even easier than the blizzard strayer domain. goddamn

husk/clam - this... actually went way smoother than i thought it would. i did not eat a single healing food in this domain, and lyney still cleared it with full hp. his hats actually made for some decent crowd control so i didn't get corrosion as much. my teammates were all on life support tho, that much goes without saying. also that little healing trick with his burst helped a ton, especially now that he gets his burst back every two casts of his skill. the hat taunt + his skill + his burst let me get in quite a bit of aoe damage as well. he did not die once, i did not swap into my other party members the whole time. overall, i'm surprised at how well he can actually clear this domain. he might even be better than the bennet+kazuha duo here

gilded/deepwood - was pretty chill on account of not needing to hug the enemies like bennett and kazuha do. and also the er sands (ergo, way more burst casts) was enough to keep him super healthy without healing food

marechaussee/golden troupe - i mean this domain was basically tailor-made for lyney. so of course he's gonna clear it with ease. his damage wasn't amazing on account of er sands of course. but not needing to eat healing food constantly was nice and comfy. it was also fairly fun kiting practice: the meks aren't the fastest, so there's a decent size window to dash out of range of their attacks when they try to lunge at you. again, the taunt also helped them not come after me constantly. i definitely would do this again cuz i already use lyney to clear this domain anyway; might as well have him solo it and take freeloaders along to soak up the friendship points

[thalassophis]

1. Who makes the other blush all the time and who finds it adorable?

I think they both make each other blush but not really in a cute bashful courtship way. More like an angry embarrassed way cuz they are always getting on each other's damn nerves

2. Who sings in the shower?

Cammy... Lupin (bonus answer)

4. Who embarrasses the other in public with kisses and pet names?

Again they are not doing this. Lupin does this (bonus answer)

5. Who curses, and who reprimands the other for it?

Jigen is always calling them bitches and Cameron is always saying to not call them bitches

6. What small quirks do they love about each other?

Cameron likes when Jigen starts smiling at people with malice. He likes to watch Jigen clean his guns too it's kind of like watching restoration YouTubers to him or people who build computers. The way he can just take them apart so easily especially the tiny parts. I don't know if this counts as a quirk but I'm writing it anyway. Also he likes when Jigen pulls his hat down or when he sits cross-legged in a gay way.

Jigen is always lowkey impressed when Cameron can really lock in and focus on something. Even though it's usually related to creepy forensics stuff or something... He is also lowkey maybe turned on by Cameron's detached medical way of describing things sometimes. Guys they're maladjusted I don't know what else to say...

7. Who makes the other laugh more?

They both make each other laugh. Usually over stupid shit though. It's low-brow guy humor

8. Who gets jealous easier?

They're both very jealous. Jigen kind of hypocritically jealous because he's aware of his own relationship priorities and that Cameron is like... lower than the others. JUST SPEAKING HONESTLY. FROM THE HEART... sorry

Then on the flip-side Cam tends to get jealous *because* of that hypocrisy... like why can't Jigen make time for him but he can make time for his other weird bfs. And Jigen still has the audacity to get mad at him for hanging out with Fujiko or something. Like it's just not right

9. How did they know they were right for each other?

They're not right for each other they broke up :( Then got back together. Then broke up. Then maybe got back together again. I don't know I'm thinking about it

10. Who brings up the subject of kids first?

Part of Jigen might *kind of* want a family, but I think he accepted a long time ago that's not happening. Unless one of his inexplicable bastard children is dropped at his doorstep. Even then I doubt he would be the father who stepped up, realistically. He's just... well if I'm being honest he's just a little too selfish.

Cameron's not interested in having kids.

11. Who's adorable when they're sleepy, and who gets grumpy and irritable

They are both awful

12. Who's more protective?

Jigen. We already know he's a drama queen who would die for anything

13. How do they express their feelings?

For Jigen it's probably small things. He'll throw a pack of cigarettes at you or feed you a delicious sandwich. But no fucking way is he saying that he loves you or that you're his boyfriend or something unless you like interrogate this out of him

Cam's a little nervous and tends to just be clingy or overly deferential to people he likes. But once he feels a little more comfortable he's very factual to the point about it. "I like you. I'd like to do this again. I want to make sure I'm not hurting your feelings" etc This is scary to Jigen, very weird and unusual

14. Where would they go on a 3am adventure?

Anywhere. Literally anywhere... but probably some shitty Denny's or like dangling upside down from a rope over a pit of snakes

17. Who picks flowers for the other?

Jigen then he gets too scared to give them to anyone and eats them or something

18. Which one wears the "I'm with stupid" t-shirt

Both. Pointing at eahc other. Or Lupin if he stands in the middle

19. Who's the better dancer?

Jigen I think. I think he has it in him

20. Who infodumps and who listens with heart eyes?

Again we all have autism here sir

[owlight]

My request: kid, law, marco and robin (only if you are comfortable writting female characters) reacting at gn reader (non devil fruit user) saving them from drowning. hope you have a nice day, you are very talented!

Thanks for requesting 😔🫶

I do females Characters , specially robin cuz she my wife actually 🤭💖 and lmao this reminded me of that one time when I almost drowned ngl

Tags:drowning situation pretty much, Suggestive language with kid cuz he built that way,fluff mostly , ignore mistakes plz

GN!Reader saving Eustass kid,Trafalgar law,Marco,Nico Robin from drowning

Eustass Kid

He only drowned because his ass refuse to back from any challenge or fight ,which how he now end up sinking to the water with an angry pout and arms crossed,he is that stubborn and would spend his last moments as a stubborn idiot

someone challenged him to jump to the water and his ass is petty so he did it without any thought to the fact he can't swim

But Gladly! You dive in fast the moment he end up in the water and grab him tightly,good thing water make him weightless or you would have drowned trying to get him out

" and ugh..you are so heavy" you tells him as you pull him back to the safety of the shores ,kid scowl at you " you are just weak pipesqueak" you look at him as you swim ,you are tempted to leave him to drown for a moment,but in the back of your mind you can see killer masked face telling you not to do that because you would regret it later... ,you sighs,the price you pay for love...

He would not be thankful that you saved him, cuz you are his partner and Part of his crew , it's like your official duty to help from drowning cuz killer can't do it anymore :(

He Would suggest you do CPR on his dick instead of his mouth once he gained enough oxygen going through his Brain,you drop him on the sand so hard you hear a loud 'thump!'

You're literally the life guard of the kid pirates , it's almost funny that you have to drag kid out the water everytime his problematic ass fall into water

He get into these situations a lot ,you suggested once that he add floaty on his outfit since he always be falling into water,he threw a wrench at you but missed and it hit killer right at his helmet

He is very grateful for you secretly, he would never let you know but when he see you swimming toward him to save him? You look like an Angel and he is so thankful that you always willing to get into water to save him

He tries to be careful more (doesn't work) but it's the thoughts that count

He say the dumbest most inappropriate CPR jokes every time,you sometimes tempted to throw him back in water but he is already so heavy (nd you love him)

7.4/10 saving experience, should have let him struggle bit more in water ,maybe the water would have washes all the salty attitude off him someday (?)

Law

This happens rarely really,he is very careful and usually use his devil fruit to avoid falling Into open water like that

But he once was very unlucky and fell off the submarine ship deck after a strong wave hit the ship ,one moment he was standing talking to you,the other moment he in the water sinking down the water ,he tries his best to hold his breath..last thing he see is a blurry figure pulling him up from the deep water

"I got you.. I got you" you says as you pull him out the water to the deck,you start performing CPR till he is coughing,he blink few times as he sees you above him, looking at him with worried eyes that melt to a smile "here you are lovebug ,good to have you awake" you tells him and law cheeks suddenly feel heated,he remove his wet hat off his head and sits down "thank you (y/n)-ya" law says as he looks at you with a little rare smile

"not a problem,that was a strong wave ,we should probably get into the submarine,might be a storm coming" you tells him as you pick up his hat and help him stands up,law can't help but looks at you adoringly...he loves you so much

He so thankful after that,not outloud but by the way he caress your face gently and smiles at you,a real genuine smile,rare sight only meant to his special people and you are so lucky you're one of them

He is more careful than everyone on this list ,so it won't happen often or again,he usually have fast reflexes to not get in that situation,it only happened then cuz he was so smitten by you(so cheesy ngl)

He will be thankful for a very long time,will go bit more easy on you ,no one would notice but you really ,it's wholesome

He give you extra cuddle every night from that day, cuz you his hero now,look at you getting spoiled rotten by him,so lucky

He appreciates you lot,thank you for loving and handling this stoic and secret nerd, he loves you so much just wait till he is no longer a flustered mess when getting affection from you

He really wanted to say that cheesy dumb CPR joke..he want to so bad,but he know you won't ever recover from hearing him says that..so he wait till perfect chance..

10/10 good saving experience

Marco

One moment he was standing watching the beautiful sea , then suddenly a strong wave hit and he was too slow to use his devil fruit to fly away,he hold his breath as much as he possibly can,he can't help but feel helpless,what an embarrassing way to die...he fought in many battles,yet a strong wave is what took him out...

He feel bit dizzy at the lack of oxygen and he hopes that's the others weren't taken by the wave as well,he would feel bad if they too ended up a victim of this unfortunate event,he start chocking on water that start entering his lungs and it burn like hell,he wonder if you would forgive him for Begin so careless-he did not have the time to think more before he sees you swimming to grab him so tightly, looking very determined,Marco slightly smile as he let himself pass out,he hope that the CPR he taught you would be enough to pull him through this

"......And you are awake finely!" Your voice says as Marco slowly open his eyes and coughs the salty water "ah...sorry,was enjoying my nap" Marco jokes and he can see you shaking your head "not funny..Next time no standing near open water when you know it might be storming" you scold him and he laughs as he sits up "promise you that yoi, don't worry" he ruffles your hair "thank you for saving me" he tells you and you smiles "oh no problem! Just know you own me a dinner for giving me the scare of a lifetime!" You says playfully and Marco can't help but love you a bit more

He is 100% thankful for your help

He doesn't drown or get into water often so you don't have to Worry about this happening again

usually he is the one saving you from almost falling into water so it's a nice change of pace

He would make a CPR joke later on when the situation is long forgotten to make you squirm a bit

He will make sure to get you your favorite snack later as a thanks for saving him because he loves you

11/10 saving experience,very polite birdman

Robin

How unfortunate,robin thought as the Battle between the strawhats and the Marines got bit too harsh and a Canon hit where she was standing sending her flying into the ocean water,she could say she lived a long life at least and died trying to protect her friends...she wonder if you would keep her collection of books safe after her untimely death-

Then suddenly,She is begin pulled out the water fast by someone and by the way she is held so tightly,she know it's You who had jumped to save her,she is slowly losing consciousness,but she smiles slightly as she trust she is in good hands now

"wake up damn it!-i can't lose you like this" your voice says as you continue preforming CPR on her,she open her eyes and cough the sea water she had swallowed earlier "thanks god robin-i was so worried" you tells her as you embrace her tightly,she can see that You are on the Sunny and it seem like the strawhats had managed to escape the Marines clutch which is good..you look not injured which is good,robin take a deep breath before embracing you back Gently " I apologies, I'm okay , don't worry my dear,thank you for saving me" she mumble softly as she hug you tighter "don't thank me...just..next time be careful okay? I almost had a heart attack seeing you fall into the water'' you scold lightly and that cause Robin to chuckles "I promise to be careful next time" she tells you with a gentle smile across her face

She is very grateful that you've saved her life,you always got her back even when she says she doesn't need help,you still offer to help her and watch her back ,so she is very grateful for that

She would thank you by begin extra affectionate with you for the rest of that day ,which you appreciate it a lot (Sanji is eating his hand as he envy you)

She doesn't usually end up in these situations,she usually able to get herself out of water by using her devil fruit ,so you don't have to worry about her much

Though ever since if the devil fruit strawhats needed to move through water,she would pick you as the person to help her across

She appreciates your help always,and she loves you a bit more ever since you've saved her from drowning

She kiss you later after that lot , thanks kisses she would call them playfully

13/10 saving experience ,she is the best

(This been in my drafts since months sorry for the lateness bbg)

[shibee-inu]

hi helo 👋 can i have uhhhhhh 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 27, 35, 53 and 65 for selen and 8, 10, 12, 13, 35 and 69 for endymion?

D&D Ask Game

Selene

8. What is something they cannot resist?

Hmm I guess maybe her own impulsiveness? Although that's actually kinda changing over time so it's not so much that she can't resist, moreso that it's difficult. I dunno, this feels like a strange question to answer, like how would you answer this for yourself ??? So the real answer: she can't resist adopting NPCs at the drop of a hat. Colton watch out you're next.

9. What is their favorite scent?

I don't think Selene has just one favorite? I'll give a few different ones. From her home: the ocean, cypress, and burning wood. In modern times: flower perfumes and fresh pastries.

10. If they were in a rock band, what role would they play?

Lead guitarist! Selene has played the lyre before, and while they obviously aren't the same, I think string instruments would generally interest her more. Plus she likes being the center of attention so her playing the melody would be fitting !

16. What keeps them going?

Hope and confidence! Fake it till you make it type beat. Selene figures that even if no one else believes in her, she can at least believe in herself, and that can be enough.

17. Does your character swear? What’s their favorite phrase/word?

Of COURSE Selene swears have u heard her… As for favorites. I think Selene is very particular to the usage of "asshole," but I've never actually considered it consciously? lol

27. If they were a ghost, how would they haunt in the afterlife?

She would move around your furniture and make spooky little noises. Mostly harmless! Haha unless…? I guess it would also depend on who she's haunting, because if it was like, the PRESIDENT? That guy would not be getting a harmless ghost that's for dang sure.

35. Do they consider themselves childish/mature for their age?

I don't think she really considers herself more or less childish/mature tbh. That's just not something she ever really thinks about yknow. Listen, that's Talfryn's obsession, not hers'. She's just livin her life out here.

53. What does freedom mean to them?

FUCK the government is what it means. Selene doesn't want to be constrained by others' ideas of who or how she should be. Also she's a roaming kinda gal <3 loves to wander. The facilities are basically antithetical to that entirely which is part of the reason she's against them on just a basic level. Governments that rob people of their autonomy have never been her jam (cuz yeah… the ancient Greeks did do that with women. A lot.)

65. Adoration or Intimidation?

Adoration for sure. Above all else, Selene is a charmer, although she definitely uses the power of intimidation when she really needs to! Sometimes what people need to be convinced is a good scare, and how is that her fault, huh.

Endymion

8. What is something they cannot resist?

I don't think Endymion is really a person who indulges in much so like. I can't really think of anything SORRY. I guess like… Selene in a way ?? She gets him to do things out of his comfort zone, pushes him out of his shell, gets him to say what he normally wouldn't. They're besties :) and he trusts her with that power.

10. If they were in a rock band, what role would they play?

Uhhh vocalist, perhaps ? He isn't really very musically inclined haha. Though I think he would get a bit nervous when put in the spotlight, so something like percussionist/keyboard might fit him better. If only he knew how to play either.

12. Physically, does your character feel warm or do they always feel cold?

Endymion runs hot! So it's always a little chilly for him during normal weather. That's why the Mediterranean climate fits him well, it's usually at least somewhat warm and sunny, and the winters aren't too too cold.

13. If they were a body of water, what would they be?

This is. Such an odd question to think about aslkdjglsk. Maybe like… a stream???? Not as big or intimidating as a river. Idk man it ain't that deep <- am I talking about the question or the stream? Who is to say.

35. Do they consider themselves childish/mature for their age?

Mature—he has a lot of responsibilities and has been able to basically single-handedly take care of himself and his family for over a decade. Though maturity is all subjective, and it's not something he values in himself or others. If he had a choice in the matter, he'd want to be more childish and enjoy life rather than be bogged down with worries or responsibilities. dw about his traumas <3

69. Journey or Destination?

Destination!!! Endymion is always looking ahead at the future, so living in the moment is harder for him to do. 6isms amiright. The shorter the journey the better, in his eyes.

[zz-chikorita]

Leon is de-aged right in front of Guzma, and physically and mentally becomes somewhere between 5-10 years old, and loses the memories and such of adult Leon. Maybe one of the tapus did it or another Pokemon, but Guzma knows it'll just take a couple of days and then Leon is back to normal, so he doesn't need to panic about fixing it and just has to make sure kid-Leon doesn't like get killed or something, and that the rest of the world doesn't realize it's him so it won't make a media shitstorm.

How does Guzma (and other team skull people) handle having kid-Leon around?

Bro

Ok, so, the absolute first thing Guzma realizes about lil Leon (I'm going to say he's closer to 5 years old in this scenario) is that his accent is so heavy, they can barely understand him. It also doesn't help that lil Leon also has a bit of a lisp on top of it.

The second thing he realizes is that lil Leon has the tendency to get distracted and wander off at the drop of the hat.... Which, to be fair, isn't much different than regular Leon. Lil Leon is just harder to find cuz he's so...well..."lil". For instance, Leon successfully communicates to Guzma that he's hungry, so Guzma sets him down, turns toward the cabinet to grab a snack, and, when he turns back, Leon is just... gone. He has to go searching the whole house for the little tyke for 20 minutes. He eventually finds him in his room in a wardrobe eating a bunch of chocolate he found in there (cuz Guzma has a very old habit of hoarding food in his room). Now Guzma has to deal with a sugar high lil Leon 😂

He's also very precocious and goes right up to any and every big scary pokemon (and human) he sees. He's taken quite a liking to Plumeria who is a little wary about the whole situation. Some may find it surprising, but out of the skull leaders, Guzma's the one who's better with small kids. (He insists he dislikes little kids btw). Plumeria's just not as natural with them and will be the first to admit she has zero maternal instinct. But, yeah, Leon will run up to her and hug her waist and she's just like.... it's touching me.... Why must it touch...? What do...??? Help????????

All the girl grunts love him, and he absolutely loves the attention. Like, they're picking him up and doing his hair and telling him how handsome he is and he is just eating it up like the natural little showman he is.

The guys are being a bit colder to him, not wanting to break their collective tough guy, hard-boiled façade. Of course, lil Leon wants to be friendly with them and they're being all stuck up and ignoring him/dismissing him, so the poor thing starts crying because he can't understand why they don't wanna play with him q.q What did he do wrong?

This alerts the boss who busts down the door like WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU IDIOTS DO???? and proceeds to scold the offending grunts who desperately try to convince him of their innocence.

After the fact, the boss was concerned all his yelling might have scared lil Leon, but- the cheeky little thing- apparently thinks mad Guzma is the funniest thing ever and is giggling like crazy. Guzma even plays into it and, like, jokingly stomps at him, which sends lil Leon into an adorable giggle fit. Guzma also does a thing where he's, like, you think this is funny??? You think this is a joke?????? You laughin' at me????????? and it just tickles Leon pink. Guzma's enjoying himself a little too much 🤭

Later that night, Guzma (just absolutely exhausted) tucks lil Leon into his bed. When he starts to walk away, Leon grabs his arm and asks something...he sounds like a little mareep cuz he keeps saying "baa". He also says "hishie-baa" (which is hard for him to say with his lisp) and "baloo"... Eventually Guzma's like lil dude I'm so sorry but I ain't got a fuckin' clue what you're saying. Very quietly and timidly, Leon sings something and Guzma realizes that he is asking him to sing him a lullaby.

So, after thoroughly checking that there was no grunts eavesdropping in the hallway, he sings lil Leon a song his mom would sing when he was little. Once Leon falls asleep, he goes over to his chair and pretty much passes out. Kids are a lot of fucking work, man.

However, Guzma wakes up a few hours later to find Leon has crawled up onto him and fallen asleep on his chest. (Btw Lil Leon sucks his index finger while asleep and it's fucking adorable, not that Guzma would admit it). So, Guz lifts him off and takes him back to the bed without waking him. A few more hours later, Leon is back on his chest...Guzma gives up and just goes back to sleep.

[noonmutter]

Kinky Questions, Go!! ALL 50! At least the ones you haven't gotten yet.

*knucklecrack*

1: Kitchen Counter, Couch, or on top of the dryer?

"Yes. If I gotta pick one, couch. Th' dryer's noisy an' I like bein' able t' hear th' other person.

2: Your last sexual encounter: Good or Bad and why:

Answered here!

3: A fictional person that you think would be good in bed:

(I actually don't know any ingame fiction to draw an answer from here, sorry. <.<)

4: Something that never fails to make you horny:

"Pullin' me int' you. Up, down, chest-t'-chest, back-t'-chest, whatever. Not often I get manhandled, y'ken?"

5: Where is one place you would never have sex:

"I mean, never say never, but somewhere it'd take some real convincin' t'get me t' do it? Th' meetin' space at th' center o' th' Dreamgrove. I'd sooner set my 'air on fire than fuck where th' statue o' Malorne might watch me, an' Remulos would not approve."

(Rest below the cut! Yes I did do all of them!)

6: The most awkward moment during a sexual experience was when:

"...Wakin' up in a pile o' people after an especially long bender, none of 'om I recognized, an' not one stitch o' clothin' anywhere in sight except fer a gnome-sized miniskirt. An' there were no gnomes in th' pile! "Days like tha' are why I don't fuck drunk anymore."

7: Weirdest thing that ever made you horny:

"Tenderizin' steak." Sigh. "Pretty sure it was th' smell o' th' raw meat, mostly.

8: What is the best way to sexually bind someone: Handcuffs, Rope, or Other [if other please explain]:

"With my bare 'ands, or with my teeth 'oldin' somethin' sensitive. Wolf's snout kin fit all th' way 'round most people's throats without actually bitin' down as long as I get th' canines all th' way across, an' as long as neither of us move too terribly much, it's great fun."

9: What is the fastest way to make you horny:

"Hook a finger in my collar an' pull me t' yer eye level. Trouble is, if we're not already pretty damn close an' y' start grabbin' at my collar, I might punch y'."

10: Top or bottom?

"Switch."

11: We were about to ____________ but then ______________ [example: we were about to have sex but then his mom walked in] "We were about t' sneak off t' start our 'oneymoon but then I tripped through a portal some jackass dropped in th' middle o' th' weddin' party an' 'ad t' fly all th' way back first.

12: Is one orgasm enough? Are multiple orgasms necessary?

"Sometimes it's enough, sometimes it's a start, sometimes it's not even th' point. Really depends on th' mood at th' moment, dunnit? I like t'go as many rounds as either of us kin stand, most o' th' time, but I def'nitely find plenty o' value in just one long, slow go tha' ends when it ends.

13: Something that you have hidden in your room that you don’t want anyone to find:

His expression was less jovial than for most of these questions. "Th' collar I made for Vandy."

14: Weirdest nickname a significant other has ever called you:

"Squigglebird. Long story."

15: Two things you like [or dislike] about oral sex:

"Like th' noises it makes a person make--vocally, I mean--an' th' views it gives o' th' person I'm goin' down on an' th' person tha's goin' down on my. Don't like th' taste all tha' much, really 'ate some o' th' noises yer lips an' throat make if yer a li'l overzealous."

16: Weirdest sexual act some has performed [or tried to perform] on/with you:

"Li'l inflatable toy thingie in m' backside. Felt alright fer a while, cuz I mean it wasn't like it was th' first time I'd 'ad anythin' in there, but ah... she kept goin' past my willin'ness, an' it got pretty damn uncomfortable pretty damn fast. I might be willin' t' try it again but not without a lotta thought b'fore'and, an' not with my 'ands bound.

17: Have you ever tasted yourself? [If no, would you?] [If yes, what did you think?]

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Tasted like cum. Nothin' special."

18: Is it ever okay to not use a condom:

"I mean, if y'both agree to it an' y'don't fool around with anybody else, then yeah it's fine. Overwhelmin' majority o' th' time, I wrap up, even with m'wives."

19: Who was the sexiest teacher you ever had?

"...I din't 'ave any teachers I thought were sexy? My first shan'do was a 'andsome elven woman 'o could arm-wrestle a grizzly an' win, but she wasn't wha' I'd call sexy. Too gruff, too keen t' be alone."

20: A food that you would like to use during a sexual experience:

"Not somethin' I really think about in advance, t'be honest. Cook or no cook, food just kinda 'appens on a whim."

21: How big is too big:

"Can't get my mouth 'round it is usually a problem. Length isn't so much a concern, just means y' won't get t' bury it all th' way after a certain point unless y' want me dead."

22: One sexual thing you would never do:

"Mess with any bod'ly fluids besides cum. I tried real 'ard t'understand tha' one an' I just can't, sorry. Gross."

23: Biggest turn on:

"Depends on th' person; wha's 'ot from one is wierd comin' from another. Pickin' out of a hat? When Val'rin says somethin', then rolls 'is eyes up t' look at me an' tacks on a plaintive li'l 'Sir?' at th'end."

24: Three spots that drive you insane:

"Pretty much anywhere on m' throat, th' undersides o' my wrists, an' my 'air. Partic'larly yankin' on it. Just... don't come up an' do it outta nowhere. Like with m' collar, tha' shit'll get y' punched an' I'd argue y' prolly deserve it."

25: Worst possible time to get horny:

"Most times aren't really tha' bad, Iunno... middle of a warzone I guess?"

26: Do you like it when your sexual partner moans:

"I'm kinna suspicious of anybody 'o doesn't. Wha' kinna person doesn't love tha' kinda instant feedback? Tell me I'm doin' a good job, tell me 'ow t' do a better job, tell me just 'ow blown yer mind is by losin' track o' words, sing me a song."

27: Worst sexual idea you ever had:

"Really dunno why I thought it was a good idea t' let a blindfolded guy toss me anywhere, least of all into a bed with a solid headboard on it."

He touched the back of his head in remembered pain.

28: How much fapping is too much fapping:

"When yer chafed an' still 'aven't finished cuz yer too damned raw and desensitized t' get off, it's prolly time t' stop fer a while."

29: Best sexual complement you ever got:

Answered here!

30: Bald, landing strip, Jumanji:

"Landin' strip, ideally. I kin deal with whatever but tha's th' most convenient amount. Less potential fer mess."

31: Is it good sex if you don’t nut?

"What a bizarre question, 'course it is. Shit, sometimes tha's 'alf th' point."

32: Fill in the blank: “If they ____________, we are fuckin”

"Bite my neck 'r pin me t' a wall."

33: What your favorite part of your body:

"My 'air. It's gotten damned difficult t' take care of, but th' tradeoff's pretty worth it."

34: Favorite foreplay activities:

"Touchin'. Just... touchin'. Runnin' my fingers real light an' soft across ev'ry...single...inch...of a playmate's body. Learnin' th' curves, th' blemishes, th' scars, th' ins, th' outs, th' sensitive spots, th' ticklish bits, th' fav'rites all by touch. I kin do tha' fer hours if they'll let me."

35: Love (>,<, or =) Sex For those of us who don’t remember our math that's “greater than, less than, or equal to]

"Does not equal. Th' two kin be completely unrelated t'one another an' tha's perfec'ly fine. They kin en'hance each other when they're both involved, but they aren't incomplete without one another at all."

36: What do you wear to bed?

"If I kin get away with it, nothin'. I run 'ot these days, it's real easy t' overheat if I wear stuff t' sleep.

37: When was the first time you masturbated:

"Gods, Iunno. Thirteen? Fifteen? Somewhere in there."

38: Do you have any nude/masturbating pictures/video of yourself?

"Not tha' I keep fer very long. I make 'em an' send 'em t' people tha' I made 'em for, then I get rid of 'em cuz I don't wanna watch m'self wankin' or whatever."

39: Have you ever/when was the last time you had sex outside?

"So many times, gods alive. Last time was a few days ago, if y' count th' back acres on our property as outside enough."

40: Have/would you ever have sex outside?

Leon just kinda snorted. (See previous answer!)

41: Have/would you ever had a threesome?

"Sev'ral times, an' I would 'appily do so again with th' right people. Fun, but occasionally tricky t' figger out."

42: What is one random object you’ve used to masturbate?

"Most o' th' time I'm very borin' an' just stick t' my 'and an' maybe a dildo, but I got one o' those vibratin' sleeve thingers not too long ago tha' I've been meanin' t' try out..."

43: Have/would you ever masturbate at work/school?

"No, an' maybe. If I were still workin' in a kitchen where other people 'ad t' work an' there's food ev'rywhere, it'd be an absolutely not. I work in a private workshop by th' 'ouse now, so I kin get away with it more, long as 'm careful. Thus far I 'aven't been so tempted tha' I couldn't make it back in th' house first, though."

44: Have/would you ever have sex on a plane?

"Never been in one, be willin' t' try. I've 'eard 'ow tiny those bathrooms are."

45: What is one song you’d like to have sex to?

"...gonna 'ave t' ask me that'un again in a few months when I know more songs, sorry."

46: What is something nonsexual that makes you horny?

Answered here!

47: Most attractive celebrity?

"Do th' Tarts count as celebrities? I'm not even gonna try t' pick one, but tha's all I got."

48: Do you watch gay/lesbian porn? why/why not?

"Not a big porn-watcher in gen'ral, my life feels like a goddamned romance novel as it is. Not often I need more'n a couple o' particularly fond mem'ries."

49: If a child was born on the occasion of the last time you had sex, how old would that child be right now?

"Four days."

50: Has anyone ever posted nude pictures of you online?

(Hard to answer this one since the internet at large isn't really a thing in WoW, at least not in a widely-accepted enough way for me to answer it...)

51: What is one thing that NEVER makes you horny?

"Put-downs. Don't call me slut or boy or bitch--gods, especially not bitch--or th' like if y'want me t' go 'ome with y'."

52: Do you have stretch marks? (How do you feel about them? Has anyone ever had a problem with them?)

"Not tha' I've seen."

53: Do you like giving head? (why/why not)

"Like givin' it cuz it makes m' playmate feel real nice, don't like th' flavor s' much."

54: How do you feel about tattoos on someone you are interested in?

"Doesn't make a dif'rence t' me, aside from most tattoos bein' pretty."

55: How would you feel about taking someones virginity?

"Done it, though I'm not a fan o' th' phrasin'. They put some trust in me, I din't take anythin'."

56: Is there any food you would NOT recommend using during a sexual encounter?

"Nothin' spicy. Period. Just don't. It's not worth it."

57: Is there anything you do on Tumblr that you would not like your significant other to see?

(Another one that doesn't really have an answer in this context.)

58: Do you own any sex toys? (what is it? (how long have you had it?)

Leon burst out laughing and pointed at the full-size steamer trunk at the foot of his bed. "Tha's not even close t' all of it, either. Gods alive, wha' a question t' ask me!"

59: Would you give your significant other unrestricted access to your Tumblr for a day?

"Wouldn't give 'em unrestricted access t' anythin' private o' mine fer a day. If it's tha' private t' begin with, it's cuz it's my safe 'aven, an' they respect tha', same as I do their private stuff."

60: Would you be offended if your significant other suggested you get plastic surgery?

"A li'l bit if it came outta nowhere, but I've talked a fair bit about wishin' I could get rid o' some o' my scars. It's not somethin' I wouldn't consider tryin'."

61: Would you rather be a pornstar or a prostitute?

"Pretty 'appy doin' th' latter as it is. Don't think I'd wanna try th' recorded stuff, it seems like it'd be really awkward t' do tha' fer a cam'ra crew an' with somebody 'o ain't really enjoyin' it."

62: Do you watch porn?

"Not really. Most of it's not int'restin' t' me."

63: How small is too small?

"'Too small' is 'ard fer me t' quantify. I 'aven't found anythin' too small fer me t' work with some'ow."

64: Have you ever been called a freak? Why?

Bit of a flat look. "Worgen."

65: Who gave you your last kiss? Did it mean anything?

"Me an' th' guy 'o fucked me on th' fence out back shared quite a few kisses b'fore, durin', an' after. Mostly they meant 'fuck yer hot.'"

66: Would you switch phones with your significant other for a day?

"I mean, I could. Nothin' on there I wouldn't want any of 'em t' see. Be a bit inconvenient though."

67: Do you feel comfortable going “commando”?

"Frankly I'm more comfortable tha' way than otherwise. Spent too long with a big ol' poof o' fur around m' crotch t' be comfy with most undies. Same reason I'm not overly fond o' shoes either."

68: Would you have a problem with going down on someone if they hadn’t shaved their pubic hair?

"Purely in a logistical sense, yeah. I kin still go t' town an' do thin's right, but it's... sloppy. Those 'airs seem t' WANT t' get in yer mouth, an' all tha', an' it's just so much messier overall."

69: If you could give yourself head, would you?

"'O says I can't?"

70: Booty or Boobs?

"I am very much an ass man."

71: If you had a penis, what would you name it?

"I do, but I didn't. Namin' it seems strange."

72: Have you ever been on an official date?

"Sev'ral, but all of 'em only took place in th' last few years. Never when I was growin' up."

73: Have you ever cheated on someone? (Why?)

"No, an' I never will, an' you kin quote me on tha'."

74: If you were a stripper, what would your name be?

"I 'aven't th' faintest idea 'ow tha' works."

75: Have you ever had sex in your parents bed? (Would you?)

"Nope. Never 'ad th' opportunity, an' I think I'd rather throw up on th' floor an' eat it."

76: How would you react if you found out your parents had sex in your bed?

"Sweet, I'm gettin' a new bed!"

77: What was your reaction the first time you saw a penis/vagina

"Assumin' we're not talkin' about my own bits... 'That's not gonna fit!' fer a dick, an' 'This is a lot less sexy than th'other lads made it out t'be' fer a cooch."

78: If you had a penis/vagina for a day, what are five things you would do?

Answered here!

79: Oral, Anal, or Vaginal? 

"Yes."

80: What’s the first thing you look at on someone of the opposite gender?

"Their face. Also 'ow they carry themselves. But mostly their face."

( @pinpep @shckaewynn @valarin-sunstorm for mentions )

[azraqnar]

Thoughts on Agony of a witch (Spoiler warning! (Duh))

Oh boy I was doubting this series’s before but not anymore! This episodes is easily the best in the season. Grom doesn’t have shit on this episode! Everything was just great about AOAW, the music, the suspense, the action, the story, the animation, it was all wonderful!

- for one, Hooty is damn creepy when he fights not only does he effortlessly kick the emperors covens ass (you’d think they’d be more powerful than this but whatever) but he has a tea party with their unconscious bodies after. That was an interesting (& creepy) choice & it has me curious if Eda created him or not. We need a hooty backstory.

- Eda’s curse is getting worse and after episodes of not mentioning it they finally acknowledge how bad it’s getting & how Eda needs more potions or a higher dosage to barely keep it under control KEY WORD “BARELY”. It does remind me of when my aunt had cancer and her chemotherapy stopped working they had to higher the dosage. Good job on finally talking about it.

- When Luz leaves I do like how Eda & King reflect on how the “vibe” of the house changed when Luz showed up & how King thought they were gonna eat her (I guess it confirms witches do eat human kids)I am picking up a familia love from Eda & King so now we have the found family trope (Which I love). I thought it was cute when Eda decided to make a cape as a sign of gratitude & how it sets up how important this cape is when Eda talks about the material it’s made out of.

- Luz’s class is going on the field trip to the emperors coven but isn’t Bump the principal not a teacher?At my school whenever we had a field-trip it was the Teachers that went with us not the principal, Bump didn’t even play a big role so they could have swapped him out for a Teacher & nothing would change.

- Amity’s leg is still broken so she can’t attend the field-trip, which I thought was a good idea she didn’t go. I feel like the writers would try to force in more Lumity moments and it would distract from the plot. I do like Lumity but if Amity was there then fans would focus on that rather than the story & the last two episode were Amity focused so she wasn’t needed in this episode. Smart move from the writers, maybe if her legs heals next episode she could be there but idk.

- Now while Luz was thinking about stealing the healing hat I was a bit conflicted on it. I don’t like how the show is telling viewers it’s okay to steal but In Luz’s case it’s for a good cause, she wanted the hat so she could heal Eda’s curse. It’s like those cases you hear of people stealing groceries to feed their families, I felt the same here. Yeah stealing is bad but if it’s for saving someone you love is it really that bad? Idk if the writers wanted us to be conflicted over that dilemma but they succeeded.

- “Good luck with puberty” I laughed when Lilith said that, can’t believe Disney let that slip in.

- I have to say I do like the lore we get in this episode. Emperor Belos established the coven system 50 years ago to “honor the titan” which is the boiling Isles where they might get their magic from, before that witches were doing wild magic in what was called “the savages ages” it’s setting up more lore about the emperor like how did he rise to power? Who was he before? What were these “savage ages” like? If it was 50 years ago then there still are witches & demons that were alive in the savage age & they could tells us what life was like before. It also means Emperor Belos is 70+ years old. I’m just saying a human could live that long. 👀

- Now emperor Belos, wow his designs looks cool as hell, his voice is amazing too, it’s kinda sinister yet soothing at same times. As shown, it looks like he’s in a weakened state, he has to take these weird bird glowing green slime thing to have energy. We don’t know why or how he got like that, but it seems like he wants to Capture Eda so she doesn’t try to overthrow him since he’s weak. In fact, that might be the reason for the coven system, if he limits their magic then they aren’t strong enough to overthrow him. We only saw him for a bit but he gave a good impression when Luz said that no one will know about her stealing the hat we hear Belos voice echo: “ I will know” in the most bone chilling voice ever! The crew did a great job on him! Tho one thing I noticed is why is every big villain always in a weakened state? Darth Vader, Hordak, Aaravos, Zarkon, every anime villain. I just noticed this trope is overused, but I hope we can see Belos at his strongest and see how powerful he is. I have high hopes for him!

-Lilith discovers Luz is there & decides to use her as a decoy to lure in Eda. Which she succeeds when Eda goes there all angry for daring to drag Luz into her issues. I love how Eda doesn’t even try to stay calm she just straight up attacks Lilith & you can feel her angry.

- Speaking of that fight, best fight in the series thus far! The animation, the spells, the music, the raw emotion, it was all down great! It does remind me of a DBZ style of fighting when they’re moving so fast that your eyes can’t catch up & their magic surrounding them like Eda went super Sayion, I’m not complaining I like those kinds of fight & The intensity you feel in the fight is overwhelming. Luz’s life is at stake and Lilith even uses her as a human shield. She knows how much Luz means to Eda & was willing to kill her. Hell, she even threw Luz toward the spikes and Eda had to save her, then they both struggle with Eda trying to lift her up & Lilith trying to press her against the spikes & then Eda slowly turns into a monster THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A FIGHT (takes notes she ra)

- Now the biggest bomb drop in the series. IT WAS LILITH WHO CURSED EDA. she blurted it out in a rage of jealousy it seems. They were insulting each other on how one is better than the other. Then when Lilith says “THEN WHY WERE SO EASY TO CURSE?!” My jaw dropped, I suspected they would tell us but not this episode, you see can see the hurt & betrayal in her eyes when it was her own sister who cursed her. Like ouch. From what I suspected is that Lilith was jealous of Eda from what their exchanges told us. But why was she jealous of Eda? Friends? Magic capabilities? Power? Maybe fighting over a crush? What? Whatever the reason is does not excuse doing that to your sister and your YOUNGER SISTER AT THAT. Goodness & I thought Edric and Emira took it too far with the diary thing. I’m officially part of the hate Lilith club. Idc what you do but hurting your sibling like that is the worst thing you can do to them, just imagined how much Eda suffered for DECADES with this curse. No redemption can fix that. But boy do they need Family therapy or just punch it out that works too.

- I loved it when Eda went into rage mode when she found out it was Lilith who cursed her. Her own sister. Like damn that has to hurt knowing your own family did that to you. She deserved to beat Lilith to a bloody pulp & I’m happy she didn’t even bother to listen to Lilith she just wanted to attack her & I don’t blame her one bit.

- Ugh the scene where the curse overtakes Eda was a heart wrenching one. She knows she slipping away and tells Luz to take care of King & Hooty & to stay safe before she slips away. When Lilith told Luz that Eda is with her true family made me want to punch her more than Amity’s parents. You feel how helpless Luz felt & I hope they work towards her character with that feeling because Luz is happy go lucky & seeing her in despair makes for great character development.

- it kind of reminds me of when Queen Angella sacrifices herself In season 3 but I hated how they never acknowledged it since season 4 & she doesn’t even return by the end season 5, they pretty much forgot about her. We know for sure Luz will never leave Eda behind & will go save her.

- So we know Luz will go back to save her cuz we do see her wearing the cape Eda made her in the promo. Also we have 1 episode left so we know she’s gonna attempt a rescue mission for Eda but will she succeed? She’s up against the emperors coven! She’s gotta pull all her cards on the table & team up with her friends.

- A witch loses a true way. It could refer to Lilith officially turning to the dark side or Eda being lost in her curse even into season 2. Knowing Disney, they will give us a happy ending cuz it’s Disney but I will be pleasantly surprised if Luz fails to save Eda by the next episode.

- One last thing, I like the credits had no music, just silence. It reminds me of in full metal alchemist whenever a character dies the credit are always silent. I guess it’s meant to represent despair in a way? Or change? Yeah it think it’s change.

- This is why shows should focus on the plot because when you do, it delivers for some great storytelling & this episode surpasses all of the episodes combined. when you focus on the story & lore & characters it makes for great emotional impact of an episode and I hope Dana and the crew continues to do this. This show has so much going for it & people who only watch a show for a ship are clowns because this is what you’re missing out on. an amazing story. I applause Dana & the crew for this episode, really outdid yourselves!

- Overall 9.7/10 it was phenomenal!

[unironicduncanstan]

[UNI’S LPS LORE DROP BITCH]

so ,,, i used to collect littlest pet shop (mostly the 1st and 2nd gen ones bc yall i am old) and theyre long gone now but. these are some of the lps i remember playing with and giving distinct personalities growing up. most of them didnt have names at all so im just referring to them with numbers and pictures. also warning it gets pretty Dark bc weird kid culture but here we go;;;

the first is #11 and #86. they were my absolute FAVORITES, a mother and daughter duo, a lot of their stories revolved around the kitten getting lost and the mom having to get to her, or the kitten dying and the mom having a mental breakdown. 11 mostly acted as a single mom but sometimes id cycle out different potential dads, usually the dog lps bc i did Not care abt the actual scientific lack of interspecial breeding possibilities

#25. a basic white picket fence ass dude, really common choice as the ‘dad’ in the above situation, he also was not immune to being ‘killed off’ for angst. was also cheated on a couple times by 11 (THOSE WERE AUS THO,,, DONT CANCEL HER ITS OK TO KEEP STANNING)

#200. she was #11s best friend, I think her name might have been hannah??? anyways if the mom and dad were killed off sometimes she’d “adopt” #86. but usually only after #86 fell into the custody of a terribly neglectful parent for a while and had to be rescued bc again, in my gay neurodivergent little brain peace was never an option

#487. another love interest for #11, usually competed with #25 in an almost edward vs jacob type battle of cool brooding boy and average mcfamily man. he was a big fav

#672. number #487s sister! usually either helped him get #11 like a wingman, or i’d flip the cards and make her manipulative and sabotage 11 bc she didnt think she was good enough for her brother. the personality switches id give characters were rly like. getting the bad ending in a video game,

#44. YET ANOTHER,, LOVE INTEREST FOR THAT ONE CAT,,,, but it was one sided and he always lost. poor friend zone ass simp im sorry man idk why you deserved that 😔 i think sometimes though id pair him with #200/hannah at the end. cant get the girl date her best friend idk i was 8 my morals were not always applicable to the adult situations i created

#14. SO I,,,, i ended up with three of these. and in the end i made them triplets that performed for the circus and were unhappy in their life of exploitation. i think sometimes they would. form a sui pact to escape their torment.

#137. HIS NAME WAS FUCKEN CHEESE

Groovy goat / unnumbered. I remember she was spanish to me but spoke mostly english, this decision was made bc i was an extremely white american child, and she was almost always involved somehow in a story bc she was my favorite design ever. anyways she usually was a model that would give a struggling lps a ‘makeover’ like that one scene in any dramatic disney live action film ever made

#464. another fav bc of her design omg. she was like a little sweetheart and would often play the role of ‘baby’ for any species i didnt already have designated ‘babies’ for. BUT, when i’d play with the other hamsters (we’ll get 2 them in a sec), i made them all the same age and theyd all crush on her at the same time lmao the DRAMA

#34, #35, #36. they were brothers and in order from left to right;;; biggest brother and a leader+positive role model, then the punkish middle brother that didnt like to listen and would often get them all in trouble, then the youngest nerdy brother that was naive and soft and did w/e he was told. they stuck together thru all their antics, except when #464 was involved, then theyd have a classic ‘fighting over a girl then realizing thats ridiculous’ arc. rly loved these guys cuz i always wanted a hamster so id pretend they were real animals sometimes too loL

#693. i got thsi in a mcdonalds happy meal but anyways she was a princess/queen/whatever and was very spoiled royalty. probably tried to behead some of the other lps idk. all she wanted was drama and money

#112. punk boy,,, usually paired with one of the ‘popular’ girls,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, oh my god did i government assign this dog duncan kin b4 td even existed yet

#48, #79 #42. !! HUGE FUCKEN BITCH ALERT !! (popular girls trio lol), i think a couple times i like, aged down #11 and got rid of the kitten for a ~highschool au~ where these girls bullied her but she ofc ended up stealing the middle ones man. and then other times i just paired the middle girl with #112 in a genuine ‘opposites attract’ ship . where were u guys when i was making duncney lps a thing tbh

#59. i love this guy but he was just an eccentric dork and mostly used for comedic effect

#43. love interest for #59 that he goofily fawned over till he eventually got the girl at the end of every story bc i loved cliches

#673. usually a mysterious adventurous girl from out of town that meets the mains in my story and befriends them/helps them out. also a close friend of the groovy goat character

“Paws off diary” Bull Terrier. ok this ones weird but he came in this lil electronic diary right (you can google how it looks to see what i mean) and there was this like, plastic bubble on top that he came in and you could stick him or any other lps in there and shut it securely cuz it was a diary so i. used it as like. a prison almost where id trap lps and the other characters had to ‘save’ them like they were rescuing a princess from a tower or smth. but it was usually just this lil guy. also he was given a name but i was kinda cheating skjdfsdf it was, “Max” bc that was always his name in the commercials for the diary--

#646 and #647, twin orphans separated at birth. did a lot of princess and the pauper esque ‘long lost siblings from different worlds’ reunion stories with these two

#94. so this one came with a head bandage and a little medical looking case to carry them in. i used the carry case as like an ‘ambulance’ or med helicopter to put ‘sick’ pets in and carry them to the hospital, and this pet had chronic illness so they were always the roommate patient at the lps hospital.

#10 and #142, the goldfish couldnt be taken out of the bowl if i remember correctly so. he felt sad and isolated but the seahorse was his best friend who was able to go anywhere so id stick him in the bowl with him a lot to hang out n make him feel better. solidarity

#463. i LOVED her design, so i used her a lot as just a friend to whoever i was playing with. she was also one of the bigger birds so shes the only one i remember really utilizing as a ‘this character can literally fly’ plot device. she also might have been magic i dont remember. ik whenever i did the circus story she was always in it

#37, #38 and #39. i lost the ‘girl’ one early on, like completely lost it and never found it again so idk what happened to it. so the story was the other two were brothers in a constant search for their long lost sister. sometimes id either have another lps be their sister or make a ‘found family’ trope out of somebody

#331. i had two of these and they come with little hats but i lost one of the hats so. evil twin story babey the regular one was a nice old pirate guy but the one with the hat was evil and nobody could ever tell the difference

#641, IM THE TRASH MAN! I START EATIN GARBAGE,

[descendantofthesparrow]

Commission - Harry Hook x Mals Sister!Reader - Part 1 -meet cute

(a/n: for anyone curious, in this, you are 4ft 10, and 14 for this to be appropriate, cuz commissioner said, small and has no female curves for her age, soooo 14 and 4 ft 10, not saying that’s bad, just that’s what im putting! Love your beautiful self)

commissioner @musicarose​

=

You plopped in front of your cracked old vanity, sniffing and rubbing your face as you grabbed your brush, wincing as you brushed through it.

You sighed, releasing the brush, glaring as it hung midair, refusing to release your hair (hey that rhymed!). you let out a muffled scream into your hands, cursing your mother for somehow giving you the thick locks you had somehow.

Then again it might have been your dad's genes, but his hair was made of fire so THAT didn’t make sense. You had asked him about it a while ago (you adamantly bugged him until he gave into being your dad, though you still kept it a secret at the request of mal) and he had said his wife had liked you and messed with your DNA a bit to match hers soooo

You were the daughter of Maleficent and Hades, while ALSO being claimed by Persephone!

What a family tree you had.

Anyway, you wrangled the brush out and got dressed, shrugging on your denim jacket with painted green and purple flames licking up the bottom.

“(Y/N)!! COME ON!!!” you groaned, yelling back at your sister

“WOULD YOU CHILL, IM ALMOST DONE!” you heard Mal snarl in response, making you roll your eyes in annoyance.

“little brat” you muttered, tossing your untamable hair into a beanie and shoving on your boots. A loud *caw* sounded from behind you, you sighed, tilting your head and letting Dival perch on your shoulder.

Somehow you had gotten the demon bird to like but, you didn’t complain, meant he wouldn’t snitch on you to mom.

As you descended the stairs from your room, mal stood at the bottom, arms crossed and glaring at you. “I still don’t understand why you like that demon thing” she muttered, flinching as dival lunged at her.

“(Y/n)~ my little frighting~” your mother called, laying on her throne and waving her hand at you. “come here~” you obeyed and crossed the kitchen over to her. Dival hopping off your shoulder and onto her hand, scooting onto her shoulder and squawking at Mal.

“now~ I need you to do something for me today~” you hummed, sitting down at the kitchen table and leaning your face into your hand.

As your mother prattled on, Mal had snuck away, meeting Evie, Jay, and Carlos outside. You sighed, zoning out, you wished you had friends like hers.

But you had no one but the “demon” bird and your art, you were the lonely daughter of maleficent.

The “weird” one, the one with a stick for a body (which you didn’t mind, it helped you get into and out of tight spots), the quiet one, the one who just stayed in the shadows.

A Prime target for those who wished to get a leg up, like the granddaughters of Yzma, who had made it their life's mission to torment you.

This is why it sucked that your mother was having you go to Yzmas to retrieve a “potion” which was obviously just hair and skincare products.

Well…you sighed, pocketing your switchblade and waving goodbye to your mother, Dival following after you (he was oddly protective) as you open the doors to bargain Castle and made your way to Yzmas shop.

=

You grunted as yalzas sharp ugly acrylic nails scratched your neck and she ripped your beanie off. “why do you always wear this raggedy old thing?” she said in her pitchy nasally voice.

You glared, dival lunging at her, making her squeal in fright and drop it, you scooped it up and shoved it back on your head, collecting the bag of “potions” from Yzma and walking out.

Though it didn’t stop the two girls from following you out and making fun of your body.

“how do you ever expect a boy to notice you with a body like that!?” “you don’t even have boobs!! Your 14 and you haven’t even grown anything!?!”

They let out high pitched cackles, you kept walking, forcing the burning tears down.

“is tha’ any way ta speak ta a lady~” you whipped around, a tall boy with a long red coat now stood in front of you, his wide torso blocking the view of the sisters.

“uh-ho-hook! Nice to see EEH!” the boy swiped at them with a large silver hook. He growled, sending shivers down your spine.

“bea’t it” the sisters squealed, turning tail and running back to Yzmas. He stood tall and turned to you, your breath hitched.

Clear ocean blue eyes stared down at you, lined with dark coal and mischief “now” he purred, lifting his left hand and letting the hook brush against your jaw.

“what do we hav’ ‘ere, a lost little bird~?” you jumped as Dival nipped at his hand, the boy flinched back, staring at Dival oddly.

“I know tha’ bird” he muttered, pointing at him “tha’s Maleficent devil crow, how’d ye…yer Mals sister aren’t yeh?” he ended, an odd twinkle in his eye.

You sighed, nodding “yeah, that would be me” you did a little pose, arms out wide and doing a little bow “(y/n),  second daughter of Maleficent”

The boy chucked, bowing back “Harry, son of Hook” you smiled, shaking your head slightly, he was very handsome for the son of that bulbous nosed man.

“It was…nice meeting you?” you laughed, backing up slowly, remembering the “potions” in your bag. “but I have to get back to my mother”

Harry stepped forward, smirking down at you “let me walk yeh”

You paused, looking as Dival, who shrugged “well…alright,” Harry's smirk turned to a dashing grin, holding out his arm for you to take and leading you back to the castle.

As you pulled away from him when you arrived, you turned, giving a shy smile and nod. “uh…thanks, Harry” he chuckled and took off his feathered pirate hat, holding it to his chest and bowing

“It was my pleasure lassie” he stood straight, fitting his hat back on and walking off. You stood there for another minute, dival watching with you as Harry walked away.

A slight smile built on your lips, heat rushing to your cheeks. “what a charming pirate” you muttered, turning into the door and closing it behind you.

--end of part 1--

permtaglist

@queer-cosette​

@sephiralorange​

@daughter-of-pan12​

@random-thoughts-003​

@lunanight2012​

[destinyc1020]

So does this mean Tom probably isn’t going to attend the oscars? or is there still a chance

I mean.... there MIGHT still be a chance, but at this point it's cutting it very close, and it just doesn't make sense imo to go back and forth like that. Especially during a pandemic. If this were normal times, then I wouldn't be too worried, cuz celebs fly in and out of cities at the drop of a hat all the time, even if they only spend one or two nights some place before flying back out.

But with a pandemic going on, it just doesn't seem likely... nor safe tbh to be flying internationally like that back and forth. 🥴 And even with LA lifting up the strict covid rules, I just don't see it making any sense. The Oscars are about 10 days away. And I think most presenters have to be in LA at least by the 20th at the latest (according to what we read in the rules) in order to get tested, get results back, and be seen as "fit" enough to present.

So that's why I said my hopes of him presenting are burned. 😔

But again, idk his schedule. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I could be surprised!

This is def a W.A.S. moment.

[todorokis-left-shoe]

Haircut

Metal was only three when Lee decided it was time to give him the signature bowl cut. But Metal, like many other kids his age, was afraid of the sharp scissors coming near his face. Lee had actually hyped up the hair cut to make it seem much more exciting, copying Hinata and Naruto when they had to give Boruto a haircut. But then when it came time to actually cut it, Metal put up a fight, which was quite the opposite to how Boruto had reacted— Metal just wasn't excited anymore. He hid under his arms, he shook his head when Lee even came within 10 inches of his head, he even screamed "no" in a big hissy.

Lee was at a loss. The season was getting hotter and hotter as the days went by and Metal's hair went past his chin, unruly and thick— defiantly an unfit summer hair style. Metal would roast with this mop covering his scalp. He had the bowl— that he was going to use as a mold of sorts— off to the side on the counter top, the scissors next it, both long abandoned. Metal had his little arms crossed over his chest, cheeks puffed out, and bushy brows furrowed tightly into a determined angry pount. Lee looked at his son, sitting in one of the two kitchen chairs wrapped up, quite messily from the prior struggles, in an old beat up bed sheet; he should have expected this. Metal was a timid child that ran away from things he didnt want to do, but when he wanted to be he could easily put his feet down and refuse to do something with more stubborn confidence than a bull! Lee eas told this would end after turning three but that was obviously a lie.

Lee leaned futher onto the counter, looking up to the ceiling for an answer— at least a hint of what to do would appease him. Lee scanned the uneven, very bumpy, surface above him as if it would give him any rational insight. Which was ridiculous to say the least. Its a ceiling! An inanimate object! Lee hung his head with a huff, exasperated and defeated equally. The ceiling can't so neither can his feet. This is hopeless!

"Daddy?" Metal's little voice piped up. Lee popped his head back up, seeing the little boy with sheepish eyes and a sad lip. His eyes looked bigger with slight guilt lingering in solid black. "Daddy, did I make you sad? Did I do somedin' wrong?" To reassure the boy that his troubles weren't real the older male broke out into a wide smile, although his eyes still hid worry inside— hopefully the boy couldnt read into that.

He waved the little one off, smile persistent. "No no son! I am fine!" He pushed himself off the counter ledge, straightening his posture to look more organized. "I was just thinking, don't worry." He chuckled.

Metal pushed the bed sheet further off his shoulders. "Okay. Can I go now?" Lee hung his head, defeated by his son's nonchalant manner. Metal tried his best to climbed down the chair while the sheet still stuck to his collar and wrapped around his body, however Lee stopped him midway, scooping the boy up in his arms. The younger didn't struggle out of his grasp, he only tugged at the sheet even more, ignoring his father's soft giggles. "No Metal, you are not getting out of this. Your hair is much too long now."

The three year old pouted again. The jounin loosened the bed sheet around his son's neck, keeping it tucked in his collar enough so he still couldn't pull it off easily. He lowered the boy down on the chair once again and knelt down to his level. He cocked his head to the side and stared the boy in the eyes, looking for an answer. "Metal," Said boy's face lit up at the mention of his name, expecting a stern talking to judging by the adult's steely tone. "Why do you not want to get your hair cut? I promise I will not hurt you or make you look bad."

Metal shook his head but said nothing.

"What is it that makes you so scared? Please tell me, son."

Metal looked away and pointed behind the other. Lee twisted around following the boy's finger to the pair of scissors. He reached for the sharp instrument. "These?" He held them by the blades, handle face up in the air. Metal rapidly nodded, still looking away. "Why—"

"'Cuz they hurt people! They cut open and they hurt!" It took a minute for the dotd to connect in in brain; he thought the scissors were kunai.

Lee thought back to a few weeks ago when he brought Metal along to watch him train, preparing for the start of his own training. Lee had set his tool pouch on the ground to avoid them from falling out as he did handstands— you know, to entertain the little one— however, as much of a watchfull eye he prided himself on, he made the mistake of looking away for a couple minutes. Metal had grown curious of his tool pouch and decided a kunai was a smart thing to play with. Lee, his paternal side kicking in full force, dashed for the boy to keep the sharp object out of his untrained hands. But the shock of his father coming at him with what looked like anger made the kunai slip and cut his hand. It wasnt a deep cut but it did bleed, much more than it had when he tripped and scrapped his knee running. Obviously, the little one did cry, it must of hurt much more to him than it would to Lee or any other adult. He is a child afterall.

Metal must of formed some sort of vendetta against them since then. Lee had to clear this up or else the kid could carry this mentality through life.

"Can you hold out your hands please?" Lee asked. Metal did so, not at all knowing what was happening. He was just doing what his dad told him to. Without another word Lee set the pair of scissors in Metal's palms. He thought about dropping them by the looks of it but ultimately decided not to. "These do not hurt people, son. And you definitely do not throw them! O-or run with them!" He quickly added the last bits— a fatherly lesson if you will.

"They dont?" Metal asked, a squeak in his voice. Lee shook his head. "They are for cutting hair. See," Lee took the instrument back and cut a couple of small strands of is own hair. He kept the strands in his palm and presented it to Metal. "For hair." He smiled.

Metal was still unconvinced. Lee let out sigh.

And then he got a potentially idiotic idea.

Lee carefully handed the scissors back and leaned forward, presenting a bit of his bang to Metal. "You try it! Go ahead!" He encouraged with a gleeful grin.

Metal looked at the object perplexingly. He took a hold of the handle like Lee had, trying his best to hold them with his tiny hands. Lee egged him on with a wider smile. Metal opened the mouth of the cutting tool, the older man watching closely. Lee leaned forward a couple more inches and Metal made contact with his hair. He closed the mouth and snip.

The hair strands fell gently down on the floor. The cut wasnt clean of course, more diagonal than straight, but nothing a little trimming couldn't fix. Not a big deal.

Lee was about to pull away when Metal pulled him down and he began to cut at the middle. Lee watched with horror as his hair fell, one strand after another. "M-M-M-Metal!? What are you doing!?" Lee managed to pull away while Metal hovered the scissors for a second. He covered the top of his head with his hands, panicked look as Metal's twisted into confusion.

"I was cuttin' daddy's hair." He said innocently.

Lee softened his face, leaving one hand on his head— very much fearful of the bald spot he might have now— and took the scissors back. He stood, Metal watching his every movement, and grabbed the large mixing bowl behind him. "Are you okay with these now?" Lee asked. Metal nodded, a slightly more confident look on his face. It still looked to be full of worry and fear but it seemed Metal was trying get past it. Lee smiled again and lightly nodded just before going behind his son and placing the bowl atop his head.

His shaggy black hair spilt out from the mouth, messy and tangled as usual. Lee put the scissors in his nondominate hand, blades facing away from Metal, and he took out one of the three combs he had in his back pouch. He combed through his son's hair, straightening it out. He finished it up, the ends threatening to curl upwards.

Lee got to work on neatly cutting away, leaving a neat undercut to keep his ears showing rather than to copy his own style. As Lee moved from the back to the front, Metal remained completely still and well behaved.

Bonus:

Later in the day, after neatening up his own hair, Lee took Metal out for groceries— and a new hat. He was on his way up to the counter when Tenten had spotted him and Metal, stopping them to say hi and compliment little Metal on his new haircut.

"Say Lee..." Tenten brought her attention to Lee's hair, noticing something different. "Did you get a haircut too?"

Lee rubbed at the back of his head, pushing Metal back a bit so he wouldnt point the embarrassing mess out. "W-what do you mean?" Tenten leaned in on Lee's personal space, trying to see the difference. Lee nerously sweat under her gaze.

Metal pulled on her pants leg, getting her attention. She looked down with a sweet smile, telling him to go on. "I c—"

Lee whisked him up in his arms, dropping the shopping basket full of nonperishables. "HE CAN RUN REALLY FAST NOW! BYE!"

Tenten watched the visibly panicked man run off with his son, and then it hit her. She hit the palm of her hand with her fist and said, "He has a bald spot now!" She laughed. "Guess being a dad has made him age faster, huh? Old man."

[lovecraftian-druid]

Pactborn - Part II

NOTE #1: This is a chapter-long post of a character’s backstory, so hit your Keurig for a warm cuppa and curl up under a blanket, cuz this isn’t a quick scroll sort of post.

NOTE #2: I’m changing this submission up from the second person tense of the previous post (the one I used when talking to my PC during her zero level session) to the first person tense, just to shake things up and try on different styles. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed experiencing it!

I wake up to the warmth of the morning sun on my face and the smell of bread baking downstairs: normally, this would feel like any other morning here in Khaadeehava, but this morning feels different. Maybe it’s because today the annual celebration of Al’adwa, the festival of Solune where everyone eats street food, plays games, and watches the solar eclipse; or maybe it’s because of the amazing dream I had again of the nice man with the shield who takes me flying over the city and the ocean (sometimes, I like to pretend that the big ships I see in my dreams are Papa’s); or maybe it was the weird feeling in my stomach when I woke up: I thought – no, felt – like someone was watching me…

Regardless, I throw my legs over the side of the bed, glancing over at my outfit for later, as Mama calls up to me, “Kal’ya, darling, a letter is just in – I think you know who sent it!” With my gangly form, I sprint like a whirlwind down the stairs to see Mama fixing breakfast in the kitchen and a letter waiting for me on the supper table – on it is the seal I’ve come to recognize and love: the insignia of the Felgran Fleet, the royal navy of the next region over from Ghaan. Papa joined the navy when I was five years old, and his work has kept him away at sea for sometimes months at a time for the last three years. It’s so exciting to read his notes when he can write though! He tells me stories of all sorts of different people, different types of weather, and strange sea creatures he’s had to encounter. I carefully tear along the side of the envelope to pull out his message to me – it reads:

                                              ~ Wayfarer’s Tavern ~

Savita 22nd, 410

My little cinnamon stick,

I hope this letter finds you well - my journey has taken me around the coast again into the frigid waters of the Gheaţă Ocean to a region known as Chladny (have you read about this place in your studies?). It never ceases to amaze me how we are only a mere 30 days apart and yet, where hot sand lies beneath your feet at home, frozen snow lies beneath mine as I stand here on the Zamuerzat Wharf. How I wish I could bring you with me! Perhaps when you are 10, then we will sail around the entire continent of Baenomir. Until then, I hope you will enjoy this trinket (called a “compass”) I picked up in one of the shops in the port - it is Dwarven made and is said to be able to tell you which direction you travel. May it direct your paths until mine direct me home to you. I know I have been gone longer than usual, but I may be home within the next month.

Give your mother my love and save the best of it for yourself,

Papa

I miss Papa so much! And I want to go sailing so badly! Sometimes, when Mama sends me on errands, I’ll go to the docks down in the Lahira Marina just to watch the ships go in and out of the port. I’d give anything to sail a great big ship like one of those.

Before my mind can wander far, I remember the part in the letter where Papa mentioned a trinket – my eyes scan the table for a package and quickly find it and unwrap it: it’s a…metal box? I study it more closely. Dad has told me before about dwarves – that they’re a little shorter than most humans but are very, very smart and can make the most incredible things out of metal! As I turn the “compass” over in my hands, I see that the bronze casing holds some notches and a couple dials behind a thick piece of glass. I spin around the room and watch the needles whirl around, and it makes me giggle. Rubbing my thumbs over the front of the compass, I feel the cold, shaped metal shaped into the four points on the device – they are of four faces, and all have tiny little red gems fitted into their eyes, ears, and foreheads. A couple of the faces look a little creepy, but one looks like a tiger and another looks like a grumpy version of Sultan Hunab! The top face, nearest the “N,” has a large hat like the sultan wears, and it’s around this hat that the cord of the compass is wrapped and tied.

Excited to show Mama, I run into the kitchen with my letter and trinket. “Look, Mama! Look what Papa sent!” I slap both down onto the table, eager for her to read the letter and to marvel at my new treasure. “Papa says he got this for me and that it shows me where I’m going! Look!” I shove the compass closer towards her face, obscuring her vision for a moment as her head jerks backwards in surprise.

“Hold on, Ka’lya, hold on, let me read your letter first!” she says as she chuckles warmly with shared enthusiasm. She finishes reading the letter then extends her hand to examine my gift before laying eyes on the grimacing faces, letting out a short gasp, and nearly throwing the compass as she recoils from it. I scramble clumsily to catch it before it hits the ground, barely getting a grip on it before it clambers to the floor. I know the look I give her is one of confusion and frustration, and she quickly tries to regain control of herself. “I’m sorry, I—I don’t know what came over me…” she says as she wipes her hands on her apron and goes back to scrubbing out a bread pan.

Mama is usually a pretty tough lady: she does everything for Jida, Jido, and me. She might not be an adventurer like some of the people in the stories Papa tells me, but she still is kind of like a hero – she cooks and cleans and makes things for Jida and Jido’s stall down in the bazaar sometimes. Mama told me once that she even saw a dragon, but she doesn’t like to talk about it; she said it makes her sad when she thinks about it. Maybe this reminded her of something that made her sad once…

I don’t bring up the compass again as I quickly gulp down the delicious breakfast Mama made and, after putting my plate in the sink, I run upstairs to get ready for the day. Mama saved up some extra silver to buy me a new outfit for the Al’adwa celebration tonight – a new pair of pants with a nice tangerine and turquoise shirt. When Papa comes home, he brings home lots of coin to help support us while he’s gone; but the longer he’s gone, the more we have to do what Mama calls “cut corners.” She says that sometimes you have to do difficult things to get by. But for tonight, she must have put that aside, because as I look in the mirror, holding the sleeveless, silky-soft shirt up to my torso, I feel like it is much too nice for me to ever wear out of the house.

Carefully pulling the shirt over my head as though it could tear at any moment, I smooth it down over my long waist then begin to brush my long, tangled black hair. I look up for a moment to comb out a knot, and I meet my own glance in the reflection – I’m not much for prettying myself up, so looking in the mirror is a rare occurrence and seeing my two different color eyes always catches me off guard. My right eye is a dark brown just like Mama and Papa’s; but my left eye is a pale blue. Jida says that that is where an angel must have kissed me before I was born. Mama tells me that it’s unique and something to be proud of, but the other kids in town usually just make fun of me over it.

I must have been upstairs for a while now, because I’m surprised when Mama yells up to me that it’s time to head into the market district for the festivities. Before leaving my room, I brush a long section of hair down over my left eye. Joining Mama on the veranda, we walk hand in hand to the bazaar. “Your cousins Ravi and Baru will probably be here, you know – you’ll have to try to find them so that you can play together,” Mama encourages me, “just be sure to meet me back and Jida and Jido’s stall before the eclipse makes it get too dark, alright?”

“Don’t worry,” I assure her. Even though the nice man that visits me in my dreams tells me that my blue eye is a gift, I still don’t know if I like it. I wish sometimes that I were just a normal kid, nothing special. Then maybe I would fit in better.

We meander slowly down the dusty downward slopes of the residential district to the Central Bazaar, and Mama coaxes me to run off while she visits with her friends. I wander aimlessly through the sandy streets for a while, picking up a few dropped pieces of copper and finding myself a food vendor where I buy a kabob – I eat it cautiously, almost leaning forward with each bite, careful not to drip any of the spicy sauce on my new outfit.

As I continue my half-hearted search for my cousins, a foot shoots out from behind a street booth, tripping me and causing the rest of my kabob to go rolling down the path, getting coated in dirt and dust. I look up, surprised, to find two other children pointing and laughing at me – Sai and Danikka. Sai, a scarlet-skinned fire genasi, is a notorious bully, and Danikka, a blue dragonborn, simply runs with him because she’s the tallest girl in our small little school and all the other kids are afraid of her.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going, weird eyes?” Sai goads me.

“AAAAWWWWWW, you gonna cry?” Danikka whines as she chimes in, making me feel that much smaller as she towers over my body, now covered in dirt and kabob sauce. A fire begins to burn deep within me, and my ears and neck start to flush with anger as I pick myself up off the ground. “If you can’t watch your step with those eyes, then maybe you only need one of them!” Danikka threatens, and I barely get my fists up in front of my face in time to deflect her right fist as it comes sailing towards my left eye. Relief floods my system for a moment, and I let my guard down too soon as her opposite hand shoots out with a parry, hitting me square in the eye socket. I stumble backwards in pain, holding my left eye and trying not to cry; disoriented by the thumping of blood as my face begins to swell, I trip again – this time on myself – and fall backwards into a vacant market booth.

I scramble, nearly bear-crawling part of the way until I can properly erect myself, as I watch Sai closing in on me, a cruel grin on his face. He grabs for my ankle as I right myself, only catching the fabric on my loose, baggy new pant leg instead, causing the seam to split as I wriggle out of his grip. I dart off into the streets, my left eye wet with eye-watering pain, and I can hear the two of them giving chase as I dart like a gazelle in and out of alcoves and alleyways, trying to lose them.

After toppling a basket-weaver’s display stand to slow them down, I zigzag my way to a side street and duck beneath another empty booth where I crawl inside the booth’s sliding compartment door beneath the countertop. I wait here for what feels like forever, hearing them find my route, search briefly for me, then move on, still calling my name in unnatural sing-songy voices. I emerge from my hiding place, looking about feverishly for any signs of them, before an altogether different voice takes me by surprise.

“Why do you run, child?” asks a deep, velvety voice from behind me. I jump and turn with my fists raised in reactive terror. Rather than Sai or Danikka though, I see a tall tabaxi man, striped black and orange with a white neck. He stands from his stool behind the merchant booth next to mine, and I can tell there is no way he works at the bazaar: his clothing is much too fancy-looking to be a merchant. He steps forward to share my booth with me, his striped tail flitting back and forth gently from beneath his jade and gold colored brocade robe.

I keep my fists raised, mostly out of mind-numbing fear, as he walks softly on padded feline feet. “Don't allow those hooligans to cause you any despair - I can tell that you are strong and will go on to great things,” he reassures me with a wink, slowly and cautiously bringing one hand up to dust off my shoulders while the other hand lifts a pipe to his mouth. Squinting with my one good eye, I do a double-take before realizing that there is something off about this man’s hands since they look like they are on the wrong wrists. I catch myself staring and quickly – and likely obviously – try to avert my eyes. He doesn’t seem to either notice or care as he continues, “Oh, where are my manners, I suppose I should tell you my name so that I'm not a stranger: you may call me Gilgapaka. And what is yours?"

I swallow a hard, dry lump in my throat before looking up into his large, golden, vertical-slitted eyes – “My name is Ka’l,” is all I can get out. My whole head is now throbbing with pain, and I feel too dizzy to run even though my mind is telling me I should; even so, he seems kind enough to feel bad for me. My eyes, his hands…maybe we’re not all that different after all? Maybe he knows how I feel? Wishing Papa was here, I break down in tears and briefly sob into the tiger-striped man’s side before quickly pulling myself back and rubbing my eyes dry.

“My, what a lovely name that is,” the tabaxi gentleman says as he gently brushes my hair from my face, tucking some of it behind my left ear, “could you write it down for me?" He pulls from his pocket a large piece of parchment covered in lots of beautifully-written words, a lot of them pretty long. I feel bad writing on the paper as it looks important, so when he offers me his piece of charcoal, I try to squeeze my name down in the bottom section that doesn’t have any words on it. He holds it up to the waning sunlit sky as the moons begin their encroachment upon the sun, slowly closing in on both sides of it with each passing moment leading up to the midday eclipse that is to take place in a mere matter of hours. I look up at the parchment, too – I feel a small amount of shame at the sight of my penmanship, shaky with leftover adrenaline coursing through my body like a frightened mouse. He seems pleased with it though since I see him smile at it before saying, “Thank you – I hope we meet again soon, young Ka'l. If I see those nasty children again, I’ll be sure to teach them a lesson for you…and remember: you’re very special. Don’t go forgetting it."

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. He takes one more long puff from his pipe before leaving me alone in the abandoned booth and striding off into the street. I rub my eyes again, but when I look back up, he is gone altogether from the path. Suddenly curious, I rush out into the street, looking this way and that way for any sign of him among the other people milling about in the bazaar, but there is no sign of him anywhere. I don’t even hear the voice of Mama calling out to me as I look down at my clothes…there is not a stitch out of place nor stain to be found.

Quick credit to my amazing cousin (and - coincidentally - the person behind this PC) for helping me with the amazing photos up top.

If you’re interested in keeping up to date with posts on our story’s characters and their origins, let me know (and thank you to all who already have interest)!

Ye Olde Taglist: @serenewrites​, @mayvinwrites​

[queenofangrymoths]

The Invitation - Final Draft

I wrote this for a grade. Enjoy. Beth is owned by @allthenewsiesaregay-bitch

~

The invitation sat on the kitchen table for about an hour. Ash was staring at it when Beth came back from a late shift. “Hey - uh, why are you creepily staring at an envelope?” Ash turned her gaze on Beth, her eyes narrowed as she seemed to be thinking something over. “That doesn’t mean look at me creepily.”

“My sister is getting married.” the sentence rolled off Ash’s tongue. It was a good thing, Jessica planned her wedding a long time ago. It was about time she got married, she’d been dating Cindy for what, five years? Six? Time was starting to blur together for her.

“That’s nice...so what’s the problem?” Beth grabbed a beer out of the fridge. 

Ash rubbed her face, frustrated. “I told my family I was dating someone. Just  to get them off my back but she’s sent two tickets.”

“So you want me to save you from your mess.” Beth cracked open the beer, lifting the bottle to her lips. 

“Mama kept asking when I was going to get married....” Ash pinches the bridge of her nose, breathing in deep. “She means well but I got frustrated. So yeah, I made one up, sue me. Are you going to help me or not?” It came out as a growl, something that only happened if Ash was really frustrated. 

“Sure.” Beth took a swing. Ash leaned back in her chair, sighing in relief “Isn’t your family like super catholic thought? How are you going to get around the whole church thing?”

“She’s not getting married in a church,” Standing, Ash got herself a beer.

“Why not?” 

 “Cuz they’re lesbians, Harold,” She took a long swing. She and Jess were the rainbow sheep of the family. Ash came out by attending the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987 and getting caught on camera. Jessica came out in the 2000s. No church wedding for either of them. It might bum Jess out but with Ash’s vampirism, that was just fine.

“That fucking sucks.” 

Ash shrugged. “It was never in our cards,” they drank their beers in silence. “Thanks.”

“Your welcome.” The following week was filled with preparation for the trip to LA.  Ash went dress shopping. She assumed Beth got a suit or something. Vacation days were used to cover the two three day trip. “Hey, babe?” 

Ash stopped packing for a split second, blinking from the shock. Did she…? She went out to the living room. “Did you just...call me babe?” Beth was filling out some paperwork, Ash was pretty sure it was about making Draco her emotional support snake. 

“Yeah? I figured we’d start using the pet names so it’ll sound natural,” Beth scribbled on a piece of scrap paper, grumbling as no ink came out. “Do you have a pen I can borrow?” 

“Give me a sec -” she went into her room, grabbed a pen, and handed it to her. “Here you go..uh,  honey,” a blush creped on her ashen cheeks. Get it together, idiot! She reprimanded herself. 

Beth wrinkled her nose. “Don’t call me that.” 

“Then what do I call you?” 

Holding up three fingers, Beth counted them off. “Stars, lover, and darling.” 

“You got Lover from Hadestown, didn’t you, lover?” It felt strange - calling Beth ‘lover’ but it wasn’t a bad strange. She liked it, maybe a little too much but she shoved the feeling down. 

“Maybe,” Ash laughed, heading back to her room. After a couple days of practice, the pet names slide off both of their tongues with ease. The day had arrived. The bags were packed, there was only one last thing to do before they could head to the airport. “Okay, Draco, you’re going to have to be brave, okay?” Beth stroked his scales as Ash held the sack open. “Babe, give him a boop of good luck.” 

“Darling, just put him in the sack.” Really, if they could keep Draco in the cabin - they would. Unfortunately, that was against regulations. Draco would be traveling in a sack in a box, labeled LIVE ANIMAL - SNAKE. 

“Give him a boop of good luck, babe.” Beth repeated, determined

“Jesus…” Ash sighed and dropped the sack down. Gently, she booped the ball python’s snout. Draco flickered his tongue, continuing to make heart eyes at Ash. “Now, lover put him in the sack.” 

Beth sighed and muttered some encouragement to Draco. Finally, she placed him gently in the sack. After tying it shut, Ash put him in the box and sealed it up. “He’s going to be fine,” Ash told Beth as she put her seatbelt on in the Broom, Beth’s car.

“Yeah. I know.” Beth drove them to the Airport, as they arrived, Ash shuttered.

Airports. Ash hated airports. Before 9/11, it was so easy. Now it was hell. Beth was uncomfortable and Ash was mildly annoyed. Luckily, she didn’t snap and bite a TSA agent. “Should I ask how the fuck your sister afford first class?” Beth was gently stroking the armchairs, surprised how comfortable they were

“She does the books for some rich companies. They pay her good,” Ash and Jes both could do math. They were too powerful but luckily, only one of them was alive. 

“Are you sure she doesn’t embezzle?” 

“If she does then good for her.” Ash adjusted her hat. Her sister knew about her...condition, Ash noticed small details about how much thought her sister put into this. They were flying at night, it would be dark in LA when they arrived, and her sister’s wedding ceremony was after sunset. All to make sure Ash wouldn’t die. 

The flight went smoothly. When they landed in LA, three hours and fifty minutes later, Beth was eager to get her familiar back. “Walk - walk! Star, you’re going to run into someone!” Ash ran after Beth- her fake girlfriend rushing to the baggage pick up. Miraculously, no one was run over. 

“Where is he, where is he?” Beth mumbled as Ash caught her breath next to her. When his box slides down the baggage carousel, Beth rushed forward to grab the box.  Ash, on the other hand, went for their luggage. “Got him!” A big grin spread across Beth’s face. 

Aw shit, she’s cute. Get it together Ash.“That’s great, lover, let's get out of here,” Airports were always so much nicer when you were leaving. Out on the sidewalk with traffic racing by them, Ash whistle down a cab. Eventually, a cab stopped and they rushed forward. When Beth shoved the bags in the trunk, Ash popped in and told the guy the address of the hotel. “Isn’t this your first time in LA?”

“Yeah.” Beth was looking out the tinted window. 

“Do you want to go sightseeing?” It was a couple years since Ash was in the city but Ash knew the city like the back of her hand. Say no, She was tired, in a desperate need for a nap.

“Nah.” Ash sighed with relief, setting into mild silence. When they arrived, Beth paid the cabbie “Keep the change,” They got the bags and Beth stared at the hotel  “Your sister is rich, isn’t she.” 

“I don’t know” They walked into the hotel, Ash making a beeline to the desk. “I have a reservation for Ash Carissima Lucy Vecellio, made by Jessica Vedattie Agatha Vecellio?” Ash put on her best smile. The clerk continued to type at the computer looking up their reservation.

“Why four fucking names?” Beth muttered but Ash ignored her

“Can I see your ID?” asked the clerk. Ash whipped out her driver's license - the new one, forged with an appropriate birth year and handed it to the clerk. If she carried around her old one, no one believed she was actually sixty-two when she doesn’t look a day over twenty-three.

The clerk checked it over then handed it back “Everything seems to order. Here are your keys. Room 721 on the seventh floor,” The woman handed them two thin cards. “Have a nice evening,” 

“Have a nice evening,” Ash repeated, dragging her suitcase to the elevator. 

“Really, why four names?” Beth asked again.

Ash pushed the button then hit the >< buttons, making the doors close.“It’s a catholic thing.” Really everything from the first 23 years of her life was a catholic thing. “When someone is confirmed, they take the name of a saint. I picked Saint Lucy.”

“The saint of….?” 

“The blind. Our church had a statue of her, it was pretty rad.” 

“Please never say that ever again.” Before Ash could retort, the elevator shuddered to a stop and opened its grey doors. Out they went, searching for their room. “This is it.” Beth unlocked the door and walked in. It was a nice room, comfortable enough and then Ash walked into the bedroom

“There are two beds!!”Ash screeched, surprised. Two king-sized beds, cloaked in white sheets stood before her. Beth didn’t respond, she was too busy opening up Draco’s box and releasing the snake. 

“Hey, buddy! How was your flight?” Draco poked out of the sack and flickered his tongue. 

Ash picked her bed, the right, and pulled her suitcase on top of it. “Alright, lover, we’re here for two days. Tomorrow is the wedding and on Sunday, we fly back home.”

“Sounds good. Your family knows you’re a vamp, right?” Beth scooped up Draco, placing him on her neck and hauled her suitcase on her bed. She opened it, tossing her grimoire on the bed. No witch left home without hers- Beth was no exception.

“The immediate family does,” Ash rushed to the closet to hang up her dress, hiding it from view before Beth could see. “Let’s keep it a secret, what we’re wearing,” They made a deal back in Chicago. Best to keep it a surprise, it made Ash smile. “The rest were told I developed a skin condition and a garlic allergy.”

“Mhm.” Upon finishing unpacking, Ash opened a shampoo bottle and drank straight from it, her teeth stained red. “Blood in a shampoo bottle. Smart.”

“When I moved to Chicago, it was so easy. No one questioned why I had so many water bottles.” She wiped her mouth, not one drop of red on her clothes or sheets. Her eyes brightened once she drank.

Beth looked at a clock. 10:55 glared back in white block letters. “You staying up, babe?” 

Ash dug out her pajama shirt from her suitcase, pulling off her shirt. She shook her head, working to unclasp her bra. If this sounds descriptive this is because Beth didn’t, no that’s the wrong word, couldn’t stop watching her. Ash stretched her hands to the sky, her eyes shut.. “No,” she took her time in putting on the old dress shirt, leaving the last three buttons unbuttoned. “Shouldn’t you be setting up Draco’s terrarium, not looking at my tits, Lover?” 

“Fuck you.” Ash’s laugh followed Beth out of the room. She was asleep by the time Beth came back in the room, not even stirring as Beth undressed and climbed into her bed. She turned off the lights, the room engulfed in darkness. The only sounds were Ash’s soft breathing, Beth fell asleep pretty quickly.  

The first half of the day was calm. Beth woke up to see Ash changing into a casual outfit, to which she quickly closed her eyes. Nope, nope, don’t be a peeping Tom. “It’s about time you woke up,” Ash clipped her bra then slipped into the bathroom. 

“How did you know I’m awake?” Beth sat up, rubbing her eyes

Ash replied while brushing her teeth, her words bubbled and barely understandable. “Your heartbeat spiked!”

“Oh...so when is the wedding??” Ash walked out, standing before her in sweats and a loose tank top. “It starts at nine and the reception should end somewhere around midnight or later. We should be there by eight-thirty.” 

Beth checked the clock on her bedside, it read 11:50. “We got what, eight hours to kill? What are we going to do?” 

“I’m going to get some breakfast. Want to join me, lover?” Was there any way to say no to that smile? Beth didn’t think so as she nodded and got out of bed. After a nice breakfast, they chilled in their room. The fake couple watched several movies with Draco coiled around Beth’s neck. It was after five that things got hectic. A chaotic mess of getting ready, making sure they knew where the garden was, then the waiting game. It wasn’t until sundown after all. 

“Hey, are you done yet?” Beth drummed her fingers on her top hat. Getting into a suit was easier than trying to zip up a dress herself and she’d heard Ash stumble and curse several times since she left to change in the living room. 

“Just- just get in here and help me!” Ash hissed, her fingers clawing at her back in an attempt to zipper up the back. Beth set her hat on the coffee, walking into the bedroom. Ash was wandering around, most of her outfit complete with makeup and heels on. With three-inch heels, Ash made the height difference between them from three inches to a solid five inches, standing at a solid 6’. 

“Hold still.” Ash huffed and folded her arms across her chest. Beth stood on her tippy toes as she zipped up the dress. “Why wear heels- you’re 5 '8,” she grumbled. 

“Jealous, lover?” Ash smirked

Beth rolled her eyes then hooked the dress up. “You wish. There, you’re good. You finished?” She checked her watch, they had an hour to walk to the garden and find good seats. 

“Give me one sec,” Ash walked to the dresser and picked up one of her perfume bottle. She spritzed some of it on her neck, rubbing it in. “C’mere, lover,” she walked over to Beth and before she could protest - she was hit with a squirt of perfume. “There, we match~” Ash purred, showing her fangs. “You can look now.” 

To put it simply, Ash’s dress was gorgeous. Black, of course, sleeveless, and covered in an assortment of flowers giving it shy pops of color. Hands covered by black gloves, if not for her pentagram scars on her left palm, she wouldn’t be wearing them. Her make up was simple, just blush and dark red lipstick. Her dark locks swept over her shoulders. She was gorgeous- Beth considered herself lucky she didn’t blush. “You look great, babe,” 

“Darling, who gave you the right to steal Cara Delevingne’s look?” Ash muttered as she straightened Beth’s silver tie. Honestly, Beth needed to wear more suits because damn did she look good. Ash was biting the inside of her mouth to make sure she didn’t say something she’d regret. 

“Who says she didn’t steal it from me?” Ash giggled, letting go of Beth’s silver tie. “We should go,”

“We should,” Ash took her fake girlfriend’s arm as they left. “You have one of the hotel keys, right?” Beth responded by patting on her breast pocket. “Good,” then they walked hand in hand to the garden, found good seats, and waited. It was a beautiful wedding, really. Ash cried at least once, using provided tissues to cover her face as she cried blood. 

“Okay, this is the hard party,” Ash sniffled as they walked into the reception. “My family is going to mostly ignore us, seeing how it’s not my wedding but Mama is going to hound us for maybe twenty minutes?” 

“Do you not...like your mother?” Beth asked, her tone certainly conveyed she might not. 

“No, dummy, I just don’t want to get caught.” Ash hissed. 

There wasn’t much time between the little exchange between the fake lovers before a yell shattered the villa. “Topolino!!!” an old woman yelled in joy as she rushed towards them, drawing Ash into a big hug. Ash squealed with delight and hugged her back. “My darling girl, you are too thin! Have you been eating enough?”  If not for the dynamic between the two women, Beth knew this was Ash’s mother by how they looked alike- her mother was aged, smaller, and round Ash. 

“Mama, you know I have, I just miss your cooking!” Ash giggled. The two finally let go of each other and Ash stepped towards Beth, putting an arm around her. “Mama, this is my girlfriend - Beth,” She announced with a smile. 

Beth tipped her hat towards Ash’s mother, smiling at her. “Hello, Ma’am,”

Ash’s mother frowned at her. Anna Vani Cecilia Velicello had seen all of Ash’s affairs, the good and the bad. In a short minute, she seized up Beth and Ash, seeing how they held each other. Her daughter seemed so happy holding this woman’s arm and the girl did look harmless. “Are you treating my Ashely well, Beth?”

Ash covered her face, faking shock. “Mama, do you not trust my judgment?!” “Frankly, no, dear.” her mother answered flatly. Ash frowned but it was fair. She had picked several bad choices in who she dated. Now her mother turned her death glare at Beth, waiting for her answer. 

“How else am I supposed to treat her, Ma’am?” Beth smiled, being honest as she could be, her pinning heart winning over her mouth. 

After a tense moment, Ash’s mother relaxed, a massive worry seeming to be lifted from her shoulders. “Welcome to the family, Beth,” she reached up and patted her cheek. “Enjoy the party! Anthony, stop eating the cookies, you maiale!” then she was gone. 

“Your name isn’t a cool pun on your vampirism?????” Beth whispered as they slipped into the crowds, Ash waving to relatives as they went. Her cheeks were already aching from all of the smiling. 

“Shut the fuck up, Bethany.” she hissed. 

It was later during the reception Beth learned how well Ash could hold her liquor. Not at all. Ashley Carissima Lucy Velcellio was a lightweight. “You’re telling me you are sixty-two years old and a lightweight?” Beth was from the deep south where she had her first beer at thirteen. 

Ash giggled, her cheeks red before she covered them. “Yep!” What a troublemaker a drunken vampire could be, the most interesting incident went like this, “I’m not scoopable.” she muttered into her glass. At this point, she was as drunk as a skunk.

“You’re not what?” Beth set her glass on the bar. 

“Scoopable. I tend to date people who are shorter than me but dammit, I just want to be held in someone's arms but I’m just not-” she hiccuped, “scoopable.”

“Yes, yes you are,” Beth was standing as Ash scrunched up her face in confusion. 

“I’m pretty sure I’m not- oh! Oh!” She squeaked as Beth scooped her up, holding her fine in her arms. 

“You ARE scoopable!” Beth declared, watching Ash threw back her head in a full laugh - her fangs on display, glittering in the lights. 

“Okay, okay, lover! You’ve proven your point!” Ash giggled. She giggled a lot when she was drunk, Beth noticed. Ash’s cheeks were red, sometimes she slurred her words, and her face was always dangerously close to Beth’s. 

“I like keeping you in my arms, we’re finally level.” Ash giggled again. “You’re kind of cute from up here,” it was the last thing Beth got out of her mouth before Ash did the unthinkable - She kissed Beth. 

And Beth kissed her back.  

“Gods, I’ve been wanting to do that since...like forever,” Ash said with a giggled when they pulled away, licking her lips. She tastes like beer. Normally, she’d be disgusted but right now, she didn’t care. 

“You taste like vodka,” was all Beth could say, her brain short-circuited.

“Well excuse me - you don’t taste much better!” But it didn’t stop her from kissing her again. “Pinning sucks, I like kissing better,” Ash against her lips.

“Let’s stop pinning and just kiss,”

“Deal,” Ash giggled and kissed her again but then she stopped. Someone screamed the bouquets were going to be thrown. “Oh! Put me down! Put me down, lover girl!” Beth complied.  Ash grabbed her hand, dragging her in the directions of the scream. “Come on, one of us gotta catch it, right?” Ash laughed, drunk and high on Beth’s kisses. 

Ash didn’t remember Beth carrying her back to the hotel - her sister’s bouquet of roses and calla lilies clenched tightly in her hand. She did remember changing out of her dress, Beth herding her into bed before Ash pulled her into another kiss That night they slept in the same bed. 

In the morning, Ash woke first, her head aching. Gods above, how much did I drink? Ash wondered as she climbed out of the bed. She spent five minutes digging through her bag for some Tylenol. With pills taken and several blood pouches drained, she turned her attention to the sleeping witch. Gently, she touched her lips, her cheeks turning red. We kissed. We actually kissed! The details were a muddled haze of drinking and laughter but she remembered being in Beth’s arms and decided fuck it! What if she doesn’t remember? The anxiety goblin whispered, the color draining out of her cheeks. “What if she doesn’t remember…” 

“Only one way to find out...wake up, lover,” Ash, again, decided to fuck it and poked Beth’s cheek. “We need to get ready or we’ll miss our plane,”

Beth opened her dark eyes, blinking them at the vampire hovering over her. Thoughts of last night filled her. The main one being how a drunk, giggling vampire kissed her. Kissed. “You...you don’t have to call me lover anymore,” She forced herself to say it. She doubted Ash remembered most of the last evening. With how much she drank last night, there’s no way she remembers.

Ash frowned. “Listen, I’m all for silent pinning and that shit but I kissed you last night. You kissed me back. So I just assumed we were dating. Guess I assumed wrong-” she didn’t get to finish. Beth pulled her down into a kiss.

“You still taste like vodka,” said Beth when they finally pulled away. 

“Oh, sue me.” Ash huffed. “Now come on, we’re going to miss our flight if you don’t get your ass out of bed.” A couple hours, they were back in Chicago and back in their apartment.

“Hey, did you see that Ash and Beth are holding hands?” Calla, the faerie, nudged her girlfriend as they left the building, passing the couple on their way up to their apartment. 

“Don’t remind me,” whined the selkie. 

“You owe me ten bucks, Shannon.” 

“I know, Calla!”

[the-walking-memelords]

Allegiances: Chapter 20

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 |Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 21

Series is rated M

Word Count: 4012

By the third day of Clementine's recovery without any signs of progress, tensions are running high and hope is running low. Mitch comes up with a bad idea he hopes will do some good.

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Ruby was wrong. 

The morning sun came to pass into the night sky once again but Clementine’s eyes never so much as fluttered. Tension rose as hope fell with every passing minute. By the time the sun rose on the third day Ruby was bombarded with questions with every visit. They knew she was no doctor, but she was the only one they could beg who would possibly hold the answers they sought.

“It could be the virus taking longer to go through her system.” Ruby said with a sad huff.

“We’re all already infected anyway, getting bit could be like activating it in a way. We don’t know if cutting it off even works, not to mention the blood loss.”

“At least this way she has a chance.” Louis continued to bicker.

AJ’s head hung low as he tried not to listen to them argue. It seemed to be all they did since they got back. Clementine told them these people were a family, but this family didn’t sound like the one she had described.

“Sometimes people just don’t make sense.”

She sure was right.

“You want me to help, but you won’t listen t’me cuz I’m not tellin’ you what you wanna hear!” The fiery redhead let her frustration soak into her tone.

“Cause you keep saying she’s going to die!” Louis started to raise his voice.

“That ain’t what I’m sayin’ and you damn well know it.” She retorted.

“I’m being realistic, Louis. Clementine is about as tough as they come but this? This might just be beyond her. There’s no guarantee she’s gonna bounce back. There is a chance she’ll wake up but a chance is all she has and it gets slimmer every day. I know you know it, you just don’t want to admit it.”

Louis crossed his arms as his eyes met the floor. The momentary silence leaving the room feeling heavy and exhausted.

“Fighting about it isn’t gonna make her get better.” AJ was sick of listening to them bicker, getting a word of his own to verbally get between them.

Louis opened his mouth for a moment, contemplating his next words.

“I… yeah. You’re right.” He said with a sigh as he stepped back.

“I know I’m being an asshole, but I just… I don’t want to think about that shit. I can’t.”

“You just need to take a breath, Lou.” Ruby’s tone turned gentle.

“You’ve been so wound up since she got back, it’s not doin’ anyone any good.”

“How long can she stay alive sleeping?” AJ’s small voice began to break ever so slightly. Clem couldn’t eat or drink like that. The boy hated the sickening pains and growling he felt whenever he was denied food for misbehaviour. It was sometimes enough to make him cry. He could imagine Clementine felt the same way now.

Ruby took a long look at the sleeping girl, once again forcing herself to give the answer no one wanted, but needed to hear.

“A week at the most before she dies of dehydration.”

A stern knock sounded from the door a moment before Mitch entered. He took wandering steps towards them as if he regretted his actions before even committing them. The boy gave Ruby a nod before she gathered her medical bag and made her way out of the room, mumbling something about checking on Omar.

“Hear me out.” Already AJ got the feeling he wouldn’t like this.

“I need you to go down to the river and get us some fish for tonight.”

“Why us?” The small boy questioned. He needed to stay here and protect Clem while she got better! What if she woke up alone? She can’t walk anymore, what if no one could hear her?

“I wouldn’t ask you guys to do shit if I didn’t have to, but we’re running low on reserves.” He explained.

“Aasim, Willy, and I are about to head out to try to find some game but between the explosion and all the damn walkers that came through there isn’t much runnin’ around out there, Ruby and Tennessee are tied up with Vi and Omar, and Brody will barely leave her room let alone the school.”

The look on his face was serious yet empathetic. It was clear he didn’t want to send them out just as much as they didn’t want to leave. 

“What if something happens to her, and we’re not here?” Louis began to pace the room as his fingers dug into the sleeves of his coat. 

“I know you care about her, dude, but there’s nothing you can do for her right now.” Mitch stepped forward, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders.

“You gotta snap out of it. Think for a fucking second and realize there’s ways to actually help other than suffocating in this fucking room feeling sorry for yourself.”

“Don’t you fucking-”

Not again…

He just doesn’t know the things Clem taught me.

So I should teach him.

“Louis!” AJ found himself breaking up yet another fight.

“Mitch is right just like Ruby was. You’re scared and I’m scared and I think we’re all scared. But you keep letting it take control! We have to be brave. Clem says if we let fear take over then bad things happen. If we get scared we don’t think, and then we do dumb things like argue and be mean.”

Mitch released his grip on the other boy, nothing but apologies hanging in the air for a moment.

“We’ll be back in a few hours.” Louis said flatly, brushing past Mitch as he moved towards the door.

“C’mon AJ.”

“We’ll be back later, Clem!” He called over his shoulder as he ran to catch up with Louis.

---

“Stay close to me while we’re out here, okay?” Louis reminded him as they approached the dilapidated shack.

AJ nodded as he looked over his shoulder, making sure nothing was following them. He had barely made it back before without running into walkers at every turn, but now the forest seemed eerily quiet and devoid of the dead.

Water rushed loudly beneath their feet as they crossed the rotted bridge, the boards creaking with every step. Small splashes burst up from the current at random as the fish swam on their merry way upstream.

The shack itself seemed it had been well neglected over the years. A fallen tree had torn a hole into the roof and the paint on the exterior was sun-faded and chipped. The interior was somehow even worse. Weeds poked out from between the boards and collapsed sections of the floor. Furniture lay scattered and toppled in the small space. An overall musty smell choked the air and AJ hoped they’d find what they were looking for soon.

“Here we go.” Louis said as he pulled two long spears from against the wall. He looked back at AJ before raising an eyebrow and frowning as he surveyed the size of the spear.

“Might be too big for you to use.”

“I’m not that little.” The boy pouted.

“Whatever you say, little dude.” Louis smiled as he handed AJ a spear.

“Grab a bucket and try to nab us some dinner by the bridge, I’ll only be a couple yards down.”

AJ plopped his bucket down with a metallic thunk. He looked over to his left at Louis who stood some distance upstream. His brow was furrowed as he took out his frustrations on the fish who swam by, stabbing his spear into the blue and dropping the still twitching fish into his bucket.

Maybe Louis was a little right about the spear. AJ held the long handle with both hands as he tried to find a sense of balance with the heavy bladed end. The blurred forms of his targets swam against the current, slowing them almost to a standstill.

Dumb fishies.

He buried his spear into the first fish he saw, overestimating his force and nearly slipping forward into the bank but the spear lodging in the mud and prevented his fall. He took a second to regain his balance, leaning over the water as he used the wooden handle to push himself back upright. 

AJ dropped his first fish into his bucket and taking a stab at a second. 

“Shit.” He swore as the spear caught nothing but open water. He quickly glanced back at Louis in case he had been heard, but the older boy seemed lost in his own world. AJ let out a sigh as he gazed down river. He was about to turn back to his work when something stuck against a rock caught his eye. 

The boy dropped his spear immediately and made a beeline for the object. AJ couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the faded blue of Clementine’s cap poking out of the water, pinned to a rock by the current. 

AJ got on his knees, reaching out far to grab the hat. His fingers barely grazed it as the current dislodged it, sending it floating down the river. Instinctively AJ lunged towards the precious item, causing the soft shoulder on the edge of the river to collapse, sending him into the water.

The shockingly cold water caused him to gasp as his toes barely touched the muddy bottom. AJ flailed his arms forward as his index finger hooked on the strap on the back of the hat. Just as he pulled it close a large splash shocked him and a strong arm wrapped around his torso. AJ struggled against whatever grabbed him, desperately trying to avoid being bitten before he felt himself being flung back onto dry land.

AJ coughed water from his lungs as he flopped onto his stomach, seeing Louis crawl out after him.

“AJ, are you okay? What the fuck happened?” Louis patted the younger boy’s back, the both of them now soaking wet.

“The.. h-hat..” AJ coughed out as he caught his breath, gripping it close to him.

Maybe this’ll help Clem get better.

Louis’ brow was knitted in concern as he reclaimed his discarded coat as he wrapped it around the boy.

“Let’s get you inside.”

---

AJ sat cross-legged in front of the small hearth in the fishing shack. Louis struck his hunting knife against a piece of flint causing sparks to scatter across the pile of dry wood and scrap papers, soon resulting in a small but growing flame.

“So you jumped into the river to get your hat back?” Louis let out a small light-hearted chuckle as he removed his boots, dumping river water out of them.

“I fell.” The boy corrected.

“And it’s not my hat. It’s Clem’s. I was supposed to take care of it while she was gone.”

The greenish stains and caked mud convinced him he hadn’t done a satisfactory job.

“She wasn’t allowed to keep stuff, but I was. So she gave stuff to me so Lilly wouldn’t take it away.” Just saying that woman’s name tasted like poison in AJ’s mouth.

“Clementine didn’t tell us too much about what happened at the Delta, she was mostly just worried about saving you.” He told him, nudging the boy’s arm.

“She’s gonna be really proud of you for saving her when she wakes up.”

“You don’t think she’ll be mad that her leg is gone?”

“She’ll be sad about it, in a ‘I wish it didn’t have to happen’ kind of way… but she’s not going to be mad at you.”

“Maybe getting her hat back will make her happy.” AJ hoped as he examined the peeling D patch.

Maybe me and Louis can fix it up.

“She told me it used to belong to her dad and it was really special. I couldn’t let it disappear.”

“I’m sure she’ll be happy you rescued it then. This is the only thing I have left of my parents.” Louis pulled a thin chain out from the collar of his shirt, a golden ring adorned with several shining gemstones dangled from it.

“It was my mother’s wedding ring, she gave it to me when I was sent to Ericson’s.”

“I don’t have anything from my mom and dad.” AJ said as he thumbed a small rip on the edge of the cap’s brim.

“Clem said my dad got murdered before I was born, and my mom got sick and turned into a monster after she had me.”

“Well your name is AJ and ‘J’ usually stands for ‘Junior’ so what’s your full name?” The freckled boy inquired.

“Alvin Junior.”

“I’m willing to bet your dad’s name was Alvin, then. So that’s something you have, his name.” He smiled at the boy.

“It’s not something physical like a hat or ring but it’s still pretty special. Some would even say it’s even more special.”

AJ smiled as he put the tattered ballcap in front of the fireplace so the heat of the flames would dry it. He had always protected it so fiercely, not letting anyone else touch it. Part of him was sad to finally give it up, but he knew it was going back to the person it really belonged to. 

“...Louis?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s it like having a mom?” AJ didn’t know much about his parents, Clementine herself hardly knew them, but AJ imagined the way Clem treated him was what it was like having a mom.

“Oh, Well, uh…” Louis laughed nervously.

“Moms are like… Moms take care of you, and protect you, and they love you no matter what. Even when you do really dumb shit, they forgive you.”

Louis’ smile changed from natural to forced as he struggled to keep the mood lifted. 

“So Clem is kinda like my mom.” AJ decided.

“She always protected me. When we first got to the Delta I was really little, and Clem fought them all the time. But she’d tell them not to hurt me no matter what. She’d tell them to hurt her instead, that’s why she has so many scars.”

Louis looked down at the fire as he bit his lip. He took a deep breath before closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“I don’t know how either of you could take all that, for so long.” Louis said in a low voice, scratching a mark on his right hand.

“You’ve been with them for years, but you still stayed strong. Held on to who you really were. Not like Minnie. I looked at her and I just… didn’t recognize her.”

“Clem and I kept fighting because we were fighting for each other. Minerva murdered her sister, so she had nothing to fight for. She had scars too, I think, but her’s were different.” AJ tried to think of a way to describe it.

“Can you get scars on the inside?”

It felt like a pain in his chest but with no wound to show. He felt it when he tried to remember what happened at the ranch. He tried not to feel it when Clem was gone, but for some reason, it was stronger when they did let her visit. 

“Yeah, you can.” Louis’ voice became especially serious as he looked the younger boy in the eyes.

“It’s called ‘trauma’ and sometimes it just doesn’t go away. Everyone has some these days, some more than others.”

“Is that why Brody is so scared all the time? Because she has a lot of trauma?”

“Yeah, but she’s got people to help her get better. Mitch mostly, but we all help each other.” He put his hand on AJ’s shoulder.

“You and Clem have a lot of trauma too, and I want to help make it better. I don’t want either of you to be hurting.”

“I think Clem would like that.” He smiled.

“She told me you’re her favourite out of the other kids.”

The answer caught him so off guard that Louis burst into a small fit of laughter. He took a second to collect himself but ended up doing so poorly as giggles still escaped him.

“Well, I’d say she’s my favourite as well.” He chuckled again.

The dying embers that sat before them emphasized the darkness closing in. AJ looked at the sky through the hole in the ceiling to find the originally blue afternoon sky was now painted orange with the setting sun, the last rays of day peeking through the gaps in the structure.

“Shit, we’re late.” Louis said as he also noticed the time.

“They’re probably wondering where we are, let’s get goin’.”

Louis ruffled AJ’s fluffy hair, eliciting a giggle from the boy. The two of them grabbed their buckets and made their way back down the path with a new spring in their steps.

I wonder if Clem will be awake when we get back.

I hope she isn’t worried.

AJ felt his pace quickening in anticipation.

---

The two boy’s arrival at the gate was met with a few worried greetings and a practically livid Ruby who immediately made sure she didn’t have two more patients on her hands. Louis laughed it all off and left to help Omar prepare dinner, leaving AJ to his own devices.

“Hey AJ.” A familiar voice called his name.

He turned to see the boy who had quickly become his first friend since joining this group.

“Tenn?” AJ was surprised to find him without his blonde counterpart by his side.

“Where’s Violet?”

“She’s with Clementine right now.” He said, glancing over at the dormitory.

“She’s not awake yet, but Vi wanted to sit with her for a while. She said she wanted to be alone, but I think she was waiting for you to come back.”

“For me?”

“Yeah, I think she wanted to talk to you… about what happened on the boat.” The boy looked down as he fiddled with his hands.

“Okay, I guess.” AJ had barely spoken to Violet since his arrival, mostly just “Hello”’s, “Hi”’s, and questions about Clementine’s condition.

AJ couldn’t help a slight nervous feeling as his footsteps echoed down the empty hall. He creaked the door open just a crack as he peeked inside

Violet sat on the bunk opposite to Clementine. She had the bandage over her left eye pulled up revealing the angry red scabs forming crisscrossed scars surrounding her pale green eye. AJ could hear her muttering to the other girl under her breath. He couldn’t make out the words, but her tone was sorrowful.

“Violet?” He called hesitantly, making the girl flinch as she realized there was someone else with her.

“AJ? Is that you?” She squinted at him. Her eye didn’t seem to be completely focused on him. 

I wonder how much she can actually see.

“Tenn said you were waiting for us to come home.” 

“Is Louis here too?” Violet blinked rapidly against the light as she looked around.

“No, it’s just me.” He began to step closer.

Violet let out a sigh as she gripped the post of the bunk bed’s ladder, mindlessly rubbing the worn metal.

“Look, I know you don’t like, know me, but I just wanted to apologize for that shit I pulled on the boat.” The shame on her face was evident.

“I fought back against the wrong people. I let Minnie get in my head and Clementine paid the price.”

AJ wasn’t sure what to say. Violet was hurting on the inside, just like that “trauma” Louis talked about.

“I guess I kinda paid for it too for trying to stop the bomb. I should’ve helped you. I should’ve helped Clem. If I’d been there maybe she wouldn’t’ve…” The girl’s voice began to break as her eye became glassy.

“She needed me and what did I fucking do? I attacked her. I was so caught up in my own shit I let this happen.”

A tear began to slide down her face which she instinctively rubbed away a little too harshly. Violet cursed under her breath as she held her sleeve to her stinging wound, resisting sobs.

She needs someone to help her get better.

AJ jumped up onto the bunk and sat beside her, not entirely sure what to do but he had to try something.

“You didn’t hurt Clem. Minerva did. Then a walker did. Then… I did. But not you.” AJ played with the hem of his shirt.

“The Delta does bad things to good people to make them bad too. That’s what they tried to do to you, but you weren’t bad, just confused.”

“I could’ve done something.”

“That would have been dumb. They hate it when you don’t listen.” AJ had a few scars of his own to show for it. 

“They would have only hurt you more.”

“Heh, I don’t know how a kid like you survived living with them.”

“Clementine is how. She’s the strongest person ever.” AJ said triumphantly.

“That’s why I know she’s gonna wake up. We just gotta wait for it to happen.”

A small yet hopeful smile formed on the girl’s lips as she reached out and patted AJ’s hair.

“You’re a good kid, AJ.” Violet said as she pulled her bandages back over her wounds.

“I’m glad to have you with us.”

The door swung open, causing them both to jump as a familiar freckled face greeted them.

“Ah, there you are, Violet.” Louis said in a cheerful tone.

“What’s new on your avenue?”

Violet snorted as she stood and faced the direction of his voice.

“Now that’s the Louis I know.” She grinned.

“Uh, what do you mean?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Please, that’s the first jokey thing you’ve said in days.” She shook her head.

“A little fresh air did you some good after all.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Louis denied as he walked over to Clementine.

“Still nothing?”

“I think she was talking in her sleep or something like an hour ago.” Violet crossed her arms.

“I think she was having a nightmare.”

“Really?” AJ gasped.

She really is gonna wake up.

“Ruby said it’s a really good thing, that her mind is becoming more active.”

Louis knelt down next to her bed with wide eyes, touching the back of his hand to her cheek.

“What is going on in that head of yours?” he whispered.

Maybe she can hear me now.

“Clem…” The boy held her ballcap in front of him.

“I got your hat back for you. I know you said it was ‘just a thing,’ but it’s still special. I’ll leave it here so you can put it on when you wake up.”

AJ placed the stained cap on the wooden dresser. It looked kinda gross, but AJ guessed that it was better than not having it at all.

Tennessee came into the room to call them all to dinner, taking Vi’s arm as he carefully guided her to the courtyard. The smile Louis wore as he greeted the others seemed to be contagious among them, the other kid’s happy to see at least his anxiety lifted at least a little. Smiles that faded just a little when he still elected to eat his dinner in the confines of Clem’s dorm room, not wanting to miss anything when they were this close.

Louis and AJ both sat on the bunk adjacent to Clementine. Each enjoyed a bowl of stew made from the fish they had caught while Louis attempted to teach AJ a card game with the similarly themed name of “Go Fish.”

Real fishing is more fun.

As the sunlight faded AJ felt his eyelids grow heavy, finding himself leaning against the older boy just to hold his head up. Louis opened his coat as he wrapped it and his arm around the boy, the both of them far too sleepy to go to the effort of moving. Instead, they accepted their fate of sleeping while sitting on that bed, surrounded by loose playing cards and leaning against the wall.

“Goodnight, Louis.” AJ said as he snuggled into the warmth of the coat.

“Goodnight, kiddo.”

Goodnight, Clementine.