#ruby jesse brotp

[ericsonclan]

Ruby: How can you not care?

Jesse: Like this

Jesse: *shrugs*

[whisperoftheheart925]

Ooooh, for the character ask how about carter kane, pollux from pjo and uhhhh sam winchester? <3

Omg what great character choices!!!! 

1) Starting with Sam Winchester

Sexuality Headcanon: So obviously this man likes girls quite a lot, but I just get the vibes that he experimented with guys in college and is so chill with it he barely even thinks about it anymore, so either bi or bicurious

Gender Headcanon: I have the tendency to assume he’s cis but I could see Sam as a trans guy too

A ship I have with said character: I never moved on from shipping season 5 samifer, the whole made for each other thing, the whole two sides of the same coin, the whole I’m the only one who’ll ever truly understand you, that’s what still draws me to that ship (soulmates but make it angsty and painful)

A BROTP I have with said character: I mean would it even be supernatural if I didn’t mention his relationship with Dean? But that seems like a cop out cause they’re actual brothers so I’m gonna say Castiel or Rowena. Castiel because they’re both people who want faith in their lives, and who have a lot of respect for the people they love. And watching them overcome the initial tensions that came from Sam being the boy with the demon blood was really sweet. The sort of friendship and bond that comes from being close to the same person. Rowena because in later seasons Sam doesn’t get too much development and I think their friendship is one of the better things that happened to his character

A NOTP I have with said character: I doubt its controversial to say I don’t ship wincest? That would probably be my only true notp, but also since I wanna be spicy, I don’t really see him with Gabriel? They’re sweet in aus but I don’t see Sam going for Gabriel’s flirtations, he seems a lot more intense and serious in romances (with jess and ruby for example)

A random headcanon: This one is tricky cause I read so much fic I don’t know what’s canon and what’s headcanon anymore. I think in the age of spotify he listens to it a lot to make up for the years when Dean would only play classic rock before he softened up

General Opinion over said character: Sam is someone I have a lot of strong feelings for, he fits into that niche of characters that I both relate to in terms of struggles as well as look up to for how he deals with them. I like the struggle against darkness within him, and his worth, and whether he’s a monster or not due to what happened to him, I do feel like his character was wasted a bit towards the end of the show though

2) Pollux our favorite lil Dionysus kid 

Sexuality Headcanon: I feel like Dionysus kids are often pan and I headcanon Pollux as poly too

Gender Headcanon: Cis

A ship I have with said character: Ooooh I've never though of this let me dig up canon characters roughly his age. I can see him crushing on Michael Yew and Katie Gardner, quick witted and bossy but good people.

A BROTP I have with said character: Charles Beckendorf. I think Pollux would respect Beckendorf’s hard working attitude and kind heart, and I think Pollux would find his awkwardness around people endearing since he’s a bit awkward himself and they’d probably be those friends that can like work on their hobbies around each other.

A NOTP I have with said character: Never in a million years with Clarisse, the poor boy would get trampled on and I think she’d be mean (I’m sorry Clarisse I love you I promise)

A random headcanon: He’s awkward and shy, and a little sheltered but he’s very sweet. After his brother died he had a hard time opening up to people, and became very private, but he’s a good teacher and is very dedicated to helping his dad with the strawberry fields.

General Opinion over said character: He’s such a cool character, I really love him in the original pjo series because he’s very very much a background character but he makes the world richer. I love that through him Mr D. gets to show a softer and more caring side and one that is fiercely loyal and protective, and I think that was an important part of the message of pjo, how the gods are shitty parents but most of them do care in their own way even though they never show it, and I’m glad Pollux was able to do that. I think he deserved better (aka for his twin brother not to die kay thanks) and I would have loved to see more of him in the rest of the series.

3) Finally our lovely Carter Kane

Sexuality Headcanon: Straight, demi-romantic and utterly clueless

Gender Headcanon: Cis

A ship I have with said character: Zarter! If it isn’t broke don’t fix it. This boy is head over heals for a strong confident and sassy woman who could kill him and really, who wouldn’t be? I love the thought of them bonding over their unconventional childhoods and their longing to discover things they think are “normal” but that they missed out on. I also think they would fall into the kind of relationship where they’re best friends, they have full and utter trust in each other, and they also discover how to navigate romance together

A BROTP I have with said character: Once again picking Sadie feels like a cop out. I really like his relationship with Amos too, but he’s Carter’s uncle so not sure it fits. I like to think of his relationship with Walt as being very close and like, the kind of brotherly trust that would make them close friends and have each other’s backs all the time

A NOTP I have with said character: Not sure I have one since any ship involving him makes me happy just because it has him in it and he deserves love. However I have seen a lot of fics with him and Horus, and I actually don’t think I like it all that much? Maybe cause Horus is often a bit immature with his emotions I don’t know how well their chemistry would work. This is out of character for me cause usually I really love the concept of host/supernatural entity ships, but maybe it’s also cause Carter is so young in the first book and Horus seems way too old for him? Maybe when Carter is in his 30s?

A random headcanon: I think he would come into his responsibilities very quickly. I think while he would accept Amos as being mostly in charge for a while he would try to be involved with changing how the House of Life is run as Pharaoh, because he’d see it as his responsibility and he’d do everything in his power to do it right, and prove to those that doubt him that he has what it takes.

General Opinion over said character: He’s my favorite character in the Kane Chronicles and probably in the whole Riordan verse. He means a lot to me because I also had to fly around a lot when I was a kid and I moved around a lot too, so when I read these books I could relate a lot to the idea of feeling like the airport is your home. I also grew up with a single parent of the same gender as me wishing I had known members of my very near family better than I did. Also I knew what it felt like to want to go out and play with kids my age but to not be able to because I couldn’t speak the language, and I felt really close to Carter because I see my own childhood represented in him. He’s also very rule abiding and I loved that his dad told him not to do something and he actually followed that, because same haha. I can only hope to one day become as strong and confident as him.

This took waaay longer than expected and I wrote way too much, but it was so fun, thank you @bluecookiesforrick once again for these! <3 love you!!!

[draculagerard]

Ruby for the asks thing

1: sexuality headcanon

Lesbian 😌

2: otp

Samruby or Annaruby or Anaelruby no i will not choose between them <3

3: brotp

Uhhh ruby and castiel simply because I cannot think of anyone else

4: notp

Oh god. Probably (hopefully) no one ships this but. Dean x Ruby? I just simply cannot see that.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head

Jess is Ruby hc. It’s just SOOOO. So. Hmmmmm.

6: favorite line from this character

The whole betrayal speech was SO GOOD. “I was the best of those sons of bitches” “Even you have to admit... I’m awesome”

7: one way in which I relate to this character

I simply do not shes on a whole other level I can never reach <3

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

Nothing. She’s too fun and sexy for that.

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Problematic fave 😌😌

✨send me a character and I’ll answer these✨

[boromirswife]

2, 6, 12, 21 & 23 (as generic asks/for whatever fandom you like ^^)

2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?

Whale & Ruby from OUAT (not that popular now, but it was for a while), Mondo & Ishimaru from Dangan Ronpa, Jaden/Judai & Jesse/Johan from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.

6. Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

Nope.

12. Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

I quite liked the Frozen arc in Once Upon a Time.

21. What are your thoughts on crack ships?

GOOD SHIT, GOOD SHIT!!

23. Unpopular character you love?

Most of my faves are minor characters. Victor from OUAT, Bastion/Daichi from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX…. there’ more but I can’t think of any right now.

[ao3feedsamifer]

The Troublesome Teacher’s Seductive Soccer Secret

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2t39nT6

by Hades_the_Blingking

In which Sam thinks hot people should be banned by law from teaching, but is left in seemingly-eternal frustration instead, Lucifer is largely unobservant until he isn't, Jess might kill someone on her mission to discover her best friend's secret crush, and Mrs Tran is out to dominate the world of sports. Will Sam win the heart of his Tempting Teacher? Will he manage it through the Soccer Championships? What will our hot soccer captain do when Prom Season descends? And will Dean ever stop watching Doctor Sexy? The drama. The fun. The shenanigans. God help us all when Gabriel turns up.

Words: 1812, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Supernatural

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Sam Winchester, Lucifer, Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore, Tyson Brady, Linda Tran, Kevin Tran, Missouri Moseley, Gabriel, Pamela Barnes, Mary Winchester, John Winchester, Sarah Blake, Charlie Bradbury, Ruby, Becky Rosen, Meg Masters, Bobby Singer, Benny Lafitte, Mr Jeff Jefferson

Relationships: Lucifer/Sam Winchester

Additional Tags: please forgive me for the title i just had to, Teacher Lucifer, Soccer Captain Sam, Teacher-Student Relationship, but in a more interesting way than you might think, Humour, Jess and Sam are BROTP, Highschool AU, Samifer has so many highschool aus I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon, Age Difference, Texting, Sexting, beginner bondage, teenage emotions, Desk Sex, Wall Sex, Shower Sex, Car Sex, semi public sex, yeah they get it on a lot, Lucifer's backstory has become an in-joke with myself, and no he's not a mournful alcoholic, Humor, Biology teacher Lucifer, Teaching lots of 'biology', Sass, THE SASSHOLES ARE AT IT AGAIN, Sam is repressed and horny af, Sarah is the cutest thing why don’t more fanfics have sarah, Tattooed Lucifer, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Consent, ALWAYS WITH THE CONSENT, prom shenanigans, I love writing Gabriel so much, Medium Toastage rather than Slow Burn, morally grey Lucifer, but ain't he always?, Happy Sam is my Kink, but also Happy Lucifer, Daddy Issues, Just have a laugh everyone

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2t39nT6

[lunar-years]

11-17

11. Who is your current OTP?

“current” is a bit open-ended lol I’m in too many fandoms for this. Here’s the full breakdown:

Tier One (my ride or dies, THE otps):Ron x Hermione (hp) Jane x Michael (jtv) Chandler x Monica (friends) Snow x Charming (ouat)

Tier Two (I really freaking ship them, they just don’t own my soul): Harry x Ginny (hp) Emma x Neal (ouat) Belle x Rumple (ouat) Randall x Beth (this is us) Jack x Rebecca (this is us) Mickey x Ian (shameless) Nick x Jess (new girl)Xo x Rogelio (jtv) Petra x Rafael (jtv)Ross x Rachel (friends) Jonathon x Nancy (stranger things) Jacob x Queenie (fantastic beasts) Newt x Tina (fantastic beasts)

12. Who is your current OT3?

Strictly platonic but Golden Trio™ all the way. Also Jane x Alba x Xo and Charming x Snow x Emma if family ot3s count.

13. Any NoTPs?

Approximately 85% of the popular non-canon Harry Potter ships (underlined if it involves Snape, Tom Riddle or Draco. Triple highlighted if it’s drarry or dramione…gag) Jane x Rafael (jtv)

14. Go on, who are your BroTPs?

Harry x Ron (hp) Sirius x James x Remus x Lily (hp) Petra x Jane (jtv) Snow x Regina (ouat) Snow x Ruby (ouat) Charming x Hook (ouat) Joey x Chandler (friends) Rachel x Monica (friends) (tbh I brotp pretty much all of the friends characters paired off in any combination but those are my top two lol) Nick x Schmidt (new girl)

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

When I was reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the first time I shipped Luna and Dean so hard lmao. I don’t like actively ship them but I’d still be down. That’s all I can think of. I’m mostly a basic canon shipper.

16. Are their any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike?

Jane x Rafael Hook x Emma (I don’t hate them by any means but I do think both characters were much more compelling individually than they’ve ever been as a couple. They’re just so meh to me. Idk)

17. Who was your first OTP and are they still your favourite?

Ron x Hermione and YES these two will always be my favorite. They’re basically my golden standard for otps. I adore them. #RelationshipGoals

[sam-0f-letters]

do you have any ships other than sam and dean?

Are we speaking strictly Supernatural? Yes. Wincest is my OTP, and pretty much the only ship that I have verrrry strong feelings about, but yes.

Sam & years of acquired knowledge does a lot for me though tbh ;)

So Sarah Blake, Ruby, Donna, Crowley (select episodes from seasons 7 - 9 only and not a romantic ship at all.) 

Jessica Moore - kinda, sorta, this one is complex for me because she’s been a painful memory for him, for like 12 years now, and I get super involved with Sam’s emotions at times as in all times, so….while I appreciate her presence in his life, when I think of Sam/Jess, I react how present Sam would react. Brooding twitch of the jaw. Just kidding lol  But yeah it’s hard to ship those two properly because it’s a painful area for him, if that makes any kinda sense whatsoever.

Brotp him with Cas & Charlie

As for Soulless Sam… don’t even get me started. 

Ships for Dean - Cassie, Lisa, Food ;) I am heavily Brotp’ing him with Mary tbh, I friggin love how alike they are, it’s giving me a lot of feels.

[ao3feed-charliebradbury]

The Troublesome Teacher’s Seductive Soccer Secret

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2t39nT6

by Hades_the_Blingking

In which Sam thinks hot people should be banned by law from teaching, but is left in seemingly-eternal frustration instead, Lucifer is largely unobservant until he isn't, Jess might kill someone on her mission to discover her best friend's secret crush, and Mrs Tran is out to dominate the world of sports. Will Sam win the heart of his Tempting Teacher? Will he manage it through the Soccer Championships? What will our hot soccer captain do when Prom Season descends? And will Dean ever stop watching Doctor Sexy? The drama. The fun. The shenanigans. God help us all when Gabriel turns up.

Words: 1812, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Supernatural

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Sam Winchester, Lucifer, Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore, Tyson Brady, Linda Tran, Kevin Tran, Missouri Moseley, Gabriel, Pamela Barnes, Mary Winchester, John Winchester, Sarah Blake, Charlie Bradbury, Ruby, Becky Rosen, Meg Masters, Bobby Singer, Benny Lafitte, Mr Jeff Jefferson

Relationships: Lucifer/Sam Winchester

Additional Tags: please forgive me for the title i just had to, Teacher Lucifer, Soccer Captain Sam, Teacher-Student Relationship, but in a more interesting way than you might think, Humour, Jess and Sam are BROTP, Highschool AU, Samifer has so many highschool aus I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon, Age Difference, Texting, Sexting, beginner bondage, teenage emotions, Desk Sex, Wall Sex, Shower Sex, Car Sex, semi public sex, yeah they get it on a lot, Lucifer's backstory has become an in-joke with myself, and no he's not a mournful alcoholic, Humor, Biology teacher Lucifer, Teaching lots of 'biology', Sass, THE SASSHOLES ARE AT IT AGAIN, Sam is repressed and horny af, Sarah is the cutest thing why don’t more fanfics have sarah, Tattooed Lucifer, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Consent, ALWAYS WITH THE CONSENT, prom shenanigans, I love writing Gabriel so much, Medium Toastage rather than Slow Burn, morally grey Lucifer, but ain't he always?, Happy Sam is my Kink, but also Happy Lucifer, Daddy Issues, Just have a laugh everyone

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2t39nT6

[maisieewilliams-moved]

sam winchester

my notp for them: dean (again, they’re brothers and i don’t get how people can ship that) also lucifer

my brotp for them: dean, castiel my otp for them: jess!

my second choice pairing for them: gabriel

my fluffy pairing for them: gabriel

my angsty pairing for them: J E S S  

my favorite poly ship for them: don’t have one

my weirdest pairing for them: ruby (is that a weird pairing though?)

send me a character!

[ericsonclan]

Ruby: We all know you’re in love with him

Jesse: I’m not in love with James, shut up

Ruby: I never said who

Jesse:

Jesse: Shit, okay, hold on-

[ericsonclan]

Ruby: You hate everyone

Jesse: I know. It’s the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning

Ruby: The hatred?

Jesse: Yes. The hatred.

[ericsonclan]

Who I Bond With

Summary: Ruby and Jesse go horseback riding before preparing to complete a job.

Word Count: 2357

Read on AO3:

Jesse felt the cool breeze blow through his hair causing it to move gently in the wind. Closing his eyes, he let the warmth of the sun tickle his face as his body swayed left and right with the movement of the horse. His hands gently held onto the reins and he allowed himself to get lost in the peace of the moment as River guided him though the field.

“This view really is divine,” Ruby’s kind voice made Jesse open his eyes and glance over at his friend.

“I told you. This is the best spot to get away from the bullshit of the city and concentrate before a kill,” Jesse shifted his dark brown boots in the stirrups and gave River a few soft pats. The horse snorted and trotted a bit faster at that, happy for the attention. Jesse felt his necklace bounce lightly with the movement as his trusted steed weaved through the flower field. After a moment his eyes glanced back over at Ruby. The short redheaded assassin seemed to be having the time of her life as she showered Starlight with affection. The horse happily accepted the pats, her hooves stomping slightly with excitement.

“She likes you,”

Jesse’s statement made Ruby look his way. “I’m glad because I like her too,” Ruby smiled at Jesse. “Is she the kind of horse that doesn’t get attached to many people?” “She hasn’t had many people to get attached to but no, she’ll allow people near her easily as long as they’re not shitty,” Jesse replied. The dark blue ends of his assassin’s robes blew in the sudden gust of wind.

“Ah, so she’s not like you at all,” Ruby teased. “I think Starlight is less likely to bite someone than you,”

Jesse chuckled lightly at that. “Probably. People just aren’t my thing,”

“Yeah, I could tell that from the first mission we were on together. But you seem to get along swell with the other assassins,” Ruby noticed that Jesse’s eyes didn’t fully agree with that.

“Maybe, I don’t think so,” Jesse clicked his heels against River’s side, prompting the horse to move faster back towards the direction of the city. He had never gotten that close with many people in his life. The two he’d consider he knew well were James and Ruby. As for the others he got along well with them but he felt like he still was guarded in their presence. “Come on, we should head back and start up the mission,”

“Right beside ya,” Ruby spurred her steed to go faster and soon the two assassins were riding through the field of flowers at a faster pace. The wind blew through Jesse’s hair and he felt his heart’s walls go back up, his mind beginning to compartmentalize in order to help him be successful in this mission.

It was a brief ride to the tree where they’d go their separate ways from Starlight and River. Jesse didn’t trust the stables to treat the horses as well as they deserved. He had seen how poorly they were handling the animals. In fact, today’s mission had ties to the owner of the stables who was using the stables more as a front to swap information than to take care of the wonderful creatures. Jesse got off River with a grunt and gently guided her over to the tree branch. Tying the reins there he then gave his loyal companion a few pats on her side.

“I’ll be back soon,” Jesse smiled at the horse then worked to get his hair up in a bun in order for it not to get in the way of his work. Once that was done he looked over to see how Ruby was faring. She seemed to have gotten distracted with giving Starlight attention but she soon refocused, throwing her light brown hood over her head and turning to face Jesse, her light grey cloak swishing with the movement.

“Ready?”

Jesse silently draped his cream hood over his head, hiding everything but his eyes. “Yeah,”

The two began to make their way into the city, both of them cautious to not draw too much attention to themselves.

“Ya remember the mission?” Ruby glanced over at her friend who gave a short nod.

“Find the owner of the stables, make him sign a false letter to the Templars then silence him,” Jesse’s eyes focused on the middle distance, carefully weaving his way through the crowd. After a few moments had passed his gaze moved to Ruby. Ruby felt his eyes on her and looked back.

“Something wrong?” Her eyes held concern for Jesse.

He quickly shook his head “No,”

Ruby wasn’t sure if she fully bought that but she switched the topic regardless. “Well, it shouldn’t be hard to take down this target,”

“I don’t know, can you even take down a target with your height?" Jesse smirked over at Ruby.

“I don’t know, can you get through a day without that snarky attitude of yours?” she shot back with a huff.

“Yes. Yes, I can,” Jesse had a small air of smugness around him.

Ruby shook her head goodnaturedly with a sigh. “I don’t know why you’ve gotta be a little shit sometimes,”

Jesse’s smirk faded at that, his mind getting lost in his thoughts for a moment. He wasn’t sure why he had to be so prickly all the time either. Maybe he had been burned too many times in the past or maybe he just didn’t get along with people and that was that. Jesse soon shook off the thoughts and decided to poke fun at Ruby again. “It’s the only time I’m little like you,”

That line received him a swat on the arm. He laughed a bit at that and noticed that Ruby hadn’t taken it personally as a smile soon returned to her face.

After a short walk through the crowded streets of the city they arrived near the stables. Both of them hid within bushes and watched intently as the guards switched posts after a twenty minute shift. The owner of the stables never left the small house that was attached to the stables though. Instead he seemed to be writing endless letters to the Templars. The only time he looked up from his work was when he had a guest at the door. As the two assassins continued to watch they took note of a small crowd of guests collecting in the backyard area of the house.

“Looks like the best way to get in would be to slip through that broken part of the fence and blend in with the crowd. We talk with a few people for a bit then make our way inside and get the mission done,” Ruby suggested, her eyes studying the area for any more information she could gather.

“Ew, people,” Jesse grumbled and Ruby gently swatted his arm.

“Jesse, you gotta stop being such a stick in the mud when it comes to human interaction. A few minutes won’t kill you,”

“It might,” Jesse caught sight of Ruby out of the corner of his eye as the redhead shook her head. He took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Ruby nodded and started to lead the way. Both assassins slinked into the shadows and waited patiently for the guards’ eyes to move elsewhere. When the opportunity rose Ruby moved forward, kicking out the back of the guard’s knee then choking him to the point of unconsciousness. There was no real need for murder outside of the target on this particular job. Once that was done Jesse slipped through the hole in the fence and tossed off his hood in order to come off as more approachable when interacting with others.

Soon Ruby had gotten through and integrated herself into the crowd. The guests started to interact with the two oddly dressed people that had seemingly showed up out of nowhere. As Jesse was asked questions he put his walls up, wanting to tell them to back off, but Ruby quickly jumped in, leading the conversation at first then letting Jesse try a few sentences here and there. Once the guests had lost all interest in the two newest arrivals and the assassins had reconfirmed that the stable owner was in his office they began their true mission. Weaving through the crowd and becoming the shadows themselves the pair slipped behind the house and took the long route around. It took a moment for Jesse to find the window to the office. It was rather high but he could manage. With ease he pressed his arms against the wood and lifted his body up, vaulting effortlessly. Ruby was next and had a bit more trouble with the tall window, but with some help from Jesse she made it in.

Cautiously the two moved down the hallways, their eyes peeled for any signs of dangers and their footsteps as quiet as death itself. After traversing through the winding halls for a few moments they found the office. After sharing a look Jesse creaked open the door, causing the man to bolt up, his back straightening and his features tensing when he saw the symbols that the two wore.

“You! How the hell-” His words got caught in his throat as Ruby held out her gun.

“You do as we say and I’ll guarantee a quick death,”

Her words frightened the man but he listened. “What do you want?” Jesse walked forward and took a scroll out of his robes. With a toss the scroll unraveled onto the table. “Sign it.”

The man picked up the scroll, his eyes growing larger with each passing sentence he read. “This is outrageous, the Templars will never buy these lies.”

“They will with your signature,” Jesse’s cold eyes stared into the man's, causing him to freeze with fear. “Sign it,”

The man nodded frantically and hurriedly signed the paper with his quill. His hand hovered over the last letter though, causing the ink to bleed into the paper.

“You’re done. Put the quill away,” Jesse instructed but the man didn’t listen. “Hey, asshole, don’t-”

Jesse cut his sentence short when he saw the man reach for a decorative hand axe behind him. It took only a second for Jesse to catch on that his target was Ruby who had put her gun away mere moments ago to perform a silent kill. Dashing in front of Ruby, Jesse held up his crossed arms as the man threw the axe. The axe thunked into Jesse’s right arm, causing the cream color of his robe to stain crimson red. He flinched from the pain but didn’t budge from his spot.

“Jesse!” Ruby’s voice wavered, her eyes shining with concern.

“I’m fine!” Jesse yanked the hand axe out his arm. Luckily it was duller than the man had thought and with his limited strength he hadn't been able to land the attack that he needed. The man’s back slammed into the wall as his breathing spiked with fear. In a desperate attempt to escape he barreled through the opening to their left but that only bought him mere seconds. Jesse threw the hand axe harshly and it embedded into the man’s skull. He instantly crumpled to the ground, his lifeblood slipping from his head as the light left his eyes.

Jesse and Ruby didn’t have time to breath though as the commotion had drawn in the guards. “Come on,” Jesse led the way and Ruby followed. The two assassins vaulted over objects and slid into a darkened room just as the front door was rammed open. They remained silent as the guards scanned the house then the pair proceeded to take the momentary time needed to slip out. They sprinted off further into the city, disappearing into the crowds and becoming ghosts among the people.

After a while Ruby found them a good spot to rest and began to examine Jesse’s arm. “Good Lord, this is an awful cut,” Ruby shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness.

“It’s nothing,” Jesse tried to brush it off but his friend wasn’t having any of it.

“Well, that's the biggest load of horse dung and malarkey I’ve ever heard. Sit still while I work,” Ruby got out the medical supplies she always carried and Jesse listened to her.

As she began to work Jesse silently watched her, and felt surprise creep up in his heart when the realization struck him that he had a friend that actually gave a shit about him. He sat in that fact for a moment and recalled how open and honest Ruby had been with him. Her vulnerability and kindness had allowed him to let his walls down but still he had kept all his secrets. Some big and some that felt so trivial he wasn’t sure why he’d kept them hidden. Jesse’s mind spun with an idea, wrestling with it for a moment. He decided against it though, wanting to share when they weren’t in any sort of danger. So instead he opted for another option. “I’m glad you’re safe,”

His words made Ruby glance up from her work.

“You’re one of the few people that I feel comfortable around. So the cut is nothing; the other outcome would’ve been way worse,”

Ruby smiled at Jesse's words. “I agree with you there.” She focused on her task for a few more minutes then got up. “Alright, all set. You’ll be good as new in no time.”

“Thanks,” Jesse carefully moved his arm and studied it for a moment before leading the way. The two walked in silence for a minute before he spoke up. “Want to spend a bit longer by the field with River and Starlight before heading back to the hideout?” Jesse noticed Ruby’s eyes sparkled with happiness at the suggestion and he couldn’t help but feel happy as well.

“That sounds like a grand idea,”

The two shared a smile then disappeared once more into the city. ready to escape from all the burdens of life for a few moments and enjoy peace.

[ericsonclan]

The Freedom of Freckles

Summary: Clementine feels her anxiety building as more and more issues for the near future arise.

Word Count: 3153

Read on AO3:

Clementine could feel her anxiety rising slowly but surely. Her eyes stared out towards the balcony, noticing the little details on the doors that lead out to it. Most of the glass was shattered on all the small square panels within them and it made her wonder if there was a story behind it. Or maybe she was wrong and they had just shattered due to weather or something else uninteresting. Then again with all the tales she had heard from the residents of Ericson she highly doubted that there wasn’t a story behind it.

“Clem?” James’ soft, whisper-like voice snapped Clementine out of her train of thought and she glanced over at the ex-Whisperer who was sitting on a chair by the desk. On top of the desk was the map of Ericson and a few pebbles that represented walkers. Clementine’s mind turned back towards the conversation at hand. James was here to discuss how best to guide walkers away from the school.

It wasn’t something unusual; it had become a fairly regular routine ever since Clementine had offered James a place at Ericson. He had accepted but not in the way that Clementine had anticipated. James stayed every so often behind the walls of Ericson and in more recent times his boyfriend Jesse had stayed as well. But it was never for long and soon enough the pair would travel outside Ericson to herd walkers away or to gather intel on nearby communities that may be forming. Clementine was extremely grateful that the two of them had been willing to do this for them and continued to do so. But occasionally James didn’t simply drop by to let Clementine know that things were running smoothly. Instead he would bring more troublesome news. Today was one of those days.

“Sorry,” Clementine leaned back in the headmaster’s chair. “I guess I got lost in thought.”

“That's okay, it's never easy to hear that a herd is coming towards Ericson. Especially since winter is fast approaching,” James fidgeted with his walker skin gloves and took a deep breath. “Jesse and I will do our best to make sure they don’t get nearby. If any of them reached you and the others...” James paused for a moment, his eyes sad for a multitude of reasons. “I’d rather save as many lives as possible.”

“I understand,” Clementine looked at her friend’s eyes then down to the map where the pebbles representing the walkers stood on the westernmost edge. The sight made her gut twist with anxiety. This hadn't been the first time that a herd threatened to reach the walls but still, bad memories were attached to herds. Memories that Clementine didn’t want to add to. She’d make sure that every single person at Ericson was unharmed to the best of her ability. “When would you and Jesse leave?”

“As soon as possible. We have to go by foot to reach this point,” James’ finger rested on the spot by the pebbles on the map. “Then we’d have to redirect them as far north as possible. All of this takes time and I’d rather have more time than less.”

“Right,” Clementine took a shaky breath as she rose from her seat. “Ruby will be sad that Jesse will be gone. Those two could talk about horses all day long.”

James softly chuckled. The ex-Whisperer rose from his spot and double checked to make sure his walker mask was still in his back pocket. “True, but we’ll be back sooner this time.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” Clementine smiled and walked forward, giving James a hug. James was surprised by the friendly gesture for a moment but soon returned it.

“Okay,” James pulled back and gave a shy smile. He wanted to say more but was forced to put that to the side when the door to the headmaster’s office opened. Aasim walked in, his expression too worrisome for Clementine’s liking.

“Aasim, what's wrong?” Clementine walked forward and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. Aasim took a deep breath before responding. “Milky Way is sick and Comet is restless. I normally wouldn’t be too worried about this but-”

“But with winter coming it makes this worse,” Clementine finished Aasim’s statement. Normally a cold would easily be dealt with thanks to Ruby’s natural remedies she had concocted with the help of Omar and Aasim but the chill of the winter made even the heartiest animals at risk if they were already sick. Clementine turned back to her visitor. “James, was there anything else you needed to tell me?”

James shook his head. “No, that's all. If you want, Jesse and I can head out right now.”

“You should at least stay for dinner. I’m sure food while traveling isn’t that nutritional.” Aasim offered.

James’ eyes enlarged slightly. It was clear he wasn’t expecting that. Even though his friends at Ericson had always offered him kindness, James supposed still wasn’t used to it at times. “Okay. Thank you.” He gave a soft smile towards Aasim who returned it.

“Think nothing of it. Clem,” Aasim looked over at the leader of Ericson.

“Right, can you show me Milky Way? If I can see how bad she’s doing, I’ll have a better understanding of the situation.” Clementine walked forward towards the door and Aasim quickly opened it.

“Of course,” Aasim soon took the lead and the three of them walked out of the headmaster’s office and down the stairs towards the entrance of the admin building.

With each step Clementine could feel her anxiety rising. Not only was a herd heading this way but Milky Way was now sick and to add to the stress of the situation winter was nearly upon them. All of it was overwhelming Clementine and no matter what she did to try to recenter herself and steady her heart she couldn’t get rid of her fear. In fact all of her thinking only made her anxiety grow worse by the second.

Soon Clementine was outside in the courtyard and noticed that Ruby was standing beside Jesse who was absolutely in awe of Molly. It didn’t matter how many times he saw that horse, his love never wavered and the wonder in his eyes never left when he was around her. He turned to Ruby and began to gush once more about how amazing horses were while gently brushing Molly’s mane.

Ruby seemed just as invested in the conversation as she fed Jesse’s horse Adsila a carrot. The appaloosa snorted happily as he munched on the treat. How those two could talk about horses constantly and for such long periods of time Clementine had no idea but she was glad that they were friends. Jesse seemed to be a fairly closed off type but with a few residents of Ericson he got out of his shell and showed that he had a softer side to him.

Jesse continued to talk with Ruby, a kind smile on his lips before he noticed James out of the corner of his eye. Looking over at his boyfriend, he gave a loving smile and wave which James instantly returned.

“I’ll see you later,” James gave a quick wave towards Aasim and Clementine then ran off towards Jesse. After a moment he had reached his boyfriend and gave him a soft kiss then wrapped his arms around him for a moment. James soon let go of the hug although it seemed that neither of them had wanted that and began to explain the plan to Jesse.

Jesse nodded along as he reached out for James’ hand. A small smile appeared on his lips as James told him that they’d be staying for dinner. It was obvious that Jesse had wanted to spend a bit more time here so he’d gladly take any time he could get.

Clementine watched them for a moment longer then followed Aasim who walked off towards the pen where Milky Way and Comet were.

As they walked they soon passed by the picnic tables where Prisha was jotting down some adjustments to her latest projects to better this school. Violet sat beside her and enjoyed the simplicity of the moment with Prisha. After a moment Prisha paused in her task and reached for Violet’s hand, giving it a tender kiss before returning to her work. She would’ve loved to continue to give Violet little moments of affection but with the limitations of only having one working hand and with winter fast approaching Prisha had to prioritize work. Violet didn’t seem to mind though as her head tilted over and rested on Prisha’s shoulder for a moment. Prisha gave Violet’s forehead a small kiss then another and was about to resume her task when a voice appeared to her left.

“Are those doodles?” Allison asked as she reached out for the notebook on the table.

“That's irrelevant,” Prisha tried to get to the notebook before Allison but failed.

Allison studied the contents for a moment then gave a faint laugh. “Is this the three of us?” She held up the notebook and revealed the small doodle beside the copious amounts of notes and blueprint sketches. It was drawn in a somewhat cartoonish style, nothing special but which had a sort of charm to it. The doodle consisted of Prisha, Violet and Allison all standing side by side with fishing spears.

“Yes. It is.” Prisha snatched back the notebook. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, I think it's nice,” Allison sat down beside Prisha and reached in her pocket for her knife. Slowly she began to move the knife from finger to finger. “So, are there more?”

“I don’t remember,” Prisha returned to jotting notes down in her notebook. Even though she was happy to hear that Allison thought her doodles were nice it was still embarrassing to go around showing her doodles that were amuetur at best.

“She has a ton of them,” Violet had a small, playful smile on her lips.

“Violet!” Prisha was shocked by her betrayal.

“What? Allison wants to see them so what's wrong with that?” Violet asked.

Prisha thought about it for a moment then handed back over her notebook. “Fine, you can look for five minutes but then I have to get back to work,”

That made a small smile appear on Allison’s lips and she began to flip through the notebook. Clementine watched the small family for a few more seconds.

“Here we are,” Aasim’s voice made Clementine snap her focus back onto him. Her eyes immediately spotted Milky Way who was laying on the ground in somewhat of a daze. Comet frantically bleated and was clearly concerned for his mother. The older mountain goat looked up at her child then rested her head on the ground once more. “Ruby said that she would do all she can but isn't sure how long it will take Milky Way to get better.”

Clementine knelt down and examined the mountain goat as Aasim continued to go on about what they figured it was and the natural remedies Ruby and he would try on the mountain goat. She listened silently for a few moments, feeling the steady sensation of anxiety start to rise further and overwhelm her body.

It felt like it was reaching Clementine’s lungs, making her breathing feel more forced. Wintertime was always scary but why had all these issues arisen just before this upcoming winter? Clementine took a few deep breaths and listened on but Aasim seemed to pick up on the tense aura.

“Clem, if you need a minute I can wait. I-”

“Clem!” AJ’s happy voice cut off Aasim as the youngest of the Ericson residents barrelled forward with Willy in tow. Both of them had huge, excited smiles on their faces.

“What's up, kiddo?” Clementine noticed the little frown that appeared on AJ’s lips for a moment. She knew that he was outgrowing that nickname but it was tough to let it go.

“We want you to help us with something!” Willy hopped into the conversation; his tall, lanky body towered over Clementine. “AJ and I are gonna do a tree climbing contest and we want you to be the judge. We’re gonna climb that sucker!” Willy pointed to a tree outside the walls of Ericson.

That fact made Clementine’s anxiety boil over. There was too much on her plate to worry about to have the dangers of some silly competition be added on.

“It’s super close to the watch tower and with you-”

“No!” Clementine snapped, causing AJ and Willy to grow quiet. Aasim seemed just as shocked by the force with which Clementine had shut down this idea. Clementine wasn’t finished though. “You want to go outside these walls for some stupid competetion where walkers could reach you? Your safety isn’t something you can just throw around so easily. People have died because of dumb decisions like that!” Clementine’s words made Willy and AJ turn their eyes away from her and Clementine instantly regretted the harshness of her words. She had lost her cool with some of the youngest among them yet her anxiety remained the same .

“Hey there, dudes,” Louis placed a hand on both Willy and AJ’s shoulders. “How about we talk about a tree climbing contest later?” He gave a warm smile to the two of them and they nodded before walking off. “Aasim, mind if I steal Clem for a little bit?”

“Not at all. I need to talk to Ruby anyway,” Aasim quickly walked off to find his wife, leaving Louis alone with Clementine.

Slowly Louis moved forward and took Clementine’s hand. “Follow me,” He began to gently guide his wife who still seemed lost in her own thoughts.

“Where are we going?” Clementine looked at her husband who was making his way towards the dorms.

“We’re going somewhere where we can take a break from work,” Louis’ statement made Clementine stop right before they turned to walk down the hallway towards their room.

“Louis, I can’t take a break right now! There’s a lot to do around here and I need to check in on like fifty different things and-” Clementine paused when she felt Louis squeeze her hand.

“Just a small break, okay? We can give ourselves that and then we’ll be back fighting the good fight to make Ericson the best home ever. It won’t all fall apart if you step away for five minutes. Everyone is working on different things and Omar is keeping an eye on Maisy and Lee Kenny and all the other kids.”

Louis’ words seemed to calm down Clementine’s overwhelming emotions for a moment and she gave a short nod. A bright smile quickly returned to Louis’ lips and he continued to guide them towards the room.

Once the door was shut and both of them were sitting on the bed, Louis decided to go for his idea. He could see how antsy and nervous Clementine was. So he gently cupped her face and looked directly into her eyes.

“We’re going to start with a few deep breaths,” Louis instructed and Clementine listened, following her husband’s slow inhales and exhales. After a few of those she felt some of anxiety slip away but not enough. It was still clawing at the inside of her body. “Y’know, my darling, you still have never been able to guess the true number of my freckles.” Louis gave a playful smile. “How about we play a game during this break? I bet you can’t count every single one of them.” Louis grinned as he saw the playfulness in his wife’s eyes return for a moment.

Clementine mirrored his smile. “If I do, what do I win?”

Louis’ eyes grew large for a moment. He wasn’t expecting that question. “Ummm, uhhh...” Louis fidgeted with one of his dreadlocks as he tried to think.

“How about this: if I get the correct number of your freckles, then you owe me a date,” Clementine’s statement made Louis smile once more and he leaned forward, kissing her lips for a second.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, m’lady,” Louis reached down and took his wife’s hand, his thumb gently rubbing circles along the top of it.

Clementine gave a small smile then lifted up one of her hands and started to count, her finger lightly tracing along Louis’ skin. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,” Clementine whispered as she carefully counted her husband’s freckles.

As time continued on Clementine found herself becoming lost in the game, her competitive side taking over as she meticulously counted Louis’ freckles. Her anxieties and worries slowly began to melt away and slip to the back of her mind as she continued to record each and every one of those freckles she adored so much.

Suddenly Louis scrunched his nose in amusement and joy from seeing his wife’s concentration face; he always found it adorable.

“Hey, no nose scrunching. That’s gonna hide some freckles,” Clementine gave a frown but soon a playful smile reappeared on her lips.

“Oops, sorry, my darling,” Louis leaned forward and kissed her lips.

Clementine immediately became distracted by the kiss and deepened it. Her mind was completely on the kiss as she cupped Louis’ face and melted into the warmth of his lips until she remembered she was in the middle of a competition. Pulling back, Clementine glared at her husband.“That was all a trick to make me lose count, wasn’t it?”

Louis chuckled at his wife’s accusation before he placed a hand over his heart in mock shock.

“Me? Using kissing as a means to win a game? I would never!”

“Uh huh,” Clementine crossed her arms. “Because that's outside the realm of possibility?”

“Okay, so it's not outside the realm of possibility, but! This time it really just was because I wanted to kiss you.” Louis’ confession made him grow flustered and Clementine could feel a soft warmth appear in her heart.

“Well, I’ve lost count now,” She scooted further onto the bed and leaned her back against the wall. Louis soon followed suit and sat beside her, his fingers intertwining with hers like it was second nature.

“How terrible,” he teased and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Clementine shook her head before she shifted closer and leaned her head onto Louis’ shoulder. Being with Louis always brought her comfort and because of his idea to take a break her worry and fears had settled down. At least in this moment she was at peace, free from mulling over all the concerns that came with being a leader. Louis tilted his head over and rested it against hers. The two of them took a deep, cleansing breath and let the world outside of just the two of them disappear for a little bit, escaping from the worries of life even if only for a moment.

[ericsonclan]

We’re Animals Part 2

Summary: Brody comes home from her date with Mitch and celebrates the beginning of the weekend with her family.

Word Count: 1000+

Read on AO3:

Read chapter 1 here:

“It's simple, I’m just a better card player than you, Vi,” Louis looked over smugly at his older sister.

Violet frowned and tossed her remaining cards into the pile before crossing her arms.

“Whatever, it was one game.”

“Oh? Then you can win the next one?” Louis smiled when he saw that he had gotten Violet’s attention. The blonde considered his words for a minute. A full, genuine minute that made Louis bounce uncomfortably while he sat criss-cross applesauce. “Or I could get Omar or Ruby to play instead,”

“Nah, I’ll play and kick your ass at Speed,” Violet leaned back on her arms and watched as Louis gathered up the cards. Once that was done he began to shuffle them with ease, throwing in some flare and dramatics that made Violet roll her eyes.

She continued to watch for a minute until she was distracted by the rich aroma dancing around the house that was coming from the kitchen. The smell of tomatoes, basil, and garlic filled the house as the soft humming duet of Ruby and Omid appeared. The sound of their footsteps along with Omar’s made it clear that they were hard at work preparing the ingredients for homemade pizza.

“This sauce smells amazing, Omar! I think it will be even grander than last time!’ Ruby praised her younger brother who gave a small smile as he continued to keep an eye on the sauce. The ingredients simmered together, marrying their different flavors together until it reached the right spot to start to puree it for a smoother sauce. As Omar pureed, Omid and Ruby were tag teaming the veggies. Omid rolled over some mushrooms that Ruby chopped with ease while he did a small dance as he worked to get the cherry tomatoes halved.

“Ruby is right, that sauce looks great! Each time we make homemade pizza it gets better and better and we’ve got you to thank for that!” Omid beamed at his son then ruffled his afro.

Omar seemed overwhelmed by the praise and simply gave a nod. “Thanks,” He cracked a smile then returned to the task at hand.

“Oh! Oh! Oh! So that's how it's going to be!” Louis’ exclamation made the trio take pause in their prep to look at Louis and Violet. Violet was slamming down cards as fast as she could with a determined glint in her eyes. Louis tried to keep up but his panic was making it hard to concentrate. After a few seconds it was clear that Violet was going to win. With a few well-placed cards she emptied her stack and leaned back with a smirk.

“I win,”

Louis groaned and let his head dramatically fall into his palms. “You do,” His eyes wandered up towards Violet’s after a moment. “For this round. Look alive, Vi! It’s time for round three!” He held out three fingers. Violet gave an annoyed groan yet her smile betrayed her true feelings. Louis snatched up the cards, ready to shuffle again when he noticed something that made him perk up. “Brody is back!”

That got everyone’s attention. Immediately Louis scrambled up to his feet and looked out the window to see Mitch’s moped coming to a halt in front of the house. Brody whispered something to Mitch, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before taking off her helmet and offering it back to her boyfriend who was still flustered by the romantic gesture.

“Okay, it's time,” Violet sighed and walked outside the front door, her hunch returning as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. Her eyes soon locked with Mitch’s, giving him an intense glare. Mitch took that glare and shot it right back at Violet.

Brody looked over at Mitch, her nose scrunched up as she tried to figure out what was happening. It wasn’t until she saw that Violet held the same look that Brody realized what was happening. Those two always loved their glare off. Brody looked back over at her sister who held an intimidating presence, the exact opposite to Louis’ as his head popped out from behind Violet. His eyes shone happily when he spotted Brody.

“Brody! Mitch treat you alright?” Louis ran forward and wrapped his sister in a hug.

“Mhmm,” Brody quickly returned the hug as Louis swayed them back and forth.

“Are you sure?” Violet continued her glare at Mitch before a small smirk appeared on her lips.

“I did! I’m not some asshole!” Mitch huffed as stood by his moped.

Brody smiled back softly at her boyfriend and gave his hand a small squeeze. “I’ll see you on Monday,”

Mitch gave a short nod. “See you then,” He leaned forward, stealing a quick kiss from Brody then got back on his moped.

Louis gave an impressed whistle. “Look at loverboy go!”

“Shut up!” Mitch started his moped before looking over at Violet. “You won this time, Vi but I’m gonna win the next one!”

“Doubt it,” Violet’s smirk grew when she saw the annoyance on Mitch’s face. With one final goodbye to Brody, Mitch rode off back towards his home and the three siblings went inside. As soon as they entered Brody was greeted by another hug from Ruby.

“Did your date go okay?” Omid looked at his daughter with a playful smile.

Brody gave a shy nod. “Yeah,”

“That's good,” Omid smiled then gave an overly loud cough and slipped Violet five bucks.

“Are you still doing that stupid shit?” Jesse’s voice appeared in the doorway to the front living room, a copy of Black Beauty tucked under his left arm.

Violet frowned at her big brother. “Don’t be pissy that I make money for glaring,” She crossed her arms and shared a look with Jesse until Omid broke her concentration when he ruffled the top of her head.

“Yep! Violet is just making sure that Mitch knows to behave himself,”

Jesse wanted to comment on that but grew quiet when he noticed a car pull up in the driveway. “Christa’s home.”

Jesse’s words made everyone look over to the front window and watch as Christa gave a sharp yawn while she walked into the house. As soon as she opened the door she was greeted with a hug from Louis.

“Happy weekend, Mom!” Louis smiled brightly up at Christa.

Violet smirked. “Happy weekend? What are you, six?”

Louis shot her a look back. “I’m seven, thank you,” He let go of the hug and took a few steps back to let Christa get off her shoes and put down her bag.

Omid immediately walked forward and got on his tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his wife’s lips. “Welcome home, babe. How was work?”

“Stressful, but I’m sure this weekend will start off on the right foot if my nose is right about it being pizza night,” Christa intertwined her fingers with Omid who happily began to sway their joined hands.

“Right you are! Speaking of which, it’s time to make our pizzas!” With Omid’s loud declaration all of the kids along with Omid and Christa filed into the kitchen to begin to craft their own pies. Jesse focused on making sure his pizza had a lot of vegetables on it as well as a good amount of protein. He quietly worked alongside Omar who enjoyed the peace as the two brothers worked to prepare their pizzas, only talking here and there when need be. Meanwhile on the other side of the kitchen was Omid and Louis who were loading their pizzas up with as much cheese and pepperoni as they could.

“Look! I’m making the pepperoni form a music key!” Louis displayed his pizza with pride.

“That’s amazing! I’m making my pepperoni form Lincoln’s giant nose!” Omid grinned as he showed his pizza. The father and son continued to laugh while Violet and Christa worked quietly on the opposite side of them. Both of them were keeping their ingredients minimal. Lastly Brody and Ruby were working side by side making two pizzas that were half pepperoni and half bbq chicken. Once all the pizzas were made they were placed in the oven in sets of four. After a while the pizzas were all set and the family sat around the table talking and laughing happily as they ate.

Soon dinner was done and Louis was in the middle of some story when Omid rose from his spot. “Sorry to interrupt, Lou, but y’know what time it is. It's talking stick time!” Omid smiled at his children who seemed to have mixed reactions to the news. Louis and Ruby seemed happy for the Friday tradition of sitting around in a circle and sharing about anything that was on their minds that week while Violet and Jesse both looked like they wanted to sneak off to their rooms. “Let’s not dilly dally! To the circle spot!” Omid planted a kiss on Christa’s cheek then was off like a shot to get the talking stick.

“Alright, let’s go,” Christa got up from her spot and all of her kids soon followed.

After a few minutes everyone was seated in the circle and Omid held the talking stick. “Okay, who wants to share any news this week?” Omid’s eyes wandered around with excitement, quickly widening with shock when Jesse held up his hand first. “Oh, this is a first!” Omid handed the stick over to Christa who handed it to Violet. The stick moved from hand to hand until it was received by Jesse.

“My soccer team is hosting a workshop for middle schoolers and junior high students. So I’ll be staying late on Monday and Wednesday,”

The circle was quiet for a second. That was news, just not the type that usually happened in the circle. Then again, they guessed that Jesse shared first to get his sharing time over with faster.

“That sounds like a really good chance for younger kids to learn from you. Anything else you wanna share?” Christa looked over at her oldest son who shook his head.

“Nope,”

“What about your date?’ Ruby smiled up at Jesse.

“What about it?”

“How did it go?”

That question got a reaction out of Jesse who looked away from his sister. His hand started playing with his hair for a second before he became self-conscious and stopped. “It was good. Checked out a new hiking trail with James.”

“Did you kiss?” Louis leaned forward and was soon mirrored by Omid.

Jesse’s face heated up for a second before a frown tugged on his lips. “I don’t have to answer that.”

“You did! Wooo! Man love!” Louis cheered for his older brother who quickly tossed the stick over to Ruby to move the spotlight away from him.

“Oh gosh! Ummm... horsefeathers, I didn’t think it would be my turn so soon. Let’s see,” Ruby tapped the stick against her chin. “Oh! Nurgul and I are starting a gardening club and she also told me that she'd teach me how to knit! So I’ll be over at her house on Sunday,” Ruby swayed in her spot with excitement. “Besides that I’ve been helping Ms. Martin around the school nurse’s office. That’s about it, nothing that interesting. But I’m sure Brody has some interesting stuff to tell,” Ruby handed over the stick to Brody with a teasing smile. The auburn blinked in confusion as she stared down at the stick.

“Oh, shit, ummm.” Brody’s mind tried to recall what she was planning to share. “Oh yeah! Vi, Prisha says she has to move your date a half hour back because of plans that slipped her mind. And Lou, Clem told me yes to purple but no lime, whatever that means,” Brody looked over as Louis who nodded at the answer.

“Damn, I was hoping I could convince her about the lime. Oh well,” Louis shrugged and placed his hands behind him to rest on.

“Let’s see what else… Nothing interesting has happened at school. I’ve been getting As in my classes and I learned a new technique to deal with anxiety so that's good.” Brody thought for a moment if there was anything else when suddenly the image of those skulls floating in liquid in a clear plastic tub at the Everett house came to mind. “I also found something weird in the Everett’s garage. I wasn’t snooping or anything,” Brody added quickly.

“Weird how?” Christa raised her eyebrow, her curiosity and concern rising slightly.

“Well, they had this tub filled with skulls that looked almost human. It was really creepy.” Brody’s answer made Omar and Jesse look confused yet intrigued.

“Oh, that? That’s nothing to worry about. Clem collects skulls,” Louis spoke casually with a smile that faded when he saw Omid’s large eyes.

“Animal skulls,” Violet corrected. “It’s not like Clem is some fucking psychopath who has human skulls.”

“Humans are animals,” Omid whispered. “And if it’s not Clementine’s collection, then the Everett family could be-”

“Nope. Shut down that conspiracy right now,” Christa placed her hand on Omid’s arm. “They said Clem collects animal skulls.”

“But we’re animals!” Omid shot back and that's when everyone seemed to pick up on the bags underneath his eyes.

“Dad, have you been sleeping alright?” Brody’s eyes held worry for Omid who brushed it off.

“Hmm? Yeah, like a baby!” Omid smiled brightly to reassure his family.

“Omid, did you stay up late again watching historical documentaries?” Christa looked over at her husband who gave a small, nervous laugh.

“I love you,”

Christa sighed. “I love you too but as soon as this talking stick session is done you’re taking a nap.”

“Okay,” Omid’s face fell for a moment but he was soon back to his chipper self as the talking stick session continued.

Quickly the conversation changed to the funny adventures Louis had wound up on with Marlon and Clementine this week. The family added in commentary here and there and laughed at different parts of the stories. The simple joy of being together consumed their attention as they enjoyed the beginning of the weekend.

[ericsonclan]

Flying High

Summary: James and Minnie enjoy a friendly game of hacky sack when things become competitive

Word Count: 1055

Read on AO3:

“Sorry,” James’ soft voice called out as he watched the colorful hacky sack fly through the air.

“I got it,” Minnie reassured her best friend as she jogged back a few paces, her talons tapping lightly against the concrete. The harpy caught the hacky sack with ease and after bouncing it back and forth a few times she sent it back to James. The cyclops let out a small sigh of relief as he caught the knitted hacky sack. This had been a gift handmade by Nurgul and he would feel incredibly guilty if he ever damaged it. He kicked the hacky sack and the harpy let out a happy twitter as she bounced it back.

It was always nice to hang out with Minnie. It seemed that both monsters enjoyed a more calming, laidback approach to hanging out. The fact that they could enjoy a simple game of hacky sack after classes made James’ heart warm as he tossed over the hacky sack again. The two continued to play their game for a few minutes, completely focused on the fun it brought them when they heard Brody and Ruby in disagreement. Minnie snatched up the hacky sack and glanced over, her head tilted in confusion. It was rare to hear those two fighting.

“All I’m saying is that the beach is the prettiest location,” Brody leaned back against the tree and smiled over at her best friend.

“The beach sure is pretty, but nothing on God’s green earth beats walking through a flower garden. The sight of all the flowers, the buds poking out of the earth, the trees,” the dryad argued as she looked over at Brody.

“But the smell of the sea-” The selkie was cut off when a new voice entered the mix.

“Someone say something about tea?” Renata’s eyes danced with excitement as she plopped down next to the pair.

“Oh no, we were talking about what we think the prettiest locations are. Ruby was arguing that a flower garden is the prettiest.”

“Because it is,” Ruby crossed her arms, still maintaining a warm smile.

“And I chose the beach.” Brody pulled her sealskin closer around her shoulders and gave a soft smile over at the huldra.

“Oh?” Renata’s tail curled into the shape of a question mark. “Well, I have a totally different answer than those two.”

Minnie’s ears perked up at that. What was the location that her girlfriend thought was the prettiest? Before Renata could continue her sentence though, an annoyed voice appeared behind the huldra.

“Renata, you owe me five bucks,” Jesse's snakes hissed and moved around this way and that as Renata gave a nervous laugh.

“Come on, Jess.”

“Jesse,” the gorgon replied with a deadpan expression.

“What’s five bucks between friends, chums… monster pals?” The huldra’s teeth poked out as she gave a smile towards Jesse.

“You said the money was to get something for James but you didn’t,” The gorgon’s black snakes hissed, their small tongues nearly tickling the huldra’s nose.

“Yeesh, alright. I’m a monster of my word,” Renata pulled out a crumpled five dollar bill and handed it over to Jesse who gave a short smile.

Minnie gave a sigh. “Let’s keep playing.”

James’ eye was completely focused on Jesse for a moment before he blinked and looked back at his friend. “Yeah.”

With that the two monsters continued to play until they both noticed out of the corner of their eyes that Jesse and Renata had settled down and were watching the hacky sack game. The cyclops and harpy shared a quick look and in an instant knew that they were on the same wavelength. They both wanted to show off and impress their person.

With a competitive glint appearing in their eyes, they began a heated game. Both were playing for keeps. Minnie did a bunch of wild tricks, balancing the hacky sack with ease and giving hard tosses over to her best friend. James returned her competitive edge with his own. Even with one eye he was still a force to be reckoned with as he tossed the hacky sack between his legs and with a mighty kick sent it over towards Minnie. The harpy gave a determined chirp as she flew up and received the attack. Landing down on her feet, she tossed the hacky sack with her talon a few times with a proud smirk then sent it over the cyclop’s way.

James caught it and with a hard kick sent it flying fast, strong and further than he had intended. It was only when the colorful hacky sack was in the air that both monsters noticed something they hadn’t before: that Prisha had been flying around in her bat form. The small black bat was happily gliding through the sky without a care in the world when the hacky sack collided with her face with such force that it spun her off course and she began to fall down.

“Shit!” Minnie twittered worriedly.

“Prisha!” James moved forward but both monsters paused when they heard hard footsteps hit the pavement as Violet ran forward. WIth a small leap the werewolf closed the gap between her and her girlfriend. Parting her lips, Violet gently caught the vampire bat in her mouth before landing hard on the ground. Her warm grey converse skidded on the ground before she gingerly let Prisha drop into her hands. Violet’s pale green eyes glared over at the two monsters while her fur puffed up slightly.

“We’re so sorry,” James ran over with Minnie. They both looked deeply repentant for their actions.

“Whatever. Just be more careful,” Violet huffed and brushed past them as she cradled Prisha in her arms. The bat looked more dazed than anything as her head poked out and glanced over at the harpy and cyclops.

James and Minnie shared a look before the harpy silently went over to get the hacky sack. “Let’s call it a day,”

James nodded in agreement to his friend’s statement. “I agree,” Both of them glanced over one more time at the werewolf who was going inside to see if Ms. Martin was still around. They had learned their lesson: next time they would make sure no one was flying around while they played hacky sack and they would tone down their competitiveness.

[ericsonclan]

Silent Night

Summary: Jesse goes to a late night performance for someone very special.

Word Count: 1560

Read on AO3:

Jesse glanced down at his watch as he ran up the stairs of the church; he was late. Opening the door as quietly as possible, he did his best to ignore the stares directed his way and found a seat on one of the pews in the back. Once attention on him had died down and returned to the sermon, Jesse looked up to see if he could spot them.

There, third from the front row. Ruby and Aasim sat together, eyes on the stage. A curious young face peeking out from the curtains backstage told Jesse what he needed to know: he hadn’t missed the most important part of the Christmas Eve service. The pastor did her best to wrap up quickly, announcing that the congregation was in for a treat. Sunday school services had been practicing this skit all month long.

It was the classic Christmas story: the birth of baby Jesus. Jesse watched in amusement as the children scurried round performing their different roles. Zachariah had been cast as Joseph this year. He assumed the role with dignity, the classic hallmark of a firstborn. Ruby and Aasim looked on proudly, Aasim filming the whole skit while Ruby took photos on her camera.

Savannah was one of the shepherds. She gently herded her “sheep” onstage, nearly tripping on one of her lambs’ feet as the kid got mixed up on which direction to go. She recovered well though, always maintaining a smile and looking out into the audience. The Sunday school teacher who was serving as narrator for the show announced that a heavenly host of angels appeared before the shepherds and Jesse straightened up. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

Aniyah strutted out on stage proudly, decked from head to toe in as much glitter as she could fit on her tiny frame. Throwing her arms wide, she dramatically recited her lines. “Glory to God in the highest! And peace on earth, goodwill to men! Today in Bethlehem a Savior has been born – he is Christ THE LORD!” Having delivered her lines, Aniyah looked out into the audience, searching. Her eyes drifted over her parents then finally landed on Jesse. She waved excitedly, scattering glitter all over the stage.

Jesse waved back, a soft smile on his face. She had done great. Aniyah had called him at least a dozen times this last week to practice her lines, sometimes with her parents’ permission and sometimes without. It seemed she had memorized the passcode to Ruby’s phone. Jesse couldn’t have been prouder. He hadn’t been sure of being a godfather when Ruby and Aasim had asked back when Aniyah was born but he was 6 years in now and it was great.

The rest of the skit went off without too many hitches. A couple of kids forgot their lines (and had Zachariah prompt them) and one of the shepherds’ cardboard staffs bent in half during the manger scene, but by the end all mistakes were forgotten and the skit was met with resounding applause from the whole congregation. The first part of the evening finished, the pastor announced a 15 minute intermission to allow the children to join their parents for the rest of service.

It took Aniyah all of two minutes to run down the aisle to Jesse. “Uncle Jesse, what are you doing all the way back here?” Not waiting for an answer, she grabbed his arm and began to sprint back to the front. Jesse chuckled and went along with it, doing his best not to bump into others as Aniyah led him up to the pew where her parents and siblings stood.

“Jesse, you made it!” Ruby gave him a warm hug and an equally bright smile.

“Of course. I couldn’t miss Aniyah’s first star performance. Hi, Aasim,” Jesse nodded in his direction then looked to the kids. “Zach, Savannah, great work tonight,”

“Come sit by me!” Aniyah interrupted. She pulled Jesse across the pew, forcing him to awkwardly sidestep through the entire Laghari family before finally reaching a spot to sit.

“You know, we could have gone round the pew to the other side,” Jesse noted dryly.

“Where’s my present?” Aniyah was focused as ever.

Reaching into his pocket, Jesse pulled out a present in silver wrapping paper. “Hide it away before your mom can see or she won’t let you open it till Christmas,”

Aniyah quickly clasped the gift in her hands, shaking it wildly beneath the pew. “It doesn’t make any sound. What is it?”

“You’ll have to wait till you’re alone to open it and find out,”

Aniyah stuck her tongue out in annoyance at Jesse which caused him to do the same in amusement. He knew Aniyah would love the gift. It was a tiny gold necklace with an angel as the pendant, a memento for Aniyah’s first “starring” roll.

The lights flickered, signaling the second part of service was about to begin. This was Jesse’s favorite part. Standing up with Ruby and her family, he sang along to the first Christmas hymn, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. The voices of the congregation filled the church and welled with joy, the sort of excitement that only Christmas brought. Jesse found a smile remained on his lips as he sang along, remembering most of the songs by heart.

About a half hour later the service ended and the church began to empty. Ruby looked over at Jesse, pausing in the process of packing up her family. “Want to join us for some Christmas Eve cocoa?”

Jesse shook his head. “Thanks for the offer but there’s somewhere I’ve got to be,”

“You’re coming over tomorrow though, right?” Aniyah asked, craning her head back to look up at her godfather.

“Of course. I’ll see you then. And you can let me know how you liked your present,”

Aasim extended his hand for a handshake. “Merry Christmas, Jesse,”

“Merry Christmas,” Jesse watched as the Laghari brood left the church, the children all talking loudly and asking their parents what they thought of their performances that night while Ruby gushed about each and every one of them and Aasim talked of putting his recording onto a DVD. Once the church had cleared out enough, Jesse slipped out the door and into the winter night.

He could see his breath in the evening air as he walked back to his car. Checking his phone, Jesse saw he’d received a text from his husband.

Feeling a bit better. You up to watch Polar Express when you get home?

James loved that movie. Jesse wasn’t sure why; the animation made the characters look cursed to him. But his husband was sick the night before Christmas so he couldn’t say no. He’d simply watch in silence and enjoy the excitement on James’ face at all his favorite parts. There was one thing he needed to do first though. Turning on his car, Jesse let the engine warm for a few minutes before he slowly drove off into the night.

The cemetery was closed this time of night. Jesse didn’t care though; he knew a way in. Parking on the edge of the lot, he circled the perimeter of the graveyard before finding his entry point. A well-placed foothold, a moment of vaulting over the wall and he was in. Jesse’s feet followed the familiar path. His footsteps were silent, muffled by the soft layer of snow along the ground. At last he reached it, the grave he was looking for. Adjusting his coat, Jesse sat down in the snow before the headstone.

“Hi, Mom. Sorry I didn’t come by earlier. Busy day,” Jesse leaned forward and brushed the snow off the petals of the poinsetta he had left at the grave a few days ago. “I guess that’s a good thing, huh? You would have liked that, seeing me spending time with all my friends,” Jesse considered dusting the snow off the top of the headstone, but it looked pleasant there, peaceful.

“I went to church today, the one Ruby and Aasim attend. You would love it. It’s one of those classic-looking buildings with the wood and the steeple. They sung hymns too. All your favorites,” Jesse sat in silence, taking in the atmosphere of the night. Others had visited with him in previous years: James, Clementine, his grandfather in the early years before the trek out in the cold became too much for him.

“Grandpa’s doing well. I think he misses you the most this time of year. I’ll be sure to give him a call tomorrow. James and I are going to fly out in a few days and spend two weeks on the ranch. That will be nice,” Snow was starting to fall again. The flakes coated Jesse’s gloves and got caught in his hair, slowly melting and disappearing amongst the black strands. All was silent this late at night, just like the old rhyme said. Not a creature was stirring.

An alarm went off on Jesse’s phone, a light, pleasant tune. Turning it off, Jesse looked at the time. It was midnight now. He smiled at the headstone. “Merry Christmas, Mom. I love you,” Rising to his feet, Jesse headed out of the cemetery. The snow fell behind him, covering his path and carpeting the ground in soft, gentle stillness.