#3.1: ask the librarians

[narcoticwriter]

About putting Xiao out of his misery, that’s a fair perspective and honestly makes it better if we did have to, but I still think I’d cry lol

(it’s banterismylovelanguage btw)

Continuing unpopular opinions, which five characters do you think would find peace in death in endgame (including or excluding Xiao, your choice)?

Okay, this is quite the ask and I have opinions on this. It's in descending order as well.

5. Bennett

Before I'm crucified, let me explain this one a bit.

One of Bennett's character stories brings up the implication that he can't hope to die an adventurer's death that cements him into any legend or lore.

That would be 'too fortunate' for someone with his bad luck.

So if he went out knowing he gave his all and in a really epic and badass way, he'd be able to rest easy.

Why do you think he runs headlong into every conflict and fight? It's not like he's going to actually die anyway. It'll hurt, but he'll be alive.

Will his death actually happen? No, as I am highly doubtful of the fact. But would it be cathartic and ironic if it was the case? Yes.

4. Lisa Minci

You should be expecting this one as the librarian canonically doesn't have that much time left.

Her attitude of helping out with everyone else, and making sure they're okay is what she lives for while she still can.

The way that she interacts with others as well as teaches Razor, gets some of the Knights to take breaks and rest, and even pushes Kaeya towards reconciliation with Diluc (in 3.1 I think) shows how she's no longer afraid to show others that she cares about them.

And if Celestia put a warning on you in the form of taking half of your lifespan, you can bet that the philosophy of "fuck it we ball" is going to apply in this sense.

She'd pass on knowing that she did what she loved, and that was taking care of others and watching them grow and learn.

She'll be a little sad that she can't see it for herself, but she feels confident that they'll be in good hands and I love that for her.

3. Zhongli

This one, I am admittedly less enthused to talk about, but it's starting to feel like that may be the case.

Starting off, this guy is super old and may be older than Teyvat itself, so at some point, he will croak and die.

Second of all, this guy has a forced non-disclosure agreement that doubles as a gag order from The Heavenly Principles, so if he broke it (which he might, given some things he's implied) he would be silenced for good.

And last, but certainly not least, one's retirement is a stepping stone that's much closer to death than not.

He's at a point where he's simply enjoying the feeling of being alive in his twilight years. He's also expressing the fear of forgetting certain memories and as he wanes, so will those.

It has a slightly higher chance of being in-game than I want to think about, but I can't deny its plausibility at any rate.

2. Tartaglia

You heard me the first time I don't need to repeat myself.

"Sure, I might have fallen into the Abyss as a kid, but I became better for it, I swear!"

Yeah, sure you did and you think Celestia won't get around to putting you in check as you collect forbidden powers and techniques like they're fucking Pokemon cards?

This guy's got the survivability of a goddamn babirusa because not only does everything want to kill him, but if that doesn't do it, he'll eventually kill himself with his entire approach to living.

Boy literally throws himself at the most dangerous creatures and people under the sun and still has the audacity to say "Another round!" even those he's been reduced to almost-a-corpse.

I don't care what you say: HIS 👏 ASS 👏 IS 👏 DYING 👏 YOUNG

Honorable Mentions (and some crackery) -

Qiqi - No one deserves to live as a result of being caught in the crossfire combined with adeptal collateral damage. Homegirl needs to rest for what's left of time.

Xiao - Obviously, as living is suffering and he'll finally have peace.

Yelan - Nerfing her bloodline was a contingency measure and breaking some of her spirit in the Abyss was a reassurance, so what makes you think they won't put her on a shirt if she presses?

Albedo - If you have an Archon, an assassin, and a Khaerni'ahn nervous as well as asking the Traveler to kill you if things get out of hand, things will happen to you.

Mona - She will see something she isn't meant to and she will be dealt with accordingly.

Kaedehara Kazuha - It would be off-screen and no one would know until someone stumbled across a rotting corpse in the wilderness.

Kaeya - It'd be real funny if there was an active political faction in Khaerni'ah that wanted the Alberichs exterminated for usurping the throne Hoyoverse please I'm begging you-

Diluc - It would be partially due to his own stupidity and partially due to the Harbingers making sure he died properly this time.

Shenhe - It would be without her red ropes and she will never feel more alive again.

And now, without further ado, we have number one on this list . . .

Venti

Bet you didn't see this one coming, did you?

I'm sorry, but this little guy has about as many death flags as Eula does grievances towards most of Mondstadt.

He has: talked to the Traveler before the events of the game, witnessed some real heinous shit in the Calamity (Cataclysm?), got his gnosis snatched (maybe on purpose??), and has increasingly been showing up more and more as time goes on.

Why are these points relevant? Because at some point he will spill the beans and will be punished severely for it.

I would make the argument that he's the closest Archon to the Traveler as well as one of the oldest, and as such, it would be that much more powerful if he was killed off in the greater sense of things.

I'm sorry, but I just can't see him surviving to endgame. He's living on borrowed time and he knows it.

Tell me what you think!

[fallcrestrpg]

ıllıllı 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 12/17: 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 3.1 - Avraham-  ıllıllı  

Transcript of Event below Cut:

Julia

It was the weekly movie night and while she would love to be the one cuddling with her kids but as always, Levi and Embry had other plans - Evan being that other plan. On the bright side, the siblings were bonding and that was already enough to land a smile on her face. A kid on both sides of the half-demon, Julia almost felt bad for the girl constantly being sandwiched between them.

Having them alone for quite some time now, she figured they were due for a refill on popcorn which was when she decided to take come out of the bedroom to take a peek. At first she thought it was the movie they were watching, but considering it was a Disney movie that they all re-watched many, many, *many* times - she did not recall babies crying at this point of the movie.

Coming in, one could not describe her surprise when she saw 2 babies sitting (?), or laying down on the couch. "...Leo?" She called out as she stepped towards the babies, "Obie, stop sniffing at them.." She gently pet the dog before completely pushing him away. "*Leo.*" This time a lot louder.

Leo

Considering her kids often decided she was the _second_ best demon in the room when the librarian was over, Leo had figured she could slip out to the small office she had in the suite and get a jump start on pending tasks. With any luck and she might get to spend the full weekend with her family -something Thyra might argue she could do at any time if she'd just let the woman do her job, but...

As entrenched as she was in her work, as soon as she heard her name called out, she shimmered back to the living room. "I'm here, what's wroooohhhh..." Leo trailed off as she noticed the babies, one looking barely larger than one of Obie's dog toys. "Uh..." was the sound of pure confusion until she realized the oversized garments they were wearing. "Wait...is that- are they- oh..." The last bit coming as just above a whisper as she knelt down in front of the babies before glancing back at Julia, "Our babies are _babies_."

Julia

Julia was making sure that neither Levi or Embry accidentally rolled off the couch. "Yeah.. they are.. but *why*?" Should they be concerned? Was this permanent? Why did this happen? The amount of questions that flooded her mind though she was easily distracted by the sounds of her children's giggles. Reach out, she brushed her thumb against those rosy cheeks of her oldest kid. "...You're as cute as I remembered.. a bit older though."

Letting Embry take hold of her fingers now, she looked over at Leo, ".. I don't even know who to go to to ask questions. Do you have any clue to how this could have happened?"

Leo

As Julia made her way to Emmy, Leo slid over to where Levi currently laid. “I didn’t know people could come this tiny,” she whispered as she removed the boy’s now very comically oversized glasses. Glancing back over at Emmy, she had swallow back a lump in her throat before even attempting to speak again.

“Uh, yeah. Questions. I can start by checking in the group chat and seeing if any other parents are facing the same. Maybe one will have an answer. In the meantime, I’ll send Jon and Andy out to get baby…uh…things and stuff and whatever…”

Julia

'Levi's also tinier than most." She chuckled softly at the sight of him. Reaching over and gently poking his cheeks, that too also earned a giggle from this child. "To see the two of them together like this.. I.. never thought I'd see the day." With that, Julia moved Embry carefully to sit close to her brother. In the meantime, Obie started whining so Julia lifted him onto the couch too, watching him automatically snuggle next to the older kid.

This was really tugging at every heart string. "..Yeah.. we'll need a lot - they'll need to get a lot of everything since we have 2 babies on our hands.." Their tiny hands and feets made it hard for the blonde to resist showering them with tiny kisses. "God.. just look at you guys.."

Evan

Shimmering back into the suite's living room with an armful of snacks, Evan immediately dropped everything on the spot, eyes going wide as she took in the sight on the couch before her. She'd left her girlfriend and her new bestie for only five minutes max as she remembered the snack haul she'd left at her place with all their favorites....and now in their place were....

"Babies..." she whispered.

Shaking her head to give her brain a jumpstart, she also took note of the fact that Julia and Leo were crying- _Leo_ was _cry-eeng_... "Uh, is that- are they- So I take it solids are off the table for a bit...?"

Julia

"Yep... babies." Julia didn't want to budge at all. "It just.. happened all of a sudden." She looked over to Leo, "Did anyone have any idea? ... Did it happen to anyone else? As adorable as this is.. This.. can't be a good sign.. or am I just being too pessimistic?"

It was almost comical how big the clothes were now that Embry and Levi shrunk. "Obie, grab that blanket for me." She pointed over to the fabric and the pup intelligently dragged it across the couch for the other. Then she made quick work to wrap the kids with it. Despite being wolves, Julia still didn't want them to feel cold.

Leo

"She's too young for you bro!" Was the first exclamation that came out of her mouth at Evan's statement, but there was hardly any seriousness in her face to back it up as the younger demon just rolled her eyes. At Julia's question, she glanced back up from her phone and said, "Paladins' prevailing theory is that it's related to the kickback magic from when the last seal was broken on the Nexus. Which means, much with other kickback magic situations, at least it won't be permanent or really have any lasting effects. We don't, however, have a way of knowing how long it could last. I mean, we were once stuck as our halloween costumes for several hours and then once stuck as the opposite gender for like a month...."

Julia

Julia could feel the younger demon rolling her eyes even if she didn't look in her direction. "So it's temporary." She mumbled to herself, wondering if that was a good thing or not. The fact that Embry was sitting in front of her as an infant was truly a blessing. She was sure she was about to burn a hole in her kid's cheeks by how much she's brushing against it. And when Emmy laughed and smiled towards their way, god, how her heart melted.

"I suppose we should make the best out of it?" She pointed her smile towards Leo. "Like.. a lot of photos will be taken on my part, that is for sure." She

Andy

It had taken a bit longer than she’d like to admit to get into a routine with her new duties, but after a week she was feeling things were hitting a stride.

And then her original boss sent a message that she and Jon needed to check the group chat and shop accordingly…the last part confusing her more than anything. That is, until she read the chat.

Now, she stood at said bosses door, after Thyra giddily volunteered to be her co-shopper over Jon and they managed to speed through the list. Entering using her pass, she trudged into the living room with all of their bags and a hotel manger trailing. “I think this is half the store.”

Thyra

When she heard about shopping for babies, Thyra volunteered to go because baby clothes were the cutest things. And she was not disappointed when they arrived at the penthouse.

"Oh.. my gosh." she whispered, clutching onto Andy's arm with excitement. "Look at them, Andy!" She was basically melting at the site of them and she hadn't even held the babies yet. While she would love to run over and play with them, she was wondering how Andy was holding up. "Annnd no we didn't get half the store, maybe one-third of it. The diapers and other essentials are on the way up - there were a lot of boxes. We brought up the rest."

Andy

Over the last year or so, Andy had grown to mitigate her bloodlust by simply shifting focus away from her sense of smell. It wasn’t one she relied on too often, and it helped to not feel like she was dying of dehydration out in the middle of a salt-water ocean. But there wasn’t quite as much she could do about her _sight_.

As she was distracted, it was easy enough for Thyra to coax her into doing exactly as asked and _looking_ at the babies. Why the more youthful the creature the brighter and more alluring their blood shone, she didn’t know. But it was enough to cause her to stiffen and force herself to remain rooted to her spot. “Yes,” she replied eventually, “They are rather captivating aren’t they…I think I’ll go ahead and give Jon a hand with the boxes.”

Thyra

She could tell by the way Andy stiffened that being around babies was.. going to be a challenge. So when Andy said she might just go help out Jon instead, Thyra didn't stop her. "I'll go with you. We bought a lot - I feel bad that we're getting Jon to bring everything up." She chuckled softly and gave the babies a small peck on their cheeks before getting up to walk out with Andy.

"How are you holding up?" She asked once they were in the elevator. "With Emmy and Levi being babies." She chuckled, "Something tells me that you're talking about a different kind of 'captivating' than I would be." She smiled as she looped her arms around the other's.

Andy

The vampire didn't even register she was actually going through the motions of breathing -even though it had no point anymore- until she heard her own sigh as the elevator doors closed. She felt like needed to catch her breath, but she knew that wasn't a thing, and the more she tried to fight it and make herself stop, the worse it got. So she caved and just took in deep breathes as if they had a purpose.

"I..." Andy trailed off, not really sure what order her words were even in for a second. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "I to keep a measured distance from kids. I think I briefly touched upon it once when Leo first wanted me to watch Levi for them...it's...it's a whole thing, but the most imminent one is the fact that the younger the living being, the brighter -I.E. more alluring- the blood call is. But it's okay, I doubt I'll be left remotely alone with either infant, and if push comes to shove you're clearly more than okay with watching over them so-" The elevator dinged and she was off at top speed, loading everything into the elevator at once in less than a minute. "Shan't keep them waiting."

Thyra

Thyra could only imagine that Andy saw everyone with heat vision, except blood veins. While it was understandable that Andy didn't want to be around the kids too long, Thyra was sad that she had to avoid them in case she endangered them. "From the looks of things, I don't think they'll need anyone to help watch over them. Did you see Leo?" She smiled as she looked up to see what floor they were on, only to see the elevator filled before she even looked back down when the door opened.

"....That speed must be so convenient. Is that everything?" She double checked all the boxes to make sure they didn't have to go for another trip down. "We should leave a small stash of supplies in her office later, who knows if she decides to go do some work with babies in her arms." She snorted as she turned around with a baby's outfit in her hands, "Oh my god. I thought [this](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/S1b06523e1987442e8145e4786e8b791dN/Anime-Baby-Rompers-New

Andy

As she entered into the elevator herself and felt her cells literally settle into normal time, she let out a breath and hit the right button. "It really depends on the task at hand...and who you happen to ask," she replied cheekily, already doing her best to slip back her mask of easy-going detachment and snarky humor. Thyra was clearly having the time of her life right now and the last thing she wanted was to in any way, shape, or form, become the reason she didn't get to enjoy herself.

The thought immediately struck her that she might as well do all she could to let the woman enjoy the babies while she could, as obviously Andy wouldn't be helping her get any of her own for various reasons...but she immediately nipped _that_ in the bud. And instead concentrated on the bright orange _thing_ the woman was holding up. "I guarantee you that _now_ is going to be the _only_ chance you will ever get to put Embry into something like that, and no, not just because of the size." Just then the elevator dinged again, and Andy proceeded to pull out the shades she grabbed form the car. "Alright, let's get this sorted out."

Thyra

"... I can already expect the amount of work load I'll have to handle." She snorted. It was a good day when she could just stay in her office and do paperwork while answering emails because that meant that there weren't any trouble going on in the hotel. But they came oh so rarely because there will always be a guest who needed to 'speak with the manager'. But all that didn't deter her from her initial concern.

"I don't want to stay here too long if you're finding it hard to be around the babies." She took Andy by the hand. "We can like.. just drop off their things and go home too, you know." As cute as Embry and Levi were, Thyra didn't want Andy to be uncomfortable around them. She didn't know how much of a lightbulb they looked to the vampire, but surely, it was alluring enough that the other excused herself so quickly to begin with.

Andy

“I think it will all depend on how long this goes on for,” Andy noted. “I’m certain tomorrow will be a full day off for Leo, but I most certainly don’t see her stepping back for too long after. I mean, she did ask for a dual baby carrier so….Just, don’t be surprised if your boss micromanages you from between a baby sandwich.”

She smiled at the suggestion and simply said, “It’ll be fine. Consider this as the equivalent of bringing your recovering alcoholic girlfriend to a party. It’s up to the addict to learn control and resist temptation, not the responsibility of the world around them to suddenly go dry. I’ll keep myself busy, and if it gets too much, I’ll just say so. And for the record, you don’t ever have to leave a party early just because I do.” The last bit was added with a wink.

Thyra

"...She is definitely taking the babies to work as often as she can. I *also* have the feeling that she might get to take the babies to work more often than Julia could." She shrugged, "I guess I'll be keeping an eye on them if Leo needs to step out... Let's hope our meetings don't clash because you and Jon are next." She snorted. It didn't seem right to get their employees to help out either, not that it'd be a good idea because she didn't know how the kids would react to that.

While she didn't think Andy would lie to her, a part of her wondered if she'd actually say something. Still, she smile and gave a nod. "I know I don't have to leave early but I'd like to go everywhere with you." She hummed before the elevator dinged. "Where are we even putting all of these things?" She asked once they arrived.

Jon

He'd managed to remain quiet during the majority of the ride back up -due more than likely to the fact he hadn't had to witness the pair during the actual shopping trip as well- but as they neared their destination and the hotel manager managed that final line, he just couldn't hold his tongue anymore. "Have I told you recently how _nauseatingly_ enamored you two are," he stated more than asked, though the slight grin on his face made it clear he had zero actual problems with it. "You're almost as bad as my step-daughter and her 'best friend' except in their case they're both entirely oblivious to it. You both, on the other hand....well, let's just say we need to work on some restraint exercises for at least the big meetings."

Figuring he'd done his 'fatherly' duty and embarrassed the women enough, when the elevators opened he simply said, "I'm sure we can just set them up in the living room. The mothers are likely looking forward to getting to go through every little thing themselves."

Thyra

The manager made a face at Jon, not embarrassed by his teasing at all because Thyra did not care about how nauseating they were being. "Leo already doesn't let us be in the same shift." She chuckled, "So I don't think you have to worry about us being in the same meetings."

Once the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Thyra grabbed a box and moved it to the lobby. While Andy and Jon could handle all the boxes themselves, she thought she could contribute at least a little bit. After dropping off the box onto the ground, she wandered into the living room to see that babies were now changed and was .. playing with the dog? Playing was a strong word. The babies could barely sit up straight and the dog was letting them lean against him. "Ohhhhh, they're so cute! See, I told you the outfit was adorable."

Andy

Andy, for her part, simply smirked and said, "Oh, Jon's just jealous _his_ girl is on the other side of town for most of his shift. It's okay, we'll get you guys one of those Portal things that are basically a giant facetime screen." She proceeded to pull out her phone and mockingly gesture to the screen as if explaining it to someone who knew nothing about technology. Act like a dad, get treated like a dad. House rule.

When Thyra proceeded to pick up a box and walk out, Andy and Jon just looked at each other and shared an eye roll, because of course she would. If her build would allow it, she'd have taken more than one just to prove a point -much like Jon was doing. Andy sped through the majority and made sure everything was offloaded -twice- before heading into the living room herself. The shades did fuck all when it came to the bright-neon pulsing of the babies' circulatory systems, but she smiled at Thyra nonetheless and nodded. "Hey, it's a good thing you got them matching ones because it looks like they both really like the uh, things and stuff."

Julia

Hearing them return, she turned in time to spot them walk into the living room one after the other. "Is Serephina still at work?" She asked after hearing Andy tease Jon. "We've been on different shifts lately that I barely get to see her. When I do, she's usually hunting down someone for their reports. I do not want to get in the way of that."

Her attention returned to the babies. "I can't believe that they're almost the size of Oberion." Julia shifted from her spot and leaned against Leo. "Look at her hand, it's like clutching his fur." She tried to ease the grip a little so that she wasn't tugging on the dog.

Leo

She opted to keep an ear out for the group after the way Any had set off. She knew the risk towards the babies was practically nonexistent, but she couldn’t imagine it was a pleasant experience for the woman regardless. They’d managed to get the babies changed and settled by the time they all came in, Jon politely nodding and answering Julia, Thyra being engrossed with the babies and Andy…

Her own attention was drawn back as Julia leaned against her and then directed the attention to Emmy. Chuckling she reached over to help by offering the baby something else to latch onto. “Obie has always been her cuddle buddy, I highly doubt that’s going to be changed by something as inconsequential as her new size. My poor boy, on the hand, can’t even sit up on his own yet. Little man is living up to his nickname.”

Julia

"With how unfazed he is with her just leaning on him like this, I think he might be the least surprised about Embry and Levi become babies again." Her focus switched over to Levi who was just looking at them but unable to sit up. "Hey buddy.. What are you looking at?" She chuckled as she took his tiiiiiiiny little bitty hand. "Did you also want to lean against Obie?"

Looking at the two in comparison, she was positive that Obie might actually be bigger. Embry let out a sound which drew her attention back and she saw that their baby girl was reaching out towards her two mother. "Oh.. What's wrong baby?" Since she was seated closer, Julia lifted Embry off the couch and into her arms, "I think she might be hungry."

Leo

Leo went ahead and sought out the items she’d need before stating, “I’ll get a couple of bottles ready. With any luck and they’ll be down for the night so we can actually sort through all of this.” Having found the items she needed, the woman headed to the kitchen.

Muscle memory from her time helping with the younger fosters had her back within minutes. She handed Julia a bottle before scooping Levi up into her own arms. She reached out and grabbed a pair of bibs, handing one to Jules. “Don’t want to ruin their new fits.”

Julia

She took the bib from Leo and carefully got it around Embry, who seemed unwilling to wear it at first but then relented when she spotted her younger brother also sporting one. The baby had forgotten all about it anyways when she saw the bottle in her mother's hand. Julia carefully held embry in her arm as well before giving her the bottle. "Oh they must be very hungry." She smiled as she looked over to the brother in Leo's arms.

The shifter also came over and knelt next to her before unintentionally distracting the babies. "Did we get a crib as well? Because I think we need to have that set up because the kids might want to sleep right after this."

Andy

The current chief deputy took that as her cue and immediately went to pick out to of the boxes from the pile of things. “Just let me know where you want them and I’ll get them set up,” she said.

When Leo pointed her in the right direction she took off without question. Thyra was clearly enjoying herself and this little build would buy her some time away from the babies.

Granted, her speed had her coming back out with the trash before the babies had even finished their bottles. “Both cribs are set. We got matching sheets and stuff to make it easier to do laundry and stuff. I can set up the baby monitors in there too if you want.”

Thyra

She had noticed that Andy didn't step anywhere near the babies and was doing all that she could to be away from them. Speeding off to grab the rest of the boxes, and now volunteering to get those cribs set up. But because of that, the shifter thought her girlfriend would at least take her time with the cribs. Instead, Andy came out even before the babies were done with their bottles.

Getting up from her spot, she walked over to the boxes and got the monitors out. "I can set them up with you." It probably require two people to do the job but she wanted to be with Andy.

Andy

Seeing as Thyra had already gone through and picked out the monitors, there wasn’t much Andy could do except nod and agree to the help. “It shouldn’t be too hard,” she mentioned as she led them to the room. “Much easier than the hotel’s system for sure.”

Once in the room, the woman stopped for a moment and took off the shades. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes and took a breath. Feeling a bit re-centered, she turned to face Thyra with a smile and said, “Alright, what’s first?”

Thyra

Once they were both in the room, Thyra turned around and snaked her arms around Andy's shoulders. "How are you holding up?" She asked, "Do you need anything?" The baby monitor could wait a bit. "We can go home right after this, yeah?" Lifting one hand, she brushed away the stray hairs in Andy's face and pushed them behind the ear.

"How many are there?" She glanced over to the boxes of baby monitors. "I heard the higher the better - are there any wall mounts? We could maybe install them like CCTV." She offered, pointing at the corners of the ceiling.

Andy

She had spent literal years in isolation, and even once she was 'free', there had never truly been the chance that she would allow herself to get close enough to anyone for her mood or state of mind to even be a topic of conversation. Yet here she was, back in the arms of one of the two people who had ever known her so well that really, answering with anything but the truth, just wasn't even an option. Her own arms came to wrap around Thyra's waist, that sense of being centered now also one of being _tethered_. _Secure_. "Well, it's not exactly the best situation, but I've definitely been in worse," she admitted, before shaking her head a bit. "I'll be alright. This right here is more than enough already. Thank you."

Glancing over at the packaging, she said, "There's six video monitors and two sound monitors. They do come with wall mounting equipment, and I think we both know I could probably have them up and the batteries in the receiver ready to hand over to the moms in less than five minutes, so why don't _you_ tell me what your plan was when you offered to help?"

Thyra

Her eyes travelled back to the vampire with raised brow, stuck in between feeling amused and disbelief. "My *plan* is that you take your time." She chuckled, "The babies aren't even finished with their bottles yet - and if they were, there's still a few things to do before they're brought into this room." She shrugged. "And maybe I wanted to spend a bit of time with you - and give you a break from having babies in the same room." Sure they could just get everything set up and then *leave* but Andy might insist that she stayed behind and Thyra didn't want that.

"Should we set everything up and leave? Because I'll be fine with that too." Pulling away, she reached over to grab one of the boxes to read the details as she subconsciously opened the box. "Well, I won't be the one trying to install the ones that's supposed to go up in the ceiling."

Andy

In a bid to try and keep the mood light, Andy asked, “Oh, and just how we’re you planning on getting me to do that? We’re you going to ask nicely? Maybe sabotage the process or provide a _distraction_?” The vampire herself was definitely trying to distract away from the fact she clearly had been speeding so much it caused some concern for the shifter.

At the mention of a break from the equivalent of human LED headlights, and a little alone time, Andy knew she wouldn’t be fighting back at all. “We can leave whenever _you_ feel ready or whenever the moms kick is out, whichever comes first,” she chuckled. Walking over, she took The opened box and began laying out the individual items. “I think I can handle the ceiling if you can handle to instructions.”

Thyra

"Would it not work if I did all of the above?" She asked back because.. she would definitely have done all three. "..Would you have let me do all three?" Andy could easily work around her so it really was a matter of whether or not she'd let her. "Maybe if I held you in place?" She shrugged.

The hotel manager grabbed the instructions and carefully looked through it. "Oh here's the screws for it." She passed the other the little packet. "How long is the power cord?"

Andy

Andy locked her gaze onto the soft blue eyes looking up at her with an emotion the vampire was still learning to classify, but simply smiled and said, "You could just look at me like this for two seconds and I'd be putty in your hands, and you _know_ it."

Taking the small packet, she got to work on the individual cameras first, opening the backs and reaching for a second package. "No cord. I figured it'd be a hazard for Leo to whirlwind her way around her babies and then suddenly trip over one. I got the battery operated ones instead, but since they aren't included I have to sit here and add them to each one." Though her tone made it seem like an arduous task, she was done with all of them by the time she got done speaking. "Instructions have any limitations on range or suggestions on positions from up high?"

Thyra

"But I always look at you like this?" She chuckled, "Does that mean you're just always putty?" She was sure the two mothers outside could hear their conversation right now but Thyra couldn't help it.

"Oh, did we get extra batteries? We should leave a few spares - not necessarily in this room though - for when they run out of juice." She scanned through the instructions to find the answers. "It looks like they recommend them to be 3 feet away - further if possible. "How far is 3feet?" She looked up and then around the room. "I think we can have one around here? And then one in the corner up there?" She pointed towards the two spots she suggested.

Andy

Andy fixed her with a look and simply said, “What do _you_ think?” As much as she made it sound like it was just a matter of being whipped, Andy knew it was more than that. She didn’t give into Thyra because she was powerless to do otherwise; she did it because Thyra made her feel safe and _willing_ to do so. Giving in, for Andy, was a _choice_.

“Yeah, while you were ooing and ahhing at all the outfits, I picked up like four packs, not to mention we keep boxes full of them in supply. “Three feet is about a full-grown Thyra, give or take an inch,” she deadpanned, but places the monitors where the woman indicated. “Alright, looks like the hardware aspect is set. We just have to put everything in their private wi-fi network, and it’s set.”

Thyra

The manager just beamed at the answer. She knew how much it meant for Andy to be willing to put her guard down, so there may be a hint of pride and giddiness to know that Andy felt safe enough to do so around her.

Her nose wrinkled at the jab of her height. "I told you, it's just that all of you are tall, not that I'm short." Once everything was set up in their place, Thyra took one last look around the room to make sure they're all set before giving her full attention back towards the other.

"So do you want to go home, or try again with the babies?" She asked, "Or we could stay here for a bit longer but they might want to come in eventually."

Andy

Andy rolled her eyes and tried to look annoyed at the hint of snugness coming from the blonde, but her the woman's smile was too endearing and she just turned around to do something else so her own stupid smile wouldn't ruin the 'aesthetic' of the detached vampire.

"Yeah, see the folks in this hotel are _hardly_ the tallest people in town, Peque. Some of them make even Jon look short, so I suppose you really didn't have much of a chance, huh?" she retorted with a mock frown. She let out a chuckle as she began cleaning everything back up so it was safe for the babies and there were no tripping hazards for the moms. "Well, we definitely can't hog a room that doesn't belong to us, but as far as the babies go, I'll leave it up to you. If you want to see if they're still up and up for another round of...whatever babies do, we can stay. I'll be fine."

Julia

The mother wolf had been doing her very best to keep herself focused on the babies and Leo. Anything to not hear the two flirt in their kids' room. One would think she'd get used to it after being around them for so long but she could *feel* the cavities forming. With a quick glance towards the room, she looked over to Leo, "I'm not sure if they're here for the babies." She whispered softly before looking down at Emmy who seemed to be struggling to sit up, or turn over. Julia held up the baby and the baby immediately leaned into the crook of her neck.

"Hey baby.." She whispered softly, "What's wrong? Are you getting sleepy?" She tried to peek but with the angle they were at, Julia couldn't quite see Emmy's expression.

Leo

"Oh I can guarantee you Thyra is. Andy is only here because it's her job. From what we've learned about her new powers, it can't be fun to be around a pair so young..." She turned Levi over on her lap and began the task of getting him properly burped but patting his back gently. Glancing over at the blonde duo she said, "Considering they just ate their fill, it is very likely they'll be ready for some sleep soon enough. Fingers crossed and they're both at the stage where they can sleep through the night or at least most of the night."

Satisfied when she felt the familiar rumble of a little burp, she flipped the little boy over to wipe the spittle from the corner of his mouth and then proceeded to bring him to rest on her own shoulder, much like his sister. "Come on, we can kick the lovebirds out and get to setting up a nice place for them to drift off in."

Julia

"Was Andy fond of kids in the first place regardless of her new powers?" She sighed as she soothed their baby girl's back, rocking her slowly which was deemed very effective when she could feel her baby being more still with each passing minute. "I think Emmy is already well on her way to sleep." She chuckled softly before giving her a kiss to the forehead.

Walking into the room, she smiled at the two women who were in their own little world no matter the place or time. "Don't mind us." She laughed, "We're just here to get the kids to bed - thank you for getting everything set up." She added before going over to one of the cribs to set the kid down. Embry for her part, started to twist and turn in attempt to get comfy. Julia could only watch with a big smile on her face. She never thought she'd get to see this afterall. "Leo look.. She won't let go of my hand."

Leo

Leo thought about for a fraction of a second before she said, “Actually, yes. She was always a big hit with the younger fosters whenever she came around. It’s why I was so comfortable entrusting her to watch over the kids even _after_ everything.” Feeling the even breaths of Levi, the half-demon chuckled softly and said, “Well she’ll be playing catch-up with her brother. He’s out like a light.”

Following the older woman’s lead, she too headed into the impromptu nursery. “Actually do mind us. A lot. Your help is appreciated but there are plenty of other rooms in the hotel for you two to stare adoringly at each other in,” she scolded, before turning to walk over to Jules. “She feels safe with you.”

Julia

Julia never questioned Leo's decision so if she trusted Andy even if the younger woman was somewhat struggling in the babies' presence, Julia should trust that too. "That also explains why you made her the babysitter." She hummed.

It was truly amazing how the two could be in their own world at any given time. Instead she just focused her attention to the cribs. It felt like a crime to pry Embry's little hand off of hers so she didn't. Hence why the mother wolf simply leaned against the crib and smiled endearingly at the kid. It was almost hard to believe that she once left this baby girl behind. "You really think so? Part of me thinks that she doesn't want me to *leave*."

Leo

As the pair bud their farewells, she returned her full attention to Julia. Her response was to be expected, as Leo knew full well how much Julia till struggled with a sense of guilt over having left Embry to the foster system. She also knew it wasn’t that could just be smoothed over with words, but she’d hoped that her reassurances over their time back in each other’s lives would have helped a bit.

Regardless, expected or not, the words still made Leo’s heart ache for the mother of her children. She reached out a hand to gently wrap around both the baby’s and Julia’s as she said, “She _knows_ you won’t leave. She wouldn’t have let you in as much as she has, while her normal self, otherwise.”

Julia

Julia mulled over those words, not because she thought they were untrue but there will always be a part of her who would somehow think otherwise. "You're right." She leaned towards the taller woman as her eyes fell upon the joined hands. If she were told she'd have this moment when she first stepped foot in the Avraham's home, Julia wouldn't have believed it. "Part of me think she might still be resenting me about it - I'm just thankful both of you allowed me back in."

It was without a doubt that they wouldn't harm Levi because he was just a kid but Julia was still grateful nonetheless. "Baby.." She let out a soft chuckle. "She's got .. a really strong grip." At that she could feel the kid's hand *tightening*. "... maybe this is a warning."

Leo

"Embry is as transparent a person as they come. Believe me, there was zero hesitation in letting me know how annoying she found me when we met and how much she'd rather shove pencils under her fingernails than have any sort of bonding time. If she still felt _any_ resentment towards you, you would _know_," Leo pointed out. The hunter still remembered just how much work it took for her to get Embry to stick around her during the first pride parade in town.

At the mention of the baby's grip, Leo took note and said, "Oh, that must mean they've kept their powers...hmmm...we may want to keep an extra eye on her. She still hasn't tapped into her witch powers, but as a baby who knows how much control she'll have."

Julia

"Yeah.. I remember when we met in person." Boy, she was ever so thankful Levi, who was ever the social butterfly, was around to break the ice. "Not sure who she takes after." She was just very thankful that everything worked out in the end. "But I still can't imagine her not liking you from the very start."

Her thumb brushed against the little digits as she thought about the strength the baby clearly kept. "... Did the girls buy any small stuffed animals? I think Emmy might need something to grab onto. Almost tempted to give her a strength grip with how hard she's holding on right now."

Leo

"Yeah...that was a memorable interaction," she said, though her focus in hindsight was the pleasant contact between her fist and that douchewolf's face. It took everything in her not to provide a sarcastic reply at the question of who Embry, a girl show spoke her mind and didn't feel the need to hold back her opinion, might take after... "Could just be her own personal flair," she said instead. Leo chuckled and said, "She _may_ have liked me, deep, _deep_, down, but that doesn't mean she wasn't annoyed. I mean, she probably thought I was just going to be another face that stuck around for a while and then shipped her off. I don't blame her."

Glancing around the room, she found a pile of stuffies and picked the one she felt would be the most 'robust' and therefore likely to survive the night. Handing it over she said, "I'm definitely already seeing why we've evolved to the point our powers have to be triggered by something and why we aren't all just born with innate magical abilities. Can also see why some parents may consider binding their children's powers if they trigger too young."

Julia

She made a face because she was *sure* they both found it memorable for various different reasons. Her ex-husband definitely didn't have a good time when he came home later than night though Julia knew he deserved whatever reckoning that came his way. At the topic of Embry thinking her time with Leo would end up like the other foster families just had her heart aching. This will always pick at Julia's guilt but she was thankful that the younger wolf was willing to open up to her. "And now she loves having you around - probably still annoyed though." She joked.

"...Do you think her witch powers will get triggered?" She thought aloud since triggering the wolf was vastly different from when a witch gaining their power. Her eyes fell to the stuffed animal that was already changing its shape at the spot where Emmy was holding it. "... She's not going to hurt herself, is she?" She reached in to give their daughter a small rub.

Leo

Leo shrugged at the comment and just said, "Like mother, like daughter." It wasn't like Jules and Leo had gotten off to the best start immediately either. Much for the same reasons that Emmy was hesitant to make any connections, so too was a teenage Julia. Though they were unfortunately kept from each other for as long as they had, the two would always be far more alike than they may ever want to actively discuss. Also, Leo knew she was just as annoying now as she was then so...

"I can't say for certain, but one of the things that made it to where Liam was as spoiled as he was from the start, _was_ the fact that his powers came in early. Granted, that doesn't necessarily translate to anything, but it was something else my parents could brag about....until I came along and with half my magic already presenting from birth. Scion genetics and all that jazz. _But_, being spontaneously changed from an independent teenager to a helpless baby could be enough of a catalyst to do it. May as well keep an eye out just to be safe." Looking down at the toy Leo said, "Herself? No. Some unfortunate other party? Perhaps."

Julia

She gave a wry smile despite it not being Leo's initial meaning. Julia was aware of how she was when she first met the Avrahams. Granted, she was taken in by Leo's parents which would have given a whole different experience in general. "Seems like she takes after me quite a bit." She commented, smiling softly at that.

"What didn't Liam brag about?" Her eyes rolled. "Well, I guess we should keep a look out for anything floating out of nowhere." She snorted. "I never did ask though, what sort of magic did Liam have?" For someone who seemed very likely to show off, Julia did not have much recollection of it. "Oh, you're right. Look at that grip." She laughed out loud at how distorted that thing looked right now. "Maybe she's letting out some anger we don't know about."

Leo

"Well, not like she can really take after anyone else the room, dear," she pointed out with a grin that was more of a mask at this point. Matters didn't get any better at the comment about what her brother _didn't_ brag about. "Well, considering his rather pertinent role in us having this conversation, at this very point, because of this very baby....That's for you to tell me, but honestly I think I could do without ever knowing."

Leo made a face at the question and then let out a breath as she reluctantly said, "Yeah, we'll want to keep an eye out for things being _set ablaze_ out of nowhere...Liam was a pyro...in any sense of the word, really." The woman let out a chuckle and said, "Oh she's definitely letting out some frustration there, but not all frustration is anger-driven...again, she was just a teenager only hours ago."

Julia

Julia had a feeling that she should perhaps drop the topic seeing that it was never Leo's choice of topic to discuss. It wasn't when they were younger, and it didn't seem to have changed now even though Julia hadn't be around them since. "Oh.. She might be a pyro? ... Maybe we should look at fire-proofing everything just in case?" She didn't even know when or *if* those magic powers would kick in, but it didn't hurt to be cautious about it. "Then again, is the whole ancestry pyros?" If there were more than just fire witches in the family, Julia felt like it was just a gamble of anything.

Julia gave her daughter's nose a light tap before resting both her hands on the barriers. "She might also be missing Evan, she did whine a bit when she shimmered out of here. But Emmy~" She shifted slightly to the side, "Look, Obie's here with you."

Leo

Leo shook her head. "No, mom's an air elemental. To which I did once ask her if in the end that didn't just work like telekinesis, and then she proceeded to remove all air from my lungs with flick of the wrist," she said, before adding, "But it was like only for two seconds. We can't blame lack of oxygen for my lack of thought most of the time." She hadn't thought about the moment in ages, and now having the ability to look back as an adult -and a mother herself- it was definitely not as simple or funny a thing as she may have thought. "I think it's good that my parents are getting to know the kids with proper supervision...and that they've dropped the whole insistence that we visit for the holidays."

She let out a chuckle and said, "Wow...did you just compare our daughter's girlfriend to her pet dog? Also, based on what she did to that stuffie, I would _not_ but Obie in there with her."

Julia

It really took everything for Julia not to comment on Leo being suffocated by her mother even if it's for 2 seconds. The only things she was ever thankful for, were that she got to meet Leo because of them and that she got to have Embry. They may be better now, but Julia was still not comfortable letting the kids alone with them. She also threw Leo a look, agreeing that it was such a relief that they weren't badgering them to visit as often anymore. "So there's two potential magic she might inherit." It was said aloud more as a note to herself.

A chuckle followed immediately after because of course, that was the thing Leo picked up on. "No, I did not but you're right. Obie, you need to stay out of the cribs." She looked down at the pup who was already trying to stick his nose into said crib.

Leo

"All things considered, the way magic has been evolving over time, I wouldn't be surprised if she managed to inherit both abilities, or something completely different that was a recessive trait from ages down the line. I think the Nexus being in play now has made it to where the restrictions that the more powerful supers, like witches and demons, have put in place no longer really hold much water. I mean, the Paladins aren't even tied to the Nexus anymore so...anything could happen."

Leo just grinned, knowing already that she would be letting the kids know about this as soon as they could retain information again. Walking over to Levi, she just smiled as she watched him sleep peacefully. She reached down and placed _his_ intact stuffie in a far corner of the crib, given that it was almost his size right now. "Well, at least we only have one baby to worry about...unless _you_ happen to have some non-wolf ancestors somewhere."

Julia

"That is true.. I guess I'm a little excited to see what the future has for her, for both of them. I missed out on her first full moon, maybe this is just me trying to make up for it." She admitted. Leo was right - anything could happen. Everyone did say that Fallcrest had enough surprises to last several life times. There was never a dull moment despite the size of the town.

"Uhhh, that I wouldn't know." She smiled, "This is going to be as much of a surprise for you and it will be for me." A tiny smirk graced her lips, "Do you think there's a chance I'll suddenly get some new power I didn't know about?"

Leo

Thinking back on the exact night of Emmy’s _first_ full moon, Leo had to tamper down on the anger that threatened to bubble back up. The mere thought that Leo’s own, biological father caused the girl to trigger… “I wouldn’t really say missed out on much, but to be honest, Evan would be the best one to talk to if you want details.”

Leo pulled a face again as she said, “I mean, technically, I think the guild’s working on a way to make it a bit less of a surprise…? As for gaining sudden new powers, need I remind you that the town’s wolf pack’s two token humans just turned out to be anything but?”

Julia

"Evan?" Somehow she thought Leo would be the one to tell her, or at least tell her to ask Embry herself whenever this baby effect was over. "Maybe once she drops by then. Or I can wait." Julia gave a shrug before shifting her thoughts to the two former token humans.

"I don't really know who might in my family tree; I never found out." More like she never gone out of her way to proactively find out. "...Isn't this exciting though? Now we have absolutely no idea if either kid have another set of powers."

Leo

"It's a long story, but I'll go ahead and loop you into the fact that Erebus and his lackeys were in town the night she triggered her wolf. Obviously, being that it was fer very first full moon, the likelihood of her remembering anything herself is slim, and I...can only recall up to a certain point. Enter Evan! Who has been saving our behinds and those of many in this town for ages but, people still try to compare her to her grandfather. I know the feel," she said making another face.

Leo furrowed her brow slightly and said, "I don't think Luke would've either, being that she was adopted as part of a closed adoption. Seems that unlike my father, the Bensons didn't keep a detailed a ledger of her birth parents...obsessively." She took a deep breath and said, "It is definitely something, I'll give you that. I mean, this could be one hell of a wildcard. Tomi! She's the descendent of a Scion, and how many generations did _that_ little surprise stay hidden for?"

Julia

"Erebus came into town?" That she did not hear about. Her eyes widened. That alone was not good news. She may not know him personally, but she heard enough about them to know that they would not get along, which was an understatement. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the rough summary of the night they had, "..... Did Erebus try to hurt the both of you?" She could only assume that said demon would have been in town solely for the Nexus because why would that man step foot in Fallcrest of all places.

"Luke and Tomi were really a surprise. Paladin, and half-demon, half-wolf? That's pretty impressive. How are they handling that anyways? I can't imagine what Tomi is going through.." Having her wolf triggered was already overwhelming on its own with the heightened senses. Julia could not imagine what it was like to add on other powers.

Leo

In all fairness to Julia, this conversation likely should've happened quite a while back. Instead of risking waking the babies though, she guided them back to the living room and took a seat in an armchair so she could face the woman. "Erebus and the Scions actually made it into town twice," she admitted. "I know, that's not a small thing to neglect to mention, but Emmy and I have honestly been so focused on everything positive that has happened to us since then that it really did just slip both our minds to mention it....and also, the first time isn't exactly a memory that Embry likes to go back to often."

Leo rested her forearms on her thighs as she leant forward, and clasped her hands together, a rare somber look on her features. "It was our first Halloween in town, as a family for me and her. It started off pretty great actually, she was dressed up as Supergirl and I was Wonder Woman...but things took a turn fast. The Scions came in wanting to begin the process of opening the Nexus and the first seal requires the blood of a Scion's own offspring..." Leo went on to explain how the magic released from the Nexus turned them into their costumes, buying her some time but causing Emmy to be overwhelmed. How the magic wore off at midnight, and how Evan had come in to help for the first time. "Emmy would probably rather tell you what she does remember about our encounter with Erebus the second time, but the first time is a touchy matter for her...because...she technically watched me _die_...And because up until then she had been oblivious to the supernatural world, she felt helpless as it all unfolded around her. Luckily Jon and Evan were there with her the whole time until I came back, but-" She had to stop as the lump in her throat finally refused to be ignored. Swallowing she said, "I know it's something that still burdens her....and I wish I could find a way to take it away, but I couldn't even manage to stay alive like a proper grown-up."

Julia

The fact that Leo didn't give a direct answer as to whether or not Erebus hurt either of them was concerning. However, she wasn't going to fault them for not telling her - she wasn't around then, and when they did reunite, lots of things happened since. "That would explain why no one ever said anything about it." How a wolf was triggered was rarely a good memory so she understood why Embry wouldn't want to think about it.

Julia's own blood froze when she learned that one of the requirements of a seal was the blood of a Scion's offspring. Her first thought immediately went to Leo but she held back on commenting since it was obvious that Leo lived to tell the tale...

Until Leo told her that she literally *died* and was then brought back to life.

".. You *died*?" The disbelief and pain in her voice of just learning that had happened. Her heart also ached for Embry for having to experience that when she didn't even know what was happening. The poor girl must have been so scared when her senses must have amplified due to the fact that she was Supergirl for Halloween, and then having to see Leo of all people die.

Her hands reached out and rested on Leo's, gripping them as a gesture for comfort and support. "That's not your fault, Leo and she knows that." She sighed, "I wish I had been there for the both of you.." Julia waited a beat before asking softly, "How.. have you been processing this? That.. That you died.." She almost cringed since there wasn't seem to be a way to ask this *and* she did not want to repeat the fact that it was her own father who tried to kill her.

Leo

All she could do was nod in response, knowing full well that the question on the matter was less one that required an actual answer and more one of needing to repeat it out loud to make it register. "Yeah...guess I only have eight lives left now," she joked, though there was little mirth in her eyes even as she did so. "I figured starting at the beginning would help make sense of her _actual_ first full moon a little more. Erebus essentially lured me out to the Nexus again, because the second seal required the blood of a Scion to open. He claimed that the blood had to be drawn in combat but I think he genuinely just wanted to get to finish what he started..." she trailed off a bit, before shaking her head and pressing on. "Emmy's wolf was triggered because she witnessed the fight between my father and myself and was probably overwhelmed by the fear that I wouldn't be able to come back this time if he was successful. Both of us woke up the next day, back at the hotel, no idea what happened until Jon mentioned an injured Evan shimmering us back. Incidentally, that's the night Evan got her scar. She faced-off against her own father, Azrael."

It was honestly a lot easier to just info-dump right now than it was to dwell too much on the memory of it all. So when Julia's hands found her own, Leo had to look down just to keep herself from giving over to emotion too fast at just how _real_ this made things. The question made her glance back up, and she just offered a wry smile as she honestly answered, "Uh...I have..._not_."

Julia

She had heard how cruel the Scions were but to hear that Leo had been sacrificed for their goal was just unfathomable - not to mention her daughter's girlfriend was also injured by another member. Julia could not imagine what it was like for Embry to watch all of this go down, on top of getting her wolf being triggered. "...Oh my god.." She expressed as there wasn't anything that could truly describe how she felt towards many elements of this.

It also didn't help to know that Leo, who needed to process things since they were kids, did not find the time to do so for this whole ordeal. Not that she wanted to ignore all that her daughter had experienced but that will have to come later - when she wasn't a baby.

Julia also didn't want to pressure Leo into anything so she smiled softly at the answer. "Understandable, it seems that things had been busy since then." She couldn't even begin to guess where they found the time to find *her* after all of that.

Leo

The half-demon could once again, only nod in response. There really wasn't much that she could say that wouldn't come across as empty platitudes or -in her case- inappropriate humor and sarcasm. She allowed for silence to take over for a moment, needing herself to let it sink in that what she just shared was, _in fact_, something that they had been through and not something they treated as a weird, Babadook.

"I've kept them busy," she admitted, when she finally spoke again. "The busier I stay, the less time I have to think about the past. It's kind of how I learned to function...." Leo trailed off, as the implication that this was also how she dealt with how their younger interaction went south was made. "It has been a bit harder to keep as busy as I'm used to though," she continued, "I've pretty much retired as a guild hunter. After everything that happened, I couldn't bare the terrified look in Emmy's eyes every time she saw me and Jon heading out, never really knowing if we'd be back. I couldn't do that to her....I still can't, as evidenced by the fact that I wound up in the gym with everyone else."

Julia

Julia nodded, understanding why Leo made the decisions she had. "I can't emphasize enough that I'm glad the two of you found each other. I'm.. also not surprised that you gave up being a full-time guild hunter just so you can be there for Embry - I'm sure she appreciates that just as much.. However, as amazing as it is that you always manage to put Embry before yourself, Leo, you got to take care of yourself as well."

The wolf was very concerned since Leo admitted that she did not even process with the fact that she *died* since it might end up biting them back in the ass as reality often liked to do. "... I, for one, am very grateful that they managed to get you back." Perhaps it was a selfish thought but Julia would have never thought they'd be here today if it weren't for Leo.

Leo

She was quite for a moment, as she listened to Julia. Leo scoffed a bit and said, "Yeah, I suppose I started training when I was so young, that by the time Embry came around, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be on the other side of that coin. To be the one left behind while the person you care about goes off on some secret mission. I was reminded real quick though." She let out a wry chuckle before asking, "Is this the bit where you tell me I can't put the oxygen mask on other people if I pass out from not putting mine on?"

Leo glanced over at her and said, "Can't say I have any complaints about that myself. Of course, all credit goes to Evan -again- for being a walking version of the library of magic. If you didn't like her as Emmy's girlfriend before, I think she's earned some brownie points now."

Julia

Julia nodded when Leo spoke about forgetting what it was like to be the one waiting for someone's safe return. "That is pretty much what I meant, isn't it?" She chuckled. "You're just as important to Embry as she is to you. Only makes sense that you both are safe and sound if it can be helped."

She then let out a laugh, "You say that as if I didn't like her in the first place - but we're not talking about Evan, as thankful as I am for all her help. We're talking about *you*, don't think I didn't see you change the topic."

Leo

"I know, and you're right," she began, "But as the guardian, now parent, I just feel that it's up to me to just _be_ okay so I can be there for her when she needs it. Whether I have some natural caring instinct I miraculously got from my mother or whether it's the life-long training of 'others first, always', I couldn't say. Besides, it's not like it's had a noticeable impact on me. There's been no detriment to my work and I'd like to think that it hasn't affected how interact with those around me, especial the kids....I mean, I _have_ been alright with the kids, haven't I?" The last question was one she hadn't really thought about now, but as soon as it was in her mind the fear of having acted untoward either of her children and not noticed it...it stirred up a lot of old sentiments.

Julia

She waited until the ramble ended before speaking up again, "You've been more than alright with the kids." She reassured, "Weren't you the one telling me that Embry would be the first person to let you know if she didn't like something? Contrary to her initial opinions about you, I'm pretty sure you're her favourite person." She teased before going serious again, "Leo, I'm not joking when I say that both Levi and Embry love you. The amount of giggles from Levi alone could tell you that."

Leo

Leo listened quietly as Julia spoke, uncharacteristically managing to bite her tongue on most things she might've put up an argument for. Instead, she waited until the woman was done to move from spot on the armchair, to on her knees before the blonde, bending down to warp her arms around Julia's middle tightly as she rested her own head on the woman's lap. "I have two sets of parents and I know I _never_ want to be like three-fourths of the set, in _any_ way."

Julia

Julia automatically had one hand on Leo’s back with the other starting running through the woman’s hair. “I personally don’t think you’re anything like that - but I might be a bit biased in my views.” She smiled warmly at the sight, “Jokes aside, I do think you’re doing really well with the kids. That was never the issue.” The wolf pointed out again. There had never been any doubt that Leo would put the kids’ well-being first but the problem was that Leo rarely put herself first.

Leo

She felft herself relax into the other woman with each passing stroke through her hair, and touch down her back. It was enough to slow her mind down to a point where she could take in what Julia was saying and actually realize that her anxieties had caused her train of thought to be derailed. She was quite for another moment longer before muttering out, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to set up an appointment with a psych whose familiar with the supernatural world...maybe start learning to slow down and think of what something will do to me in the long run, and all that fun stuff that grown ups should do."

Julia

"I think that'd be a good start." She encouraged, "We can take it a step at a time. If it helps, we can even go to family therapy." Julia wants nothing more than to be supportive for the other. "Although we might need to wait a bit for Embry and Levi to revert back to their actual ages for that." Her fingers continued to run through her hair, "Whatever you want to do, I'll be right there with you, okay?"

Leo

Leo remained on her knees, but lifted herself up off the older woman, so that she look her in the eye. "Thank you," she began, earnest gratitude clear in her voice. "Thank you for my daughter. Thank you for my son. Thank you for being willing to form this makeshift, chaotic little family with me. And thank you for -miraculously- not having come to realize my obnoxious behavior was a detriment as time passed."

Julia

She reached out and cupped Leo's face, letting her thumbs brush over those cheeks. "And thank you for being you, for finding all of us, for being the one to bring us all back together - makeshift, chaotic little family and all. ." Her smile widened and shifted into a smirk, "I had some prior experience with your 'obnoxious behaviour' so I think it's safe to say that it's one of the things I do like about you." Moving her hands down to take hold of Leo's hand, Julia got up from her seat. "Come on, we should maybe let them sleep peacefully." As much as she would love to stay put and stare at the babies all night long, she didn't want to interrupt their slumber.

[thewardlowcollection]

Hi! I was wondering what the title of my recently read fanfic where Phryne gets locked up by her mother in her room because she was pregnant. They sent Jack because her family in Melbourne were worried. I don't recall if it was on AO3 or FF because I've been reading a lot. Thanks for the help!

Hello and thank you for your ask! We believe this must be one of the fanfiction.net fics, NancyMay’s A Predicament.

[festiveferret]

I posted 719 times in 2021

176 posts created (24%)

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For every post I created, I reblogged 3.1 posts.

I added 445 tags in 2021

#stony - 80 posts

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Longest Tag: 82 characters

#my husband wants to know why he found a kit kat wrapper behind the shampoo bottles

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Love Story

(Read on AO3)

Okay, it was starting to get silly.

Steve was an avid reader. That was a well-known and accepted fact. He'd read a lot when he was sickly as a kid and when Tony had showed him how JARVIS could manage his hold list at the library, he'd lit up like it was Christmas morning.

But then he'd said, "Is that list… private?" and Tony had been completely stopped in his tracks.

"I mean," he explained, "the librarians can see it? But it's not like, posted to Facebook or anything."

Steve was starting to get a handle on a lot of technology but still struggled with public versus private spheres. "Okay. Great. Thank you."

That was how it started. How it was now, was that Steve went to the library every Tuesday afternoon, filled a bag until it was bursting, and then read during nearly every spare moment he had, and Tony never caught sight of what he was reading.

At first, he assumed it was just that Steve was the kind of guy to give you his full attention when you walked in the room. He'd close the book and shove it under his thigh and Tony was so absorbed in being the object of Steve's attention that he didn't even notice the book.

But then sometimes Tony'd walk a bit too quietly, or move a bit too quickly, and the book would be slammed shut and hastily shoved away, Steve's cheeks glowing pink.

And it kept on, and Tony got more curious than he could handle. What was Steve reading that he was so embarrassed about?

It wasn't like Tony wanted to embarrass him, that was the thing. He just wanted to know him. He wanted Steve to trust him with who he was so Tony could… share with him. Or something. Be closer.

Or something.

Okay, fine, love him. He wanted to love him louder and this was a little piece of him he didn't know how to love because he didn't know what flavour it was.

He knew he could just look it up, but Steve had asked to keep it private and Tony certainly wasn't going to violate his trust. But the curiosity was killing him.

He suffered it for two more weeks and then he took a corner too fast, while Steve was coming around the other side, also too fast, and they slammed into each other. The plastic bag Steve was carrying split open and spilled at least ten novels across the workshop floor.

Tony looked down.

"Okay, that's not what I was expecting."

All the novels were the same. Smutty, floral, cursive-covered, Regency romance bodice rippers. Tony bent down and picked one up. On the cover, a woman in a dress that was dripping off her shoulders was leaning back against a broad-chested man in breeches, his billowy shirt unbuttoned and parted to reveal his chiseled abs. The woman's eyes were closed and her mouth was open, frozen in a mix of pleasure and the shock of impropriety.

Tony looked up to find Steve staring at him, the colour of a beet. "I'm sorry," Tony said. "I wasn't trying to… snoop. I didn't see you there."

"I -" Steve's mouth snapped closed again.

"You - um - you don't need to be embarrassed." Tony tried to reassure him. "You have your right to privacy, but - uh - you don't need to be embarrassed."

"I just - uh - I like the stories." Steve shrugged.

"I never really got into romances," Tony said, flipping In the Arms of the Duke over to skim the back, "but my mom loved them. You know, they probably make ones from the Duke's perspective, these days."

Steve cleared his throat roughly and turned impossibly pinker. "Actually, I - um… I like the idea of a - uh - a kind, rich, handsome man sweeping me off my feet."

Tony blinked. "Oh."

"I hope that's not a problem."

"What? No! No, of course not. Me too. I mean not the sweeping, but the handsome man part, I'm all for."

"Oh." Something shifted in Steve's expression and there was a kind of wary hope there that set Tony's heart pounding.

Tony fiddled with the book he was still holding. "Is there… um. Do you have a particular Duke in mind?" he asked, trying and most definitely failing to sound casual.

"Um." Steve's voice had gone very soft and small. "Not so much a Duke as a… knight in shining armour. But I've read all of those already."

Tony's mouth fell open and he stared up at Steve. Did he really -? And yes, Steve's shy smile had a question in it, one Tony couldn't believe he got to answer. He parted his lips and nodded ever so slightly, and Steve took half a step closer, eyes going wide, breath caught.

Tony pressed his fingers against his palms in a particular configuration and pieces of the Iron Man armour zoomed out of the workshop to collide with him, knocking the book out of his hands.

Steve took a step back. "What are you doing?"

The armour finished assembling, and Tony flipped the faceplate up. He closed the space between them and gathered Steve in his arms. "Sweeping you off your feet."

"Oh my god," Steve whispered, and then Tony dipped him into a kiss.

Steve's arms came up to wrap around Tony's neck and he melted into the kiss. When they parted, he was grinning. "I don't think I need to go to the library next week," Steve said, his smile shifting cheekily.

"No?"

"Nah. I think it's time I tried writing my own love story."

Tony couldn't wait to start.

177 notes • Posted 2021-06-23 05:39:57 GMT

#4

Don’t Text Your Ex

(On AO3)

Tony peered at himself in the bathroom mirror. There were dark smudges under his eyes and the pounding of the bass through the club wall was rattling something in his chest that he hadn't known was loose. He stuck his tongue out; it was stained green.

"Shit. I feel like texting my ex," he sighed to no one.

"Don't text your ex," three voices echoed in perfect harmony from the stalls behind him.

"Is there a girl in here?" he asked.

A toilet flushed. "The line for the ladies was too long." One of the stalls opened, and a woman in black leather with hair redder than Pepper's clicked out on stilettos of death. She turned on a tap and started washing her hands. "Don't text your ex."

Tony sighed and leaned against the counter. "Yeah? Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, we broke up for a reason, right?"

The woman blinked at him. "I don't know, did you?"

"Yeah."

"Why'd you break up?" called one of the voices from the stalls.

Tony shrugged even though the guy couldn't see him. "It just wasn't the right time, I guess. He was looking for something serious, wanting to settle down and, you know, I'm only twenty-two, I wasn't ready for that. Gotta sow my oats and all that."

Another flush and a man appeared. "Do you, though?" His lip curled up.

"You're one to talk," the woman snapped back. "You're nothing but wild oats, Clint."

Clint, apparently, shrugged. "Just saying, you don't have to sow anything you don't want to. But don't text your ex."

"Why not?"

"When does texting an ex ever go right?" The last stall banged open and another guy with soft, curly brown hair walked out. He turned the tap on. "There's only two ways texting your ex can go: either he's happy to hear from you, and you get to go through all the heartbreak of your relationship all over again, or he's not, and you get to enjoy the lovely feeling of rejection. Don't text your ex."

Tony considered the three strangers standing around him like the ghosts of break-ups past, present, and future, arms crossed and glaring. "You guys are probably right."

"Why do you even want to text him?" Clint asked.

"Yeah," the woman added, "if it's just for a hookup, we can wingman you out there. Plenty of hotties looking for sheets to get tangled in."

"Or, if it's cause you want to have it out with him," the fluffy-haired guy went on, "it's not a good idea to do that while you're drunk. You'll say something you regret, I guarantee."

Tony dropped his eyes to the floor and scuffed his toe on the damp tile. Why did he want to text him so badly? It wasn't just for a hook up, and he didn't want to yell at him. "I miss him," he said in a soft voice.

The three stayed silent, staring at him with matching expressions of soft sympathy.

"I think breaking up was a mistake," Tony went on. "I still love him, like crazy, and I never really told him how I felt, how important he was to me. I think he thought I was just fleeting, untetherable or something, and as soon as I panicked and tried to run, he just bolted in the other direction. Cause he'd been waiting for it or something, expecting it."

"Yeah."

"Kinda wish I'd told him how I felt when I had the chance. But I'm sure he wouldn't take me back. I sure wouldn't give me a second chance to fuck everything up."

Clint reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll find someone else. It hurts for a while, but you'll get over it, move on. Hot guy like you has plenty of options."

"Delete his number," the woman advised.

"I'll buy you a drink?" the other guy offered.

Tony smiled but shook his head. "Nah. Thanks, guys. I know you're right, I'm just - yeah. Thank you. I'm just going to sit for a minute, cool off." He hopped back up onto the counter and the three bathroom angels shared a look.

"You sure you're okay?" the woman asked.

"I'm okay. I'll get a cab home in a bit." He waved his phone in their direction. "Thanks. You guys saved me from doing something really stupid. Wouldn't be able to take that back. Best I just… move on."

The woman stepped forward and wrapped Tony in a quick but firm hug then turned to go. "Take care of yourself."

"Goodnight." They all filed out.

Tony fiddled with his phone for a moment, kicking his legs back and forth where they hung off the counter. The thing was, to move on you needed closure, and they'd never really had that. He opened his contacts and scrolled down. One text wouldn't hurt… just to - to tell him . That they didn't have closure. Yeah. Cause what if he was feeling the same way? That wouldn't be fair. He should be moving on too.

We never got closure.

Tony hit send before he could stop himself. He had just enough time for the gravity of what he'd done to twist his stomach into a knot when a familiar soft chime came from the last stall of the row, the only other closed door. He'd thought he was alone. He looked back down at his phone.

Delivered. The text said.

"Steve?" Tony croaked out, his voice pack-a-day rough all of a sudden.

The final stall down clicked then slowly swung open, and there was Steve, in all his glory, cheeks pink and eyes downcast. "Sorry," he said immediately. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was already in here when you came in, and I was just going to wait for you to leave, to not bother you, but then you started talking, and it was too late to appear, and… yeah… Sorry."

Tony swallowed back rising bile. "You heard all that?"

Steve's gaze rolled up from the floor to meet Tony's. His eyes were bright. "Yeah… Did you really - I mean, do you -?" He looked back down at his phone. "We didn't, did we?"

Tony shook his head.

"I still love you too," Steve choked out on a pained-sounding gasp. "I didn't want to break up. I just - I didn't know what to do to keep you, and I didn't want to try and fail, so I ran. I'm sorry."

"I didn't want to break up either. I didn't know how to be the guy I thought you wanted me to be, so I ruined everything on purpose before I could ruin it by accident." He swallowed heavily. "I'm sorry too."

Steve took a few tentative steps across the bathroom floor. "Could you - how drunk are you?"

Tony reeled at the change in a topic. "Uhhh, I don't know. A four?"

Steve snorted a laugh out then cut it off sharply, like he hadn't meant to let it escape. "Out of what?"

"I have no idea." Tony slid down off the counter to see if the room would stutter. It didn't. "Nothing a glass of water and some fresh air won't fix."

"Could I walk you home?" Steve asked tentatively. "If it clears your head enough, maybe we could have coffee, talk a bit? I feel like we have a lot to talk about. Closure… if nothing else."

Tony weighed his options. He knew his three guardian angels would tell him no, let Steve go, move on, but they didn't know. They didn't know the way Steve made Tony's heart feel like it was too big for his chest, the way he made him laugh, how they hated the same TV shows and loved the same music. They didn't know how well Tony's hand fit in Steve's when they walked down the street. He supposed Steve didn't know either, and it was probably time he did.

Tony tucked his phone back in his pocket. "Okay. I'd like that."

218 notes • Posted 2021-05-01 01:59:17 GMT

#3

Booty Call (Steve/Tony)

(Read it on AO3)

Tony stepped out of the shower and checked his phone while he rubbed a towel through his hair. There was one missed call from Steve. Frowning, Tony glanced at the time. It was rare for Steve to call after nine, but it was pushing midnight. Without bothering to check his voicemail, Tony hit redial, and put the phone on speaker while he finished drying off.

"Hello?"

"Hey, buddy. It's Tony. Everything okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, sure," Steve sounded confused.

"You called me. It's late. Just wanted to make sure you're alright."

"Oh? Oh… yeah. Sorry, Tony. It wasn't anything important." Steve sighed. "Actually… actually, it was just a booty call."

If Tony had been eating or drinking, the entire contents of his mouth would have ended up sprayed across the bathroom mirror. "Excuse me?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry to have bothered you."

"No, no, it's -" he blinked at his own reflection. Well. "No, it's no bother. Honestly. I mean… I'd be down to come over and hang." Tony held his breath.

"Oh, really? Sure, yeah. That'd be really nice. It's not too late?"

"Not for me. I just stepped out of the shower actually." He wondered if he should add something about being naked, but he was surprised Steve was comfortable with the concept of a booty call at all; phone sex might be pushing it. "I'll come down."

"Okay, great." Steve sounded significantly more chipper than before. "See you soon!"

Tony hung up and threw on clothes at random. It wasn't like he'd be wearing them for long. He brushed his teeth, gargled some mouthwash, and blasted out the door. By the time he knocked on Steve's, his palms were sweaty, and he was rocking up and down on his heels. Had Steve noticed his crush over the last few months? Or maybe, maybe he had his own crush? Either way, Tony's heart was pounding and he couldn't seem to calm it.

Steve opened the door with a smile. "Hi, Tony. I'm really glad you came over. Wasn't expecting to see you tonight."

Tony shut the door behind him and shifted closer. "Well, you know, how could I refuse such an enticing offer?"

Steve frowned. "Offer?"

"Mhm." Tony shifted even closer. He could do this. It didn't count as making the first move when you'd literally been invited over for sex, right? Steve was a gentleman; he wasn't going to want to push Tony into anything. So Tony kissed him.

When he pulled back, Steve's cheeks were incredibly red, and his eyes were incredibly wide, and his eyebrows looked like they were on an expedition to the North Pole. "Um," Steve said. "Okay?"

Tony licked his lips self-consciously. Did he taste weird? "Uh. You seem surprised? Did you get confused watching Pretty Woman and think booty calls don't kiss on the lips? Cause I do."

Steve's mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. Then he took out his phone. "One second," he creaked out, his voice a rusty cellar door hinge. He typed for a moment then scrolled, and his cheeks glowed redder and redder. Finally, he cleared his throat roughly and tucked his phone back in his pocket. "Butt dial," he barely managed to whisper.

"Pardon?" Tony's genius brain tried to jump four or five steps ahead, but Tony reeled it right back in again. None of the available conclusions to jump to were fun ones.

"I - it's called a butt dial. Not a booty call. I, um. I must have misremembered that one." Steve looked about two seconds from truly putting to the test whether spontaneous human combustion was possible, so Tony took two careful steps backwards, out of Steve's space.

"Ha!" he said loudly, in a way that was absolutely not a laugh. "Ha. That's funny."

"Um."

Tony turned to the door. "Well, I'm leaving now and we will spend twenty-four hours doing whatever punching-bag-yoga-calls-to-the-therapist healing needs to happen here and then I'll see you again on Monday and this will never have happened. Goodnight!"

"Wait!"

Tony froze, then turned to see Steve reaching tentatively out towards him.

"I read what it was," Steve said.

"What?"

"I read what a booty call actually was. That's what you thought I meant. You came here thinking I wanted to have sex with you."

"Steve, the whole point of pretending something didn't happen is so we don't need to talk about it."

"But I want it to happen. To have happened." He frowned. "I want that. I want to pretend I knew all along what it really was. You wouldn't have come up if you didn't want to sleep with me, right? You would have said no. So that means you do. And I do too. With you."

Tony swallowed twice, letting that information percolate through his brain like a game of Plinko. "Oh. Okay. Well. You want to have sex with me?"

Steve smiled tentatively. "I want to do pretty much everything with you. But yes, I very much want to touch you." His eyes wandered down Tony's body like the super serum had given him x-ray vision as well. "And a booty call would be great, but if a date call is on the table too, I'd like that very much."

"Well, shit. Okay." Tony shifted back into Steve's space, but once bitten, twice shy. He waited.

Steve ducked down and kissed him firmly on the mouth. When he pulled back, he grinning brilliantly.

"Date call, huh?"

"Yes, please. If you want."

"Oh, I want," Tony breathed. "I've wanted for a while."

"Perfect." Steve gathered Tony up in his arms and carted him off towards the bedroom. "One favour?"

"Yeah?"

"If you haven't already, don't listen to the voicemail I left you. Or rather, my butt left you. It'll ruin the illusion when you find it out that it's just five minutes of me watching home renovation shows and grumbling about hardwood installation."

Tony grinned and snuggled deeper into Steve's hold, giddy for the best night of his life he knew he was about to be treated to - and hopefully many more nights after. "Don't worry, gorgeous, I'll just close my eyes and imagine you said something else about hard wood."

Steve laughed so hard he almost dropped him. Off to a good start.

268 notes • Posted 2021-10-02 22:10:47 GMT

#2

I was lucky enough to snag a commission spot from @silverink58​ (one of my absolute fav artists of all time), and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it turned out!! This is from my fic Two Point Perspective. 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

409 notes • Posted 2021-07-24 18:07:33 GMT

#1

Text Workskin Maker (AO3)

Hello, pals! You may have noticed that on AO3, it’s possible to embed what looks like texting into a fic but is actually built with The Power of CSS and AO3 workskins!

Maybe you found this amazing article: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6434845/chapters/14729722 and wanted to do it yourself but were too overwhelmed by the coding steps involved. Or maybe copy and pasting hundreds of individual texts into the HTML made you want to scream.

Fear not! I have built a tool. With this spreadsheet and a few copy-pastes, you can turn this:

into this:

The spreadsheet link again: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KllIZ1dsvnnJg8AwJRZPdMvA12AvL1hLecju4MbDiwo/edit?usp=sharing

The base workskin and information comes from CodenameCarrot and La_Temperanza's helpful guide linked at the top. It’s currently only available as a spreadsheet, but perhaps I’ll turn it into a webtool at some point. Let me know if you run into any issues, but it has been extensively beta tested so before you report a bug to me, please make sure you have read the entire instructions page carefully. Thank you! If there’s high demand, I may make builders for other skins too, or add more options to this one.

1003 notes • Posted 2021-01-30 14:50:51 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[axomlive]

Chidambaram asks why IIP numbers not released

New Post has been published on http://www.asomlive.com/news/chidambaram-asks-why-iip-numbers-not-released.html

Chidambaram asks why IIP numbers not released

New Delhi, June 12 Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has criticised the government for not releasing the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) numbers.

“The economy is in safe hands, says the FM. It is in such ‘safe’ hands that the government will not release the IIP numbers for April 2020,” tweeted Chidambaram.

“Will the government lock up the IIP numbers in a safe vault to be opened only after 20 years? questioned the former finance minister.

Chidambaram attacked the government when India’s GDP growth rate came down to 3.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2019-20 fiscal from 4.1 per cent in Q3.

He said the latest figures were a “telling commentary on economic mismanagement in the country”.

“We had forecast that the Gross Domestic Product for Q4 will touch a new low at below 4 per cent. It has turned out to be worse at 3.1 per cent,” Chidambaram tweeted.

He said these figures are for pre-lockdown period. Of the 91 days of Q4, the lockdown applied to only seven days of the given fiscal quarter, the Congress leader said.

“It is a telling commentary on the economic mismanagement,” Chidambaram added.

Assam Secretariat Recruitment 2020: Apply For 11 Librarian, Stenographer, Reporter & Other Posts

[thewardlowcollection]

Thank you for your wonderful blog! I’m rediscovering MFMM and I swear I read a reunion fic once in which Jack had a traumatizing case and instead of following Phryne after she went to England, she came and met him somewhere. I think he’d been working a serial killer case. It was lovely, thoughtful and slow. If you have any suggestions I’d appreciate it hugely!

Dear Anon, thank you for your question, and for your kind words about this blog!

We think we know which fic you’re looking for: the delightful @edeainfj/deedeeinfj’s “Strong Toil of Grace”. 

It’s definitely worth a reread!

[thewardlowcollection]

Hi! I was kindly send in your direction :) I'm looking for an oneshot, Jack & Mac, the basic plot is that Jack comes with whisky to Mac in order to convince her to take the recently free coroner's job, especially because she's good and can work with Phyne without complications. I'm pretty sure it was on AO3 but I can't find it anywhere.

Continuation: 

Hey, I'm sorry to bother you again, but I just wanted to say another reader found the Jack & Mac fic I was looking for! It was "You Asked For It" by gaslight_gallows, chapter 9 (part of a big collection) :)

Excellent -- we’re so happy you got help to find it! And “You asked for it” by @gaslightgallows is a great place to find ideas about and scenes from Miss Fisher’s world. 

[thewardlowcollection]

You’re an absolute wonder when it comes to finding fics! I’m trying to find a fic from Murder Under the Mistletoe where Phryne sneaks into Jack’s room? Could you help me?

Too Great a Risk

“But Jack, if I lock my door, nobody could get in.” 

“It’s too great a risk, Miss Fisher. Lock it tight. Goodnight.”

If ever Phryne looked like she was scheming, this is that moment…

Anon, we think the fic that you are looking for is Snowy Shenanigans (aka Mischief Managed) (2017) by @deverewinterton but for good measure here’s some others where Phryne gets what she wants…

Jack the Lionheart (2018) by justare - Phryne tricks Jack into entering her room, and then locks the door.

A Million (2014) by CollingwoodGirl - Phryne doesn’t sneak into Jack’s room but concerned about his head injury she watches over him as he sleeps.

And, as a ‘Can you believe it’s nearly Christmas?’ bonus, here are some other Murder Under the Mistletoe related fics…

Sweet surprise (2018) by @deverewinterton - Phryne makes unexpected call at Jack’s house the day after their return from the chalet… there is baking…

So Deep You’re Really a Part of Me (2015) by elizajane - Part of a series but possible to read as a standalone. After the Christmas in July celebration Phryne decides it’s time. 

Nerves and Mistletoe (2015) by Dovesummer - a glimpse of Phryne’s thoughts at the Christmas in July party.

Stay For A While (2014) by WeLoveSherlolly - At the chalet Jack is checking everyone is safe. When he gets to her door, Phryne invites him in.

If you are in need of even more festive cheer, check out our Fics of Christmas Past, Part One and Part Two.

Thanks for the ask, Anon, and hopefully you enjoy these even if we haven’t been able to find the exact one you were after. As always if we’ve missed any fics please feel free to link to them in a reblog or comments.

[thewardlowcollection]

Hello hello! So I've been wondering if there are fics where Phryne pretends to be Jack's wife (for fun or, idk, to get into his hospital room, whatever) behind his back and then he finds out and is like hm DARLING WIFE where have I been exactly when we were getting married? And also since I'm already here, any crack fics recommendations? Thank you for your work of running that blog

Did I say, “I do”?

Great ask, @phryne-yes, and of course entirely within canon…

Phryne: Surely the Group Captain didn’t say I couldn’t be escorted by my fiance?

Here a few fics that we hope you will enjoy…

Masquerade (2015) by pulpriter, When Jack gets hurt, Phryne is desperate to stay by his side, even if it means telling a little white lie.

In AU Drabbles, Chapter 1 (2018) by @loopyhoopyfrood, Jack is surprised to receive a telegram, turns out he isn’t the only one.

A Short Engagement (2015) by @gaslightgallows. Phryne needs Jack to do her a favour. 

This is a little left-field but in Out of Practice (2018) by Codango, the high school AU where Jack and Phryne are teachers, Jack finds himself a somewhat unwilling participant in a class demonstration.

As for crack fic…

And Then, The End (2018) by Allison_Wonderland

The Very Hungry Inspector (2018) by aurora_australis, @firesign23 and @teaandbanjo

Wardlow Whoopie (2016) by @olderbynow.

What are you going to name the cat, Miss? (2019) by @teaandbanjo​.

and if you’re looking for something a little bit on the naughty side; Godly Pleasures (2017) by @omgimsarahtoo, Consider the Fairer Sex (2019) by titledsyllogism and Chemical Imbalance (2017) by Allikizme.

Thanks for the ask. As always, this is not an exhaustive list so if we’ve missed anyone’s favourites please feel free to let us know via a reblog or comments.

[thewardlowcollection]

I love Bert, but I can't seem to find any good Bert x oc or Bert x reader. Do please help.

Hi anon, thank you for your message! This fandom is remarkably low on reader-insert fic – a quick search on AO3 tells us there are two reader-insert fics all in all! That fits well with our memory too; no fics come to mind. 

There are some lovely fics with Bert and minor characters from the show, though – like Bert/Angela Lombard – that are well worth checking out!

@mercurialbianca has a series of Bert/Angela Lombard fics that start with Of Homecomings and Second Chances, and @omgimsarahtoo has one fic set in the same universe with Bert and an original character, Before There Was You.

Hope you enjoy, anon!

[thewardlowcollection]

Hi! I’ve been looking for a fic that was probably (and if not it could have been) part of Phrack Fucking Friday, where Phryne and Jack have recently spent a lot of time in a fabric store for a case, and their resulting dirty talk is...fabric related. Short and silly drabble. Any ideas? Thanks!

Hi, and thank you for this question! 

Yes, we think we know which fic you’re looking for -- @firesign23‘s Taffeta, Darling. 

Enjoy!

[thewardlowcollection]

I was hoping you could help me find a fic i read a long time ago and cant seem to find. The summary, to the best of my memory, is that jack tells phryne not to involve herself in some case but she does anyway and sneaks her way onto a boat only to find jack undercover as the ship captain talking to the bad guys and to maintain his cover and keep her safe jack says that phryne is a prostitute coming to visit him ... or something like that.

Hello anon! 

Yes, we recognize this fic too. It is no longer up on AO3, having been taken down by its writer, so unfortunately we can’t point you in its direction. 

Sorry about that!

[thewardlowcollection]

hi! i loved the recent "poor jack" post and was wondering if there's a similar one for phryne? basically just a collection where she's hurt/injured/sick/etc. thanks!!

In Sickness And In Health

Way back in December we did indeed do a post on ‘poor jack’, there wasn’t one for Phryne but now - thanks to you Anon - there is!

Flu/Cold

Chaff and Grain Together (2015) by @gaslightgallows - Even the most amazing and wonderful of detectives can be laid low by a cold.

But Come What May (I Do Adore Thee So) (reposted 2017) by @firesign23 - Jack follows Phryne to London, but what he finds is very different from what he expected.

The Great Escape (2018) by @scruggzi - Phryne’s convalescing from a bad bout of influenza and after weeks in bed her boudoir is starting to feel like a very hostile environment…

Down by the Bay (2015) by beadedslipper - Phryne catches a cold. Jack steps in to nurse her back to health.

Phryne’s Flu (2019) by RositaLG -  When Phryne comes down with the flu, Jack visits to help pass the time.

Small Intimacies (2018) by afteriwake - When Phryne gets struck with food poisoning, Jack takes care of her.

Drowning

Breathless (2018) by @adverbally - Phryne Fisher did not give up, she reminded herself as her fingernails scrabbled at the edge of the barrel in search of leverage. Even as her vision began to dim and splinters dug their way into her palms and her movements grew more sluggish without oxygen to fuel them, she continued to struggle against her attacker, hoping against all hope that this wouldn’t be the last fight of her life.

Amnesia

Memory is a Stranger (2014) by detective phryne - When Phryne’s memory is wiped back to the time of her childhood, Jack comes to the rescue.

Shot

A Second Shot (2018) by @whopooh – On the ship in “Unnatural Habits”, Jack fires his gun. But he’s not the only one.

Abduction/Captured

White scarves (2016) by RositaLG - Phryne woke up slowly, her face pressed against a cool metal floor. She could already feel that her face was bruised and swollen, and she was more than certain she had a concussion. She sat up slowly and found herself in a makeshift prison cell, really more of an over-sized cage.

Irrevocably (2015) by beaded slipper - Phryne’s luck was bound to run out sometime. It was only ironic that it happened in a casino of all places.

Physical Injury

Head - Sketchy Details, Clear Hearts (2018) by @mercurialbianca - She had followed the sound of his voice. She could feel her pulse begin to race remembering the running. All the twists and turns. Is it all a dream?

Ankle - Wonderfully Reckless (2018) by hyenateeth - “You need to be more careful,” he scolded, still holding her stocking-clad ankle in his hand.It wasn’ broken, luckily, but it did seem to be badly twisted. Phryne sat above him, perched on the edge of a writing desk, beaded cobalt gown draping over the edge. “And maybe wear more sensible shoes.”

Rib Injury - He Has A Way (2019) by isingonly4myangel - Skidding around a corner, she was suddenly and violently thrown off balance. The man she was chasing had caught her as she came around the wall of the alleyway and used her momentum to throw her to the side. Straight into a waist-high brick wall.

Bruises - Bruises (2018) by @scruggzi – She didn’t often feel this fragile after a fight, but sometimes, once the adrenaline withdrew and she had time to catch up with herself, it would hit her hard. She made a point of not letting anyone see if she could help it.

Broken Leg - Dreams and Murder (2019) by Oracle of Doom - Phryne is more incapacitated than usual, but murder follows where she goes, regardless.

Concussion - Concussion (2016) by PlayfulMay - Phryne’s been hurt, and Jack Robinson finds her. Fluffy angst.

Explosion/Shell Shock

Two’s Company (2017) by @flashofthefuse - It could just have easily been him lying there, Mac knew. In which case, she’d still be standing here, consoling the other half of this unlikely, but somehow inevitable, partnership.

The Best Laid Plans (2017) by RositaLG - Jack and Phryne’s first date gets sidetracked. Mostly hurt/comfort with some case fic sprinkles and a happily ever after cherry on top.

Shell Shocked (2015) by Shamashe - Phryne and Jack are wounded during an investigation and relive a war memory in states of shock. Mac suspects foul play.

Domestic Violence

These fics reference the physical and emotional abuse Phryne endured during her time with Rene and how that experience is part of the person she has become.

What’s Past is Prologue (2016) by LadyRoxie

Not that chained up little person still in love with you (2018) by Meldanya - During Murder in Montparnasse, Phryne can’t sleep after her house has been burgled, as she faces the ghosts of the past.

Ungentle Reminders (2017) by @omgimsarahtoo - Our intrepid detectives are undercover, trying to solve a pair of murders, when their alter egos bring Phryne back to a less happy time.

You may also want to have a look at the fics in the Whumptober Collection.

Thanks for the ask Anon and, as always, if we’ve missed any please share in reblogs or comments.

[thewardlowcollection]

hi librarians! i was curious, is there any way to know the TOTAL word count of all the MFMM fics posted on A03? i would love to know how many words of fan fic have been written about our favorite detectives. thanks!

Oh Anon, you are a geek after our own hearts. We can indeed tell you how many words of MFMM fanfic have been posted on AO3…

As at 30 June (when OllyJay last updated her spreadsheet) there were:

2507 fics with a total of 12,502,078 words.

The longest fic has 159,480 words, You Asked For It by @gaslightgallows a collection of drabbles and longer-than-drabbles first posted in September 2014 and was last updated in July 2019. (Also see Drop Dead, Gorgeous (2019) by @flashofthefuse with 157,037 words and Days of Wine and Sunflowers by @seldarius which is a fic originally posted on fanfiction.net in 2014 and has 116,931 words.)

The shortest fic is open to interpretation… Technically, at zero words it would be @ollyjayonline‘s Now We’re Talking (2017) a comic-like 4th wall fic where Nathan and Jack have an internal conversation throughout the three series of MFMM but that is a bit of a cheat as the words are embedded in the pics 🤣😂🤣 A far more deserving holder of this title is @teaandbanjo‘s Quick and Dirty (2018). With 48 words - it really is the shortest possible Phrack smut! (Also whilst researching we found this superb piece of fanart by nisiedraws, A Gay Outing (2017). Enjoy!)

Thanks for the Ask, we love this sort of stuff 😘

[thewardlowcollection]

Hello librarians, I don’t know if you already made a post about this but I was wondering if there are some stories where Jack and Phryne are together and Rosie is jealous?

Green-Eyed Monsters

There definitely are! And we’ll recommend some fabulous ones, ranging from wistful to petty, just as soon as we have a little aside.

We, as librarians, are not here to judge anyone for their reading preferences. However, there are some jealous Rosie fics that we are not comfortable recommending due to the deeply misogynistic undercurrents in those stories that run so very counter to the spirit of the show. If that is the level of jealousy you’re looking for, these stories do exist, more heavily on fanfiction.net than ao3, but we won’t be including them in this post.

Now, as for the fics we do suggest…

The Messenger (2013) by girldetective – The mark was placed with calculated precision. Low enough on the neck that the bearer would think it hidden by his collared shirt, high enough that it would be revealed when he turned his head to beckon the waiter.“Rosie? You’re…staring at my neck.” Jack said.Rosie examines the evidence.

A Lot Can Happen in ¾ Time (2014) by CollingwoodGirl – Jack has been invited to Melbourne’s grandest charity ball.Will Jack wear a tux? Of course! Will Rosie be insufferable? Pretty likely. Will Phryne charm all in her wake? Naturally. Will Jack dance? You’ll have to read to find out.Standalone. Set between ‘Dead Air’ and 'Unnatural Habits’.

When Ever the Twain Shall Meet (2015) by Sarahtoo – Rosie, Jack, and Phryne consider their relationships to each other. Chastely. This isn’t that kind of story.

Envy (2019) by ifwednesdaywasaflowerchild – While waiting for a train to her sister’s, Rosie witnesses the reunion of Jack and Phryne, upon the dark-haired detective’s return from England, and sees what she hadn’t been able to see before.

Another Woman’s Husband (2018) by CameraObscura – What if Rosie had suspected Jack of having an affair with Miss Fisher while they were still a couple living together. What if Phryne had actively tried to seduce a married Jack?

And after all the obstacles (2017) by RubyCaspar – Rosie is attending a garden party in Ballarat when she is introduced to fellow guest, Archie Jones.

Almost (2017) by orphan_account – Of course Rosie had heard the rumors about Jack and Miss Fisher, and rejected them out of hand. But a moment glimpsed at the Abbotsford / West Melbourne footy match gives her pause.

What Comfort in Truth (2017) by orphan_account – Rosie returns to Melbourne to testify at Sidney Fletcher’s trial and unexpectedly lodges for the night at Wardlow. While there, she asks Jack an uncomfortable question. My second entry for this month’s challenge prompt.

As always, if you have other suggestions for fics of this nature, please reply or reblog with the details!

[thewardlowcollection]

Sorry Anon, when I tried to save your Ask about the 2019 MFMM Challenge  tumblr defeated me and I lost it. Hopefully this answers your question - OllyJay

Phryne’s Journey - 2019 Challenge

Fear not sweet Anon - there is indeed a 2019 challenge.  

This year we are following Phryne’s journey from Melbourne to London and each month a location and a prompt are posted on tumblr by @missfisherchallenges.​ Using either the location or the prompt as inspiration you are invited to submit a fic, piece of fanart, or meta about the Miss Fisher world and add it to the collection Phryne’s Journey on AO3.

January - Melbourne, Australia

February - Surabaya, Indonesia

March - Singapore

April - Bangkok, Thailand

May - Rangoon, Burma

June - Allahabad, India

July - Bandar Abbas, Iran

August - Baghdad, Iraq

September - Constantinople, Turkey

October - Vienna, Austria

November - London, England

December is the official amnesty month, but if you’ve got a late submission for any of the previous months we won’t tell if you don’t 😘

Another collection that you may want to add to is the Summer of AU also on AO3. Officially this collection closes on 1st September but the lovely @ohrosewhatsinaname has agreed to keep it open till the end of the Australian summer. 

@missfisherchallenges also runs or reblogs one-off events such as fic exchanges and challenges. So keep your eyes peeled for events, and if you wish to run one yourself, make sure to tag them in any post you want reblogged!