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aces-and-angels · 5 months

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Title: Not My Birthday

A/N: what the hell is up, gang? i've been dying to share this one with y'all for weeks and now it's finally here 🎊🎊🎊 please enjoy the thing that's been plaguing my very being for hours on end 🖤 @choicesficwriterscreations

p.s. a big thank you to @noesapphic for helping me out with some of the spanish dialogue

Characters: Xiomara Calloway (oc: @a-cloud-for-dreams), Ryan Cortazar, Amalia de León (oc: @itlivesproject), Beau McGraw, Enid Mendoza, Cameron Rose, Tommy Rose, Gigi Sinclair, Martin Vanderweil, Wind Velez (oc: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd)

Pairing(s): Martin x Wind (not yet official), Gigi x Xiomara

Summary: Set sometime before Magnus gets hired; Wind does their best to get through another birthday.

Content Warning(s): brief mention of blood, language, childhood trauma

Word Count: 3.9K

read below cut or...

AO3 LINK

---

McGraw Byrne, morning…

It’s just a day. A set of numbers written in the margin. Zero three zero two. Yet Wind’s calendar remains flipped to February, its page marked with thick black lines crossing off each date. What they’d give to be able to take a sharpie to the day and scribble it out entirely. But they can’t- not for another 14 hours and 32 minutes. Not like they’re counting or anything.

Amalia saves them first.

“Mx. Velez, I know you’re busy with that case for Landon, but can you-”

“Yes,” they say all too quickly.

Amalia blinks, perplexed by their eagerness. “You don’t even know what I’m about to ask for yet.”

“Does that matter? You know I’d do anything for one of my favorite paralegals.” Their desperate need for distraction aside, the sentiment was sincere. Without Amalia, completing any case would be nearly impossible.

“Wasn’t fishing for compliments, but I’ll take it,” she breathes with a hint of a smirk tugging at her lip. “Hopefully, you’ll still hold that sentiment after this conversation.”

“Pretty sure I will. What can I help you with?”

“It’s a bit… Es una tontería, de verdad,” she warns, absently toying with the hem of her wine red blazer.

Noticing her nerves, Wind pushes their notebook aside. “Amalia, no te preocupes, puedes decirme lo que pasa.”

The warmth and reassurance in their tone do something to soothe her nerves, as her hand noticeably stills. “Mr. Vanderweil tasked me with redacting these documents yesterday. Simple, right?”

They nod along to her story. “I’d say so.”

“I thought so too, but then I had an issue with loading the PDFs on my computer, so I…” she pauses, sucking in a breath. “I took an alternative approach.”

“What kind of approach?”

“Converting all the files to Word docs so I could highlight all the info in black instead of contacting IT like I should have.” Her words fly out of her mouth faster than she can speak, jumbling into a mess of syllables they barely manage to catch. But they do- and oh, how their stomach plummets to the floor.

Panic cracks through the otherwise calm demeanor they’ve maintained thus far. “Amalia-”

“I know- I know,” she laments, rushing up to the foot of their desk. “Ryan already told me how wrong that was half an hour ago, which is why I haven’t uploaded anything yet.”

“Oh, thank God,” they sigh, visibly slumping into their chair. “This’ll be easy to fix then.”

“Except it won’t be because Mr. Vanderweil wanted this done before the partner meeting, and he’ll definitely chew me out when he learns that it isn’t.” Whatever nerves were kept at bay came rushing back in full force. Amalia began pacing, her heels scuffing up the floors beneath her with every anxious step. “This is the easiest thing to do, and I found a way to mess it up. It’s no question- I’m gonna get fired. And what respectable law school is going to accept someone who can’t even-”

Wind jumps from their seat to block her path. Their hands fly to her shoulders, stopping her in place with a firm grip. “Amalia,” they say gently, careful not to agitate her any further. Her dark brown eyes dart around the room, desperate to cling onto something- anything. Wind squeezes her once, steadying her frenzied gaze at them. “Inhala. Exhala.” So that’s what they do. They breathe.

In and out.

Inhala. Exhala.

Eventually, the dust settles and Wind’s arms fall back to their sides. “Better?”

She nods. “Better.”

“Good. Now, how much work do you have left?”

“I managed to fix around half of what Mr. Vanderweil sent me, but there’s still over a hundred pages left to deal with.”

The wheels in their head spin, formulating a plan. “Okay- here's what we'll do. Forward the files to me. I'll take the first 50 or so, you get the rest. Can Ryan pitch in? That would really speed things up.”

“He’s tied up with logging discovery for Ms. Tanaka. That’s why I came to you,” she grimaces.

“That's fine. We’ll manage on our own.”

“Are you sure? Even with help, it'll take some time.”

The honest answer was that they weren’t. Meetings at McGraw Byrne are notorious for being pushed up at the drop of a hat. There’s no guarantee Martin wouldn’t decide to do just that; he certainly flaunted his authority to do so around the office enough. But Wind knew one thing: they can’t cross today out, but they can redact a few dozen documents. And that was enough. “Positive. Hand the files over- we've got work to do.”

—

It’s a tricky thing- pretending to be fine. Until it isn’t. Their smile is a reflex. Their lies, sweet little things, mask the bitter truth buried deep inside them. It’s almost scary how easy it’s become.

Almost.

Gigi nearly crushes them next.

It starts with a playful hip check by the break room counter. Nothing more than a soft bump that Wind returns as a greeting. “You avoiding me, Velez?”

“Of course not,” they reply automatically. Not on purpose.

“Then why is this the first time I've seen you all day?”

The corners of Wind’s mouth pull upwards. “You’re exaggerating. Our offices are across from each other, glass windows and all.”

Gigi scoffs, a fond yet exasperated look on her face. “You know what I mean. How much work did Martin stick you with?”

Actually, he didn't. I asked for more. And I would've stayed in my office, but I physically can’t ignore the gurgling in my stomach with paperwork anymore. “Not much, really. Guess it’s just been one of those days.” There’s a part of them- the smallest, stupidest part- that wishes she, or anyone, could see through their cheery disposition. Lift the mask they’ve clutched onto for years.

It’s a hollow victory when she doesn’t.

“Tell me about it. Linda roped me into working on this painfully boring property dispute,” she complains.

“Think of it this way: maybe the land is haunted.” They wiggle their fingers spookily, throwing in a few ‘oo’s and ah’s’ for good measure.

“That would explain the urge to blow my brains out anytime I redraft these contracts.”

“Poor little Millie. She’s just trying to protect her property from the grave.”

Gigi stifles a laugh. “Millie?”

“Judging me only angers her spirit,” they retort, their own bout of laughter bubbling to the surface. A moment of silence passes between them before they both lose their resolve, dissolving into a fit of giggles.

“Whew, I needed that,” Gigi says, still chuckling.

They take a bow. “I’ll be here all week.”

“Perfect- just enough time for you to join me for lunch.”

“You’re shameless.” Despite their light ribbing, they still take a seat at the nearest table and begin to unpack their own lunch. A small break can’t hurt, right?

“I just prefer to have some entertainment with my lasagna,” she corrects in a light, teasing voice.

“You made lasagna?”

“Xo made lasagna. She's been cooking a lot more since her show wrapped.” The glow on her face at the mere mention of her wife is undeniable.

“Seems like you’re enjoying a lot more than her cooking lately,” they grin suggestively.

Her daze sharpens into a challenging glint in her eye, her smirk unwavering. “So what if I am?”

They raise their hands in surrender. “Then good for you, boo.”

“Mm, that’s what I thought,” she hums triumphantly as she walks over to the fridge. “Seriously, you’ve got to try some. It’s- oh damn it.”

“What is it?”

Gigi pulls out a large pink box and sets it on the table, slightly miffed. “Beau’s leftover birthday cake knocked over my containers. I told him no one but him likes coconut.”

Wind’s pulse quickened. It’s fine. You’re fine. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“How would you know? You couldn’t eat any because you’re allergic to coconut.”

They shrug. “It looked pretty.”

“Last time I let a man plan an event. I don’t care if it’s his birthday,” she mutters, more to herself than at them- too occupied with reconstructing her toppled lasagna with a pair of plastic forks. Wind turns their attention to their own lunch, a heaping portion of arroz con pollo, hoping to swallow down their bout of birthday-induced anxiety with each savory bite. It almost works.

They’re mid-bite when Gigi unknowingly moves in for the kill.

“I’ve decided,” she announces, sliding into the seat across from them.

“Hm?” It’s all they can manage to say with a mouthful of rice.

“I’m putting myself in charge of all birthday parties at the firm from here on out. Who better to plan a party than a party-lover like moi?” She cuts a piece of her lasagna with the side of her fork, still talking animatedly. “Ooh, I can start a group chat to organize any after-work festivities-”

“Mhm,” they hum along, trying to ignore the lump forming in their throat. It’s fine. You’re fine. Their eyes fixate on the grains of rice stuck to their spoon. Three on the front. Two on the back. Three on the front. Two on the back. Three on-

“Wind? You still with me, boo?”

Their head snaps up, only realizing now that they had tuned out their friend. “Sorry- can you repeat that? I zoned out.”

Another smile. Another lie. But it’s enough.

“I asked what kind of cake you like,” Gigi repeats.

“Oh- uh… I’m fine with anything, really. As long as it’s not coconut for obvious reasons.”

“C’mon, everyone has a favorite. Lemmie guess, you’re a cheesecake girl, aren’t you? No wait- red velvet.”

They force out a chuckle. “You got me. I love a good red velvet.”

Gigi’s eyes narrow, assessing them like she would a witness on trial. “You’re just being nice, aren’t you?”

“I-I’m not! I really love red velvet,” they reassure her, but to no avail. She only shakes her head, leaning back into her chair.

“I’ll figure you out eventually, Velez. Cake preference is a science. And I just so happen to be a mad scientist.”

“You really don’t have to put that much effort into this, Gi.”

“The hell I don’t! There’s no way I’m going to plan a subpar birthday party for one of my best friends. When is your birthday anyways? Before you judge me for not knowing, I did try. I just couldn’t find it listed on any of your socials.”

Her determination in any other context would flood their chest with a friendly warmth. But now it pierces through their ribcage, sending their heart into an unwanted frenzy- its beat pounding in their ears.

It’s fine. You’re fine.

It’s fine. You’re-

It’s-

They stand abruptly, the chair behind them screeching against the floorboards. “I need to go.”

Gigi glances down, concern etching onto her features. “But you’ve barely eaten anything.”

“There’s a call I’m expecting from one of my clients. Can’t miss it,” they explain, hastily packing away their food. “Let’s catch up later, yeah?”

Another smile. Another lie. But this time, they don’t stick around long enough to know if it’s enough.

—

Calm. They need to stay calm. Yet the air grows thinner and thinner until Wind is gasping, pulling at their collar in a feeble attempt to ease the tightness coiling around their throat. Everything is too loud. Too bright. Too exposed.

On their first day at McGraw Byrne, Wind marveled at the grandness of it all. How its name glimmered as rays of golden light shone through the floor to ceiling windows, hitting the platinum just right. How every hallway felt like a brand new world waiting to be explored. But now? Now there is no glimmer. No hallways left to be discovered. Only a crushing weight resting atop their chest.

Forget calm. They need to hide.

Wind shuts the door behind them, then the blinds to their windows. It’s a small shield, so they strengthen their armor. Soft, pillowy cushions cover their ears, silencing the wars raging outside. A dark quiet descends over them. Not quite calm, but numb. Numb lets them breathe. Slow their tired, weary heart from running rampant. Here, underneath a cherry wood desk, they can rest.

—

The thing about a closed door is that it can always be opened.

So Martin does just that.

He strides in without any warning, preoccupied with typing out a quick response to yet another email, all while hoping to find a certain report waiting in his inbox. “Velez, I need an update on Landon.” Three more notifications- nothing of any true significance, but it gains his attention nonetheless.

Eyes glued to the screen, Martin doesn’t register the empty office chair in front of him. “I don’t have all day,” he huffs out, already bracing himself for whatever teasing remark Wind has in store for him. But none come. To his surprise, instead of a toothy grin, he sees a pair of pink heels carelessly kicked off to the side.

Martin pockets his phone and takes a cautious step forward. “Velez?”

A pitiful sniffle, amplified by the stillness of the room, hits his ears, freezing him in place. Part of him weighs the merits behind turning around. Then he hears it again- that sorrowful hitch in Wind’s breath- and before he even realizes it, he is by their side.

Months of working alongside each other allowed Martin to experience the many sides of Wind. Infuriatingly righteous. Overly-energetic. Perplexingly kind. Wind got under his skin- crept inside and made it impossible to stay away. None of that prepared him to witness them like this- curled up underneath their desk, unwilling to even look at him.

At a loss, he simply asks, “What are you doing down there?”

A few harrowing seconds pass before they mumble a reply. “Hiding.”

“From whom?”

“Just… from today.”

Martin hums in acknowledgement, unsure how to take that answer. “How long have you been hiding?” They give a weak shrug. “Can you at least tell me why?” He waits, more than he should’ve, then sighs. “Go home, Velez.”

Wind snaps their head up. “W-what?”

“I said go home.”

“Y-you… you can’t do that!”

“I can and I am. Clearly, you’re incapable of-”

“-I’m plenty capable-”

“-You’re under a table.” He chooses not to mention the redness in their eyes or how they shine with unshed tears.

“I- I can…” Wind sputters, their voice no higher than a whisper, “I can do it.”

“I’d have an easier time believing that if you weren’t mid-cower.”

“I’m not-” Martin cocks his eyebrow, effectively killing their argument. “This isn’t any of your concern. So just leave me be.”

“Not my concern?” he scoffs, almost in disbelief. “As your supervisor, I’d have to firmly disagree. I’m responsible for your successes and your screw ups. And I work very hard to mitigate the latter. So, I’m asking you again. What’s this about?”

“It’s… personal.” Martin folds his arms, indicating them to elaborate. But much to his dismay, they don’t. He peers down at them, searching for something. The infuriatingly righteous. The overly-energetic. The perplexingly kind. Something he can work with. It’s surprisingly disappointing when his search comes up as empty as Wind’s chair.

“Send whatever you have on Landon to Aislinn. She’ll be taking point for the remainder of this case.”

“But-”

“Save your breath, Velez. You can sort out whatever it is you’re dealing with now or never. I don’t care. You just can’t be here.”

—

Wind trods through the city past several storefronts and food carts, crestfallen. Their aimless journey eventually leads them to a random dive bar- the perfect location to get good and drunk. Its unassuming exterior paled in comparison to its rich interior. Spacious, yet cozy.

An unoccupied podium greets them at the entrance. “Hello?” Their voice travels beyond the stacked chairs and strings of exposed lightbulbs casting a golden glow over the room. A few minutes go by before they try calling out again. “Hi, are y’all open?”

They venture further inside, ignoring the big, bold letters indicating patrons to ‘please wait to be seated.’ A plethora of memories line its walls. Polaroids of patrons captured in various states of inebriation- all in good fun, they figure. Along with those are news clippings throughout the years, most of which feature the NYPD in some capacity.

“I bought every copy of that issue.” Wind yelps, coming face to face with an older man. The faint lines on his bronze skin deepen as his face stretches into a friendly smile. He points at one of the officers pictured. “This one’s my niece, Cameron.”

They take a closer look at the photo. Despite its grainy quality, Wind can see the resemblance between the two. Same brown eyes. Same round nose. Her skin, however, is about three shades darker than her uncle’s. Youthful. “She looks beautiful.”

“I like to think so,” he says, pride beaming from his features. “She’s always begging me to take this one down, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Ya only graduate from the academy once, y’know?”

They nod politely. “Sorry for walkin’ in like this.”

“The sign’s flipped to open, even if we don’t look like it,” he chuckles. “Grab a seat, I’ll be right with ya.” Wind slides into an empty bar stool while he makes his way behind the counter. After rummaging through a few drawers, he pulls out a menu. “Ha! I knew I kept a few back here.”

“Thank you.” They skim through the appetizers, not retaining much.

“I promise, if ya catch us during our peak hours, we’re more lively. Anyways, welcome to The Drunk Tank. I’m Tommy- owner, bartender, and your server for today. Most of our food items won’t be available till our cook arrives, but I can try to whip up something simple if you’d like.”

“That’s alright. I only came in for a drink.”

“Perfect. What’s your poison?”

“Whatever’s strongest. Neat,” they answer flatly.

Understanding flashes through Tommy’s face. He works with silent precision, pouring a long stream of amber liquor into a glass. “Here ya go. Spirits to lift the spirit.”

Wind raises their drink to him before throwing it back in one gulp. The burn is immediate, slithering down to their chest and warming them from within. “Hah,” they wince, wiping the stray droplets from their chin. “I’ll have another.”

Tommy’s eyebrows jump, unable to conceal his shock, but he complies and slides over another shot. It goes down just as quickly. This process repeats two more times before he finally pulls the plug. “Why don’t we pace ourselves for a bit? Happy hour doesn’t start for another thirty minutes. Save yourself a few bucks.”

“Money’s not an issue,” they say, their words slightly slurred.

“Alright, I’ll level with ya. I’m not as concerned about your wallet as I am about any ‘accidents’ I may need to clean up.”

They huff out a hollow laugh. “I can hold my liquor, promise.”

“Just indulge me and drink some water.”

“Fine,” they grumble, taking a tentative sip from a much taller glass.

“Ya wanna talk about it?”

“Huh?”

“Ya wanna talk?”

“About what?”

“Anything. The weather- the Yankees- oh, I can show ya my collection of wine corks.”

“That’s… okay.” They gulp down the rest of their water, casting a hopeful glance at him, then at their empty shot glass.

He purses their lips, thinking. “Tell ya what- I’ll pour another shot if ya tell me one thing about yourself.”

Their eyes narrow at his deal, but his face remains steady. Fine, they can play along for now. “My name’s Wind.”

A quiet grin spreads on his face. “I was hoping to hear about a hobby or something.”

“A deal’s a deal.”

Tommy raises his hands in surrender. “That it is.” He serves another shot, which doesn’t last very long. “I like baseball, if ya couldn’t tell,” he jokes, gesturing to the several pieces of baseball memorabilia displayed.

“You play?”

His belly shakes with laughter. “Not well, I’m afraid. My ol’ man still put me in Little League, though, right next to my brother. I was one hell of a benchwarmer.”

“How ‘bout your brother?”

“Oh, that asshole? He was a mini prodigy. Bastard went on to play varsity. Won the state championship and everything.” Despite his light, jovial tone, Wind notices the distant look in his eyes.

“... And now?”

There’s a brief pause before he answers. “He doesn't play much of anything anymore.”

“What happened?”

His lip twitches upward with a smile that’s not all there. Dimmer than the one he first met them with. “I’ll need a few drinks before ya pull that story outta me.”

“Sorry,” they apologize quickly, “I didn’t-”

“No- you’re fine. Just felt like talking ‘s all.” He busies himself by wiping down the bar with a towel. “Ya don’t need to tell me anything, but a word to the wise: it feels a helluva lot better when you finally let it all out.”

Wind stares at him, their thoughts- all the pain, anger, and confusion threatening to spill out of them like a faucet. Kind brown eyes stare back with a patience that says, ‘Everything’s gonna be alright,’ without uttering a word. “Well, I-”

“Pop some champagne, Tito. I just got promoted!” They both startle in place. A woman strolls up to the bar, carrying a faint scent of ginger and citrus as she approaches. Wind’s eyes immediately flick to the golden snake adorning her neck, drawn by its intimidating beauty.

“Nini! That’s wonderful,” Tommy rejoices, clapping her on the shoulder like an old friend.

“I know. Now, where’s that champagne?”

“Hold on, I’ve got some in the back.” He moves to grab a bottle, but stops in his tracks when he sees them. “Oh- I’m sorry, Wind. You were about to say something.”

They shake their head. “No- actually, I should head out.”

“Stay for the toast at least.”

“Are you serious?” the woman complains.

“Yes,” Tommy hisses at her underneath his breath, which to Wind’s surprise, is all it takes for her to stand down.

“Alright,” she concedes, peering at them through her curled lashes. “Enjoy it, blondie. I’m usually not this generous, but today is a celebration. Consider it an early birthday gift.”

Their body seizes up. “What?”

“Or a late one. Not like I’d know the difference anyway. It’s no cake, but it’ll do.”

Glass shatters. A cacophony of shrieks and curses follows. Wind registers nothing- lost to fragments from the past. Their senses recall the piercing sound of their baby brother’s inconsolable wails. The desperation in their father’s pleas. They remember the cool tile on their knees- how sticky their tiny fingers became with pink frosting as they tried to push chunks of uneaten cake back together, ignoring the shards of fine china mixed throughout. All the while, their mother’s broken voice pounds within their ears. A haunting chant they can never forget.

“No puedo más- no puedo más- no puedo más-”

“Ya alright, pal?” Tommy’s worry warbles through their nightmarish haze.

“This fucking idiot got glass everywhere.”

“Ay, Nini- just grab the broom. It’s in the back. Oh- and the first aid kit.”

First aid kit? They glance down- mortified by the crimson stains on their sleeves. “Oh God-”

“Hey, take it easy-”

“NO-” Their sudden outburst sends them back several feet. “I- I need to- I need to go.”

“Hold on-”

Tommy’s words fall on deaf ears, or rather, no ears. They’re gone in a flash. No warning. No goodbye.

Just like Mamá.

---

tag list: @choicesmc, @win-chan, @brycesgirl, @stars-are-within-me, @inlocusmads

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alexanderlightweight · 1 year

Note

Wednesday prompt: necromancy

Oh this was fun! Thank you for the prompt I hope you enjoy!

—

All around them the whisper woods sing secrets and Magnus strains against his bonds. They won’t hold him, not for much longer but it may be long enough, which is what the seelies are counting on.

Magnus’ magic is an aching hole like he’s never felt before and his heart is a crater where a star fell and lost its light.

There is nothing Magnus can do with the magic they have bound, but they have not chained all of him.

Magnus reaches into the deepest, darkest parts of his soul. The place where Edom rots and flourishes in a cycle that never ends.

There are no allies here for Magnus and his beloved, the plants, animals and insects all obey the queen.

But where there was once life, there will be death and Magnus stares at the man he loves as Alexander's body is strung up by the branches of a weeping willow.

Magnus breathes out until there is nothing in his lungs and then he hums.

It’s a deep reverberating sound, but it’s not loud.

Not yet.

:readmore:

It echoes, again and around until the ground is shaking with it and the first crack of the earth is what they notice.

A large elk, white bones and empty eye sockets filled with the flames of Edom emerges, gets to its creaking legs and then charges.

Vines try to grab it but the ground smolders and burns beneath its hooves and the plants that wrap around it writhe and rot as soon as they touch. Two snakes, a wolf and a bear crawl out to join it as it lowers its head and impales the seelie daring to touch Alexander.

It rears, pawing the air and lifting the screaming seelie high on its antlers before slamming back into the ground and charging forward.

When it backs up, stamping its hooves before it charges another enemy, the seelie is as dead as is the tree it is pinned against.

The snakes climb the willow as the other skeletons attack, their bones slithering and clacking as they curl up the trunk and down the vines, rotting them until Alexander collapses.

The wolf is near, teeth and mandible stained an eerie, dark red with viscous chunks dripping off. It lopes to Magnus’ heart and Alexander collapses onto it.

He does not burn or rot and the wolf brings him to Magnus.

A paw touches the tree Magnus is bound against and the growling skull of a great cat bites and gnashes until the wards and array are fading, their energy stolen by death.

He’s free just in time to grab Alexander as he slides off a slope of rattling bones and falls into Magnus.

“You okay?” Alexander asks, hoarse and drugged but still alive, still Magnus’.

“Alexander!” It’s meant to be a chide but it comes out a harsh sob and Magnus crushes Alexander to him as everything rots and burns and screams around him. Because of course his boy would ask him that, when it was Alexander about to die.

The song of the woods no longer whispers. It is screaming a frenzied howl of pain and Magnus laughs to hear it.

How dare they. How dare all of them.

Magnus is going to find every single being involved and he’s going to rot their souls until they are even less than the creatures he has called from death.

Around him, half-rotted corpses and once sun-bleached bones stained now with the age of decades below dirt, continue to rise.

They are all creatures and all brutal in their intelligence and instincts.

They hunt as one, a hive mind connected to Magnus, fulfilling his every command.

Magnus lets his laugh die down to a smirk and he presses it in a soft, adoring kiss to Alexander’s sweat and blood soaked hair.

Magnus isn’t leaving until Alexander's stable and he’s not stopping his rampage until they leave. With his own magic he summons protection wards and shields and two dozen other spells that would take twenty warlocks to normally cast a single spell.

He’s shaking by the end but it’s not from exhaustion — the life he’s devouring has him full and bursting with magic — it’s because all he can see is the heartbreak in Alexander's eyes as they dragged him away.

Heartbreak because he thought he was going to die, heartbreak because he was going to leave Magnus, heartbreak for Magnus, who would be left to suffer his loss.

“Sayang.” Magnus says and rage is an inferno within him as Alexander smiles wanely him. That his boy is so weak is a testament to how hard he fought when they took Magnus down first. How the trap had been for both, but to use each against the other.

It is never going to happen again, Magnus will not allow it to.

“Magn’s.” He’s told happily, like Alexander isn’t still drugged and bleeding. Like the seelies weren’t about to sacrifice him in a ritual to power their wards in front of Magnus. Like everything is alright now that Magnus is holding him.

“I have you, darling.” Magnus promises and he presses his brow to Alexander, “they’ll suffer, I promise you that.”

#shadowhunters #magnus bane #malec #alec lightwood #immortal husbands #writing wednesday #writing wednesdays #lumine writes #my fics #my fanfics #my ficlets #shadowhunters au

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noodyl-blasstal · 1 month

Text

Fakebook - Best Served Cold Chapter 3

It's @tazsapphicweek day 3! So here's chapter 3 of Best Served Cold.

Read below or on Ao3. Missed the start? Here's ch 1 and ch 2.

“Hello my love!” Istus shouts into the house as she slips her shoes off and puts them on the rack. She probably shouldn’t still enjoy the sight of her bright sandals next to Raven’s big stompy boots after all these years, but she does... even if the boots are slightly less stompy and a little more orthopaedic than they used to be.

“Welcome home! How was knitting?” Raven opens the door to the lounge, cosy and flickering with firelight and candles. “I lit the fire so we could make toast.”

Istus sinks into Raven’s hug, then into the squishy sofa that they promised never to tell anyone how much they struggle to get out of.

“Here, put your feet up.” Raven pats her knees.

Istus does, and is delighted when Raven pulls a pair of Istus’ cosy woollen socks from her pocket and puts them on for her.

“What’s all this for?”

“Because I love you.” Raven says simply.

“I love you too.”

“Good, it’d be awkward if you didn’t at this point.” Raven works her thumbs into the spot on Istus’ foot that always bothers her after a day on her feet.

Istus laughs. “Thank you.” She leans forward and stills Raven’s hand so she can hold it for a moment. “I appreciate you, wonderful wife.”

“I know, you won’t stop telling me about it. Always boasting about your wonderful, perfect, devastatingly beautiful wife…” Raven winks and Istus snorts out a laugh. “It’s a good job I have one too or I’d be terribly jealous.”

Istus shakes her head fondly. This life they have built? It’s a good one, she always tries to remember that when things seem bleak. The furniture move hurt, yes, and so did explaining to everyone who asked about it today, but the shop’s still there, the community events can still run - even if no one shows up. Things change and change is hard, but she can count on Raven, she can count on their cottage, their friends, the family they carved out for themselves. Tonight there’s no room for sadness, they’ll make toast on the fire and slather it in butter, and they’ll laugh until they can’t breathe as they end up rolling off the sofa to stand. Next time she runs an event people will show up.

–

Istus finishes wiping her face as the shuff of drawers from their bedroom tells her that Raven is awake. She shoves the tissues into one of her deep pockets and hopes that her eyes aren’t red.

“Good morning!” Raven wraps her arms over Istus’ shoulders and kisses her on the head.

“Good morning!” Istus turns her head to kiss Raven firmly on the lips and hugs Raven’s wiry arms closer in a hug. “So, there’s another letter.” Istus keeps her tone as casual and neutral as possible. She’ll talk to Raven about how upset she is soon, she has promised herself that, they don’t keep feelings from each other. But she needs some time to process first… and to express it in a way that doesn’t worry Raven too much.

Raven lets go and sits next to her at the scrubbed wood table. “But we moved the furniture.” Her brow furrows and Istus kisses her on it, just because she can.

“Yes we did, and thank you again for doing all the coordinating.” She lays a hand on Raven’s and squeezes. “This one is about noise though.”

“What noise?” Raven asks.

Istus picks up the letter with her free hand and reads “...A low droning noise which is disturbing the peace in the area.”

“The churns?” Raven’s eyes narrow slowly.

“I think so.” Istus keeps her voice steady, thank goodness.

“Mmhm.” Raven says, mouth a tight line.

“Maybe I can add some sound proofing? I can get the girls to look up how much it’ll cost, or maybe I could ask Magnus if he can recommend anyone?”

Raven shakes her head firmly. “Don’t do it yet. I think you need to speak to a lawyer.” Raven has her serious face on. Her serious, serious face. Perhaps this has all been bothering her too? She’s never been good with change and as much as they started out with separate businesses, their lives are very much entwined. It’s been a long time since Istus thought of Happy Scoops as just hers.

She smiles and pats Raven’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry about the shop, my love, and remember that no matter what happens we’ve got plenty in savings too, we’ll be fine!”

“I’m not worried about money, Istus, I’m worried about you.” Raven’s voice doesn’t wobble much, it’s barely audible, but Istus hears it loud and clear.

“Okay. I’ll ring Davenport once he’s back from his trip.”

“And you won’t make any more changes until then?” Raven blinks rapidly, but Istus pretends not to notice the tears beading.

She takes Raven’s hands. “No, love. No, I don’t think I will.”

–

She waits for thirty minutes after the painting party was due to start, just in case. Sometimes people are late, she doesn’t want to pack up before she’s certain. Forty minutes later she starts to put the paints away, collapse the small easels, and fold up the waterproof tablecloths. It’s okay. Sometimes people are busy.

“You’re home early!” Raven says brightly, popping out into the hall. At least she sounds delighted to have Istus back sooner than she was supposed to. Raven takes two of the bags from her and stows them in the community craft cupboard, always looking after her.

“Yes, no one could come tonight.” Istus says it quickly, as if it’s not a problem.

“Oh.” Raven’s face falls.

“It’s okay, people are busy, I know how it is. It can’t be the first time.” Istus says and waves her hand dismissively. Perhaps she can convince herself if she’s dedicated enough.

It is the first time. Raven knows that, and she knows that Istus knows it too. She’s kind enough to say it. Of course there’s been plenty of nights where only a few people show up, but that’s not the same as no one.

“Did anyone call ahead?” Raven asks gently.

“No.” Istus says. “And usually Marigold is good to, and Deepti… I hope they’re okay.”

“I’m sure they will be, Istus. I’m just going to send a message.” Raven grabs her phone and taps away. Her smile isn’t as confident as usual, but still, Istus hopes she’s right when she looks up and says “I’m sure it’s just a one off.”

–

It isn’t.

Istus sits in Happy Scoops, bead boxes on every table, string ready to show everyone how to make lizards. Everyone had seemed so excited when they booked it in… Maybe she got the date wrong? She stands up, conscious that her knee definitely needs a stretch and checks the calendar. It’s definitely today. So she waits and she waits. Makes a lizard. Makes six. It’s fine. People are busy. Perhaps she needs to reconsider the community offerings.

–

“It’s such a shame you cancelled book club. I was looking forward to it!” Mustafa sighs heavily as he takes his cone from Istus.

“I’m sorry dear, what do you mean?” Istus has definitely not cancelled book club, in fact, she made special biscuits, they’re themed! There’s no plan to cancel… perhaps she misheard.

“You cancelled book club.” He says, as if this is obvious.

“I haven’t sent anything to the mailing list… perhaps there’s an error on the computer? You know I don’t get on well with it.” Istus smiles ruefully. “But it’s definitely still on, I baked murder cookies!”

“Oh!” Mustafa frowns. “Then why did you post on Facebook to say it was cancelled?”

Istus knows what Facebook is, of course she does, but she doesn’t know why he would think she has anything to do with it. Taako had tried, once, years ago, and given up almost immediately. Even Angus’ dedication had failed when she got locked out of the account they made her for the third time. Managing to send the emails to the right people at the right times with their emails in the BCC is the limit of her abilities, she’s aware of it and fine with it.

“We have a Facebook?” Istus asks.

“Here.” Mustafa puts his cone down in the holder, grabs his phone, and taps away at it. “There, see.” He turns it round and shows her a page which certainly has their name and logo. Maybe Carey or Killian made it? She’ll have to check later.

“Ah, well thank you for showing me Mustafa. Could you please send them a note to say that there has been a mistake? Please do let anyone else know if you have their numbers too - there’s a lot of biscuits and someone has to eat them!”

“No problem, we’re all in a group chat. That’s how we found out about the cancellations. I’ll do my best to help with the biscuits too, you know, because I care.” He winks at her happily. “See you later!”

Istus laughs as she waves him off, then turns to help the next customer.

“Tani! How’s the crochet octopus going?”

–

“Carey, did you or Killian set up a Facebook page for the shop?” Istus asks once Carey has stowed her belongings and donned her apron.

“Definitely not.” Carey’s reply is immediate.

“You’re sure?”

“Yep. Killian hates it, and I only use mine for second hand stuff. I wouldn’t set anything up without checking with you anyway. Why, what’s going on?”

“I didn’t think you would.” Istus leans on the counter. “We’ve got a page, apparently, and it did a tweet saying book club was cancelled.”

Carey’s eye twitches. “It did, did it?”

“That’s what Mustafa said. He showed me a page with our name.”

“Okay, gimme a sec, I’m going to find out.” Carey takes off her gloves and grabs her phone. She taps at it, then groans. “I’m assuming you wouldn’t have decided to change our tag line to “expect the expected”?”

“No.” Says Istus after a pause.

“I didn’t think so. Looks like we have ourselves some copycats.” She flicks her finger over her phone. “... and it looks like they’ve been busy.” Carey turns the phone around and Istus sees a series of red crosses through the various events they run.

“But… why?”

“Great question.” Carey says, and taps some more.

Istus’ Army Carey: There’s a fake Facebook profile and they’ve cancelled all the events. Raven: How did they get the mailing list? Have they hacked us? Raven: Should I report them to the Government? Hurley: No! Hurley: They haven’t hacked you. We’ll explain in person, Raven. I’ll bring my computers diagramme Hurley: Also, we need to email everyone and tell them there’s a fake account. Killian: Already on it. Raven: It’s okay, you don’t have to bring the diagramme. I don’t need to understand. Sloane: Accept your fate, Raven, you’re going to learn computers if it kills her. Killian: Can I watch? Carey: I’ll cover at Happy Scoops, but you have to tell me all about it. Raven: There’s not going to be anything to watch. Raven: I don’t need to do computers. You do it for me! Hurley: We’ll come to the shop on lunch break. Hurley: There’s no escape!

Enjoyed this chapter? Find the next one here!

#TAZ Sapphic Week #Noodyl Writes #Raven is going to be forcibly taught computers and there's simply no escape #The Raven Queen #Istus #Istus/The Raven Queen #TAZ Fic #TAZ Balance

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hammieslice · 10 months

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20 Questions For Fanfic Writers!

I got tagged in this by the lovely @onewhoturns, and I'll tag some others at the end!

1: How many works do you have on Ao3?

I only have 8 actually published there, but for reference, I went into my WIP folder and found over 100 more... So I do write things! I'm just really really bad at actually publishing them.

2: What's your total Ao3 word count?

Assuming I've done my math right, my current total word count sits at 262,909. Most of that is probably the longfics I've done with Turner, but there are almost certainly some hidden gems in there as well.

3: What fandoms do you write for?

Well, I haven't actually written and published something for a specific fandom for a while now, but my more common interests these days are Genshin Impact, Fire Emblem, Metal Gear Solid, Ace Attorney, Shadow & Bone (Netflix TV show specifically) and a few sporadic others! But my past works were for Oxenfree, Destiny, Ava's Demon, Homestuck, Overwatch, Critical Role, The Magnus Archives and Half Life.

4: Top five fics by kudos?

That would beeee So It Goes, Blue Hair, Red Jacket, A Different Angle, One Foot, and finally Holy Spirits!

5: Do you respond to comments? Why/Why not?

As much as I love getting comments on fics, I don't often respond to them. I don't really have enough published to get engagement super often, and even then, I'm just not the kind of person to reach out at random simply because I've heard too many Internet Horror Stories(tm). But, maybe if I do publish more in the future, I'll make a habit of answering then!

6: What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I... Don't really know? Most of my fics are either one-shots or unfinished multi-chapter works. There's probably something really angsty in my WIPs, but since it's never seen the light of day, we'll never really knows.

7: What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Hmm. Hm hm hm. That would probably be a toss up between A Different Angle, which is just meant to be a nice, feel-good oneshot, or Pyrite-50: Quiet Moments, which is a kind of character study of one of my Destiny PC's.

8: Do you get hate on fics?

Since I only have 8 published, and I'm not like a super-duper popular author, I don't really think I get hate. All of the comments I've seen have been really sweet and lovely, which I'm thankful for.

9: Do you write smut?

I've been known to partake... On occasion....... <- Currently hiding most of it away in that damned WIP folder

10: Do you write crossovers?

Aside from the every-so-often "AU fic inspired by another piece of media", no, not really. But maybe that will change sometime! I wouldn't be truly opposed.

11: Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I'm aware!

12: Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. My reach, like I said, is pretty minimal. But if anybody were to ask, I'd say go for it, as long as I got credit as the author.

13: Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Most of my published fics are co-written! My co-author was actually the one who tagged me in this, Turner. You can go check out all our Oxenfree stuff on Ao3 right now.

14: What's your all-time favorite ship?

Oooooh, this one is hard. The one I've undoubtedly written the most for is jonalex, but I'm a huge multishipper, so I've never really preferred one pairing over another before. It's always so dependent on my mood! Can I just say all of them?

15: What's the WIP you hope to finish but doubt you ever will?

The forgotten Kaz Brekker/Darkling smut. It sits in its little google document, taunting me. I know that you're there. I KNOW.

16: What are your writing strengths?

I'd like to think I'm good at metaphors? Generally, getting into a character's psyche is what I strive for, and when I get it right it feels like a real achievement. I've also been told that I'm very good at making dialogue that feels real, or that flows in a way that makes sense, which is something else I'm really proud of.

17: What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things. Fight scenes (of the physical variety). The two big F's.

18: Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Seeing as I am a person who only knows one language (and guess which one that is), I don't often write in other languages for my fics, because I'm a liiiiittle too scared of fucking up. On the rare chances I have, I usually use someone I know as a translator, but that limits me on how many languages I can conceivably use. As far as foreign languages in other fics go, I'm all for it!

19: First fandom you wrote for?

It's either Harry Potter, and that fic has now been orphaned to the wind, or maybe Homestuck?

20: Favorite fic you've ever written?

Of my published fics, it has to be So It Goes. That one has a special place in my heart for a multitude of reasons, and not just because Turner and I got to write it together. Of my WIPs, there's an unnamed freemance fic that I've been dying to finish that I just recently found again, and it made me fall in love with my writing for a second time; in a strange way.

Tagging!!

@artemis-crimson @reddgiant @starchemist @starlit-bawka @cranehusbands @duvirii and basically whoever else wants to do it.

#ask meme #ask game #writing #writers #tag meme #tag game #ao3 #archive of our own #writing game #fic #fanfic #fanfiction #fic writing #20 questions

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tailsbeth-writes · 2 months

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Thanks for all the tags @run-for-chamo-miles @myheartalivewrites @onthewaytosomewhere & @littlemisskittentoes 🫶🏻 I think I did something similar to this a while ago but it's time for an update!

How many works do you have on AO3?

73! Ficlet Friday collections have really boosted the number 🥲

What’s your total AO3 word count?

171,266... (I love how as soon as it isn't my own characters I can get a decent word count in 😅 oh well, my novel will be out there one day!)

What fandoms do you write for?

I'm known for Red, White and Royal Blue but I also write for Bridgerton, Heartstopper, Skam, Young Royals and as of the latest Ficlet Friday, Dead Boy Detectives!

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I try to reply to all of them eventually, especially when they're particularly long. I appreciate every comment & there's a real cosy vibe under some of my fics that feels like a virtual group hug.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope, not as far as I know...

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I can say yes to this now! I co-wrote the next installment in my beloved Bigender Alex AU with @run-for-chamo-miles, it's called I could speak (or just let my body explain) & I'm so proud of us for it 🥰

What's your all-time favourite ship?

I hate this question, it is too hard so I'm just going to mention all my faves in no particular order: Evak (Skam), Chris/Jal (Skins), Firstprince (RWRB), Vilde & Magnus (Skam), Narlie (Heartstopper) and most recent addition Theo /Kit (The Pairing).

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue & show not tell when it comes to emotions - I think? It's what I enjoy the most anyways.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Plot? I don't do a ton of longform stuff and you'll likely notice my longer fics are more a collection of scenes with a thread but not like a beginning, middle and end. It works in fanfic but the struggle is real in my original work.

First fandom you wrote for?

Riverdale, which I don't even watch anymore. 🤣

So I feel like everyone and their uncle has done this tag by now, I'll leave it an open tag just in case 💛

#questions for fic writers #personal #fanfic writing #fanfic writer #ao3 writers #tailsbeth writes

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speedytherandom · 9 months

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20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @satans-poptarts

1. how many works do you have on Ao3? 24

2. what's your total Ao3 word count? 41,008

3. what fandoms do you write for? Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, and The Trials of Apollo-- mostly. I have also written singular fanfics for a couple of other unrelated fandoms.

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

Keeping Up A Shrine (Sadie Kane character study, basically)

Just Some Saturday in September (Valgrace domestic fluff)

A Harry Potter fic I’d rather just forget about.

The Unfortunate Issue With Having Cooler, Older, and Hotter Siblings (Owl House-- Amity thinks Luz likes one of the twin)

The Flour Fiasco (Ruegard fluff fic)

5. do you respond to comments? Almost always!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Bone by Bone (PJO, everybody dies) because that’s just straight up the angstiest fic I’ve ever written in general.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Honestly? I have no idea. Most of my fics have relatively happy endings. I’m gonna say... Lasting Moment (Pipabeth, alternate universe) because it’s the one that is the most happy at the end compared to the beginning.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't yet and I’m really happy about that!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I haven’t yet but idk, maybe someday when I feel more confident with my abilities.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I don’t write crossovers. I don’t have any good reason, I simply haven’t.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I hope not.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have not but if I’m ever bored enough and have the inspiration I could translate perhaps a drabble or two into German or Portuguese.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not really. Like, I started one with my friend but it is not finished. Lemme just say, very difficult to co-write fanfic.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Based on ones I’ve written I’d say Pipabeth as I enjoy writing them but honestly? Despite writing a majority ship-based stories and really enjoying them, I’m not a huge shipper in general. I’m rather neutral on ships for the most part.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have no published WIPs, mostly because I need to have the fic at least 75% of the way done to even consider publishing it, but I’ve had stuff in my drafts forever. I’ve got the one where the PJO kids are doing Spamalot, the Piper Friendship Fic, the Valgrace College AU, the one where Piper is just jealous of Percy, the Fierrochase beach fic. And more. So, so many more, so if you’re interested...

16. What are your writing strengths?

No clue. Does being really happy with most first drafts count?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Commitment. I usually have larger ideas than I know how to portray and I tend to rush the ideas that I have which is why most of my fics are pretty short.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

With the languages I speak I haven't done this in a fic yet, but if the opportunity ever arose I’d be very excited. Plus, I have done lines of dialogue in Portuguese for an original short story (unpublished).

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Oh. Ew. Harry Potter :( It doesn’t exist anymore nor do I know what it was about but I can guarantee you it was the first.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I’m not really sure. I don’t really remember how much I like things I’ve written. I’m just gonna suggest some I really like and haven’t mentioned instead of one favorite: Wedding Dances (Sadie/Lacy future fic), Red Means Power (Heathers fanfic), and The Worst Possible Time And Place (Rachabeth as superheroes).

I’m not sure who writes fic that hasn’t been tagged already. If you do... this is fun!

#fanfic

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barry-j-blupjeans · 2 years

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@taznovembercelebration - Chilly

Barry wasn't a brave man. If anything, he was an incredibly cowardly man. He had been the kid who covered his ears during ghost stories and he grew into the adult who closed his eyes whenever he didn't get the chance to escape being dragged to a horror movie. He double-checked his doors every night, despite living in a town small enough that the crime rates weren't even worth giving a percentage. He didn't go out after dark if he could help it. He brought the pocket knife his friend Magnus had given him everywhere, though he didn't know what to do with it if the situation arose. Or how to open it, even.

And yet, here he was. The sun had set ten minutes ago, but he was still in the woods on the outskirts of town. He had a big, bulky flashlight with him, and his feet had gone numb with cold as he made his way through the snow. It was much colder than it had been earlier today and now, the wind was picking up and it had started to snow again. Little flakes were landing over his shoulders and head, coating his jacket white.

"Come find some shedded deer antlers with me," Magnus had said. "It'll be fun," Magnus had said. "We totally won't get separated and lost," Magnus had said.

Well, he hadn't said that last part, but it didn't matter, because it happened anyway. It had been fun, sort of, maybe, if you counted "fun" as "digging around in the snow til your fingers turn red". Which, unfortunately, Barry did. He still couldn't feel the tips of his fingers from the last set of antlers he had dug out. Only, when he stood back up and turned to give them to Magnus, Magnus wasn't there. There were no footprints leading away, no sound of crunching snow, Magnus was just gone.

Barry was pretty sure he was in the same area that they had been, but he wasn't sure anymore. His sense of direction had always been awful. He used to be in scouts, but they had learned very quickly not to trust him with any sort of navigational things. Hell, he still had to make L's with his hands sometimes to figure out which was which.

The point being: He, honest to god, didn't know where he was. He would like to believe he was still near where he had lost Magnus, but it was too dark to tell anymore, and the snow was getting thick enough to cover their original tracks. Maybe he was walking in circles, or maybe he was just getting himself deeper into the woods. At this point, he was trying to head back to town, and if he found Magnus on the way, that'd be real nice.

Something rustled from over on his left (or what he thought was his left, at least) and Barry jerked the flashlight toward the sound. For a few seconds, he couldn't find anything. And then, a raccoon scampered across the illuminated area, darting passed Barry to get up a tree. Barry lurched back and lost his balance, landing ass-first into the snow. His flashlight landed a foot away from him, light down. God, he wasn't young enough for this anymore.

He picked it back up, shining it up the tree. The raccoon had all but vanished from view. Barry got to his knees, struggling to get a good grip on the flashlight to turn it around. When he finally pointed it forward again, the light glinted off a pair of boots.

"Magnus," he said. "Thank fucking god, I tho-"

That wasn't Magnus. Black boots, sure, whatever, but that's where the resemblance stopped. This new person had a thick, heavy shawl on. None of their clothes seemed to match, but they seemed much better prepared for this weather than Barry was. They had two jackets on underneath the shawl and a pair of fingerless gloves over a pair of fingered gloves. There had a beanie pulled down onto their head, only stopped by their long, pointed ears. Their eyes glinted in the light and they pulled away with a grimace, stumbling away from the light.

Barry fumbled, dropping it again. The- well, he'd say person, but whatever this was definitely wasn't human stared at him, and he stared at them. Slowly, slowly, Barry reached for the flashlight again, not looking away from whoever the fuck was standing in front of him. Their ears twitched as he got his hand around the base and before he could even lift it from the ground, they sprinted past him. Barry jerked away, but kept his grip tight on the flashlight this time. He shined it after them, but they were already gone.

They didn't leave any footprints. It was as if they had never been there in the first place.

Barry let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. It came out of his mouth like steam, rising up into the night air. He stared after where the being had gone, not really sure how to follow that up.

He only turned away when there was the sound of crunching snow behind him. And finally, there was Magnus, out of breath, windswept, but no longer lost. Alone, at least. They could be lost together.

"Hey!" Magnus said. "I turned around and you were gone!"

"Uh, that's what you did," Barry said, shuffling to his feet again. Magnus held out a hand for him and he took it. He got a brief, total causal, totally normal thing to check for, glance behind Magnus's back, just to make sure he was leaving footprints (he was). Then, he brushed the snow off of his jeans, shivering a little.

"No, that's what you did," Magnus said. He dusted some snow off Barry's shoulder. "You, uh, you good, man?"

"Oh, uh-" Barry laughed, a little uncomfortably. "Me?"

"Yeah," Magnus said.

"Me?" Barry said again. "I'm- yeah, I'm fine. Got startled by a- a deer. Yeah. I got startled by a deer."

"...Right," Magnus said, looking into the woods behind Barry now. "I think your old man brain is getting frozen, so maybe we should head back."

"I'm fifty-two."

"Uh-huh," Magnus said, turning him towards the east (Maybe???? God, he was so bad at directions). "This way, c'mon."

"Coming," Barry said. He shook his shoes off and followed behind Magnus, keeping close to him. For a final time, he shined his flashlight back toward the trees the being had disappeared into. In the far distance, the light glinted off two little eyes. Barry turned away, speeding up a little.

"Do you even have the bag with the antlers?" Barry asked, keeping tight to Magnus's side now.

"Aw, fuck," Magnus said.

#taz nc #taz november celebration #barry bluejeans #magnus burnsides #taz #taz balance #u can decide which one of the twins that was sldfsdf #but it was lup in my head #mine #ise cube writing

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rattytshirtspaintsplatteredjeans · 11 months

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Three ways to read the Riordanverse's series

Whether you are a new fan or a returning one, you might be confused about the reading order of Riordan's books (especially since there are more than twenty of them, even without counting extra books - with those there are nearly forty). If so, you are in the right place. Here under the cut are 3 ways to read the Percy Jackson series, each one providing a different experience. (this took me so long to make you have no idea)

Obs.: You don't necessarily have to read the extra books, but some of them contain short stories that are relevant to the plot and beloved by the fans. I heavily recommend you read at least those (which will be marked with a ☆)

Obs. 2: We usually use a 3 or 4-letters acronym to refer to Riordanverse's series and books. Thus, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series would be PJO, The Lightning Thief (1st book of the series and the one they're adapting right now) would be TLT and so on. I'll try to avoid them but if you see them that's what they mean lol.

Obs. 3: Rick Riordan is currently releasing a new 3-books long series due to the show release which is being branded as a continuation of PJO. However, they contain spoilers of the second main series. Thus, they'll be marked as PJOX here for identification purposes.

Obs. 4: A lot of people will stop reading the series because they can't get through the first two books of TOA. I beg you to keep reading. The third and the last book of the series are two of the best ones Rick Riordan has ever written (with the last book being my favorite of his by far).

Recommended for: anyone

Release order

The order in which the books were released. Pretty straightforward.

The Lightning Thief/TLT (Percy Jackson and the Olympians/PJO)

The Sea of Monsters/SoM (PJO)

The Titan's Curse/TTC (PJO)

The Battle of The Labyrinth/BotL (PJO)

The Demigod Files (PJO Extra ☆)

The Last Olympian/TLO (PJO)

The Ultimate Guide (PJO Extra)

The Red Pyramid/TRP (The Kane Chronicles/TKC)

The Lost Hero/TLH (The Heroes of Olympus/HOO)

The Throne of Fire/ToF (TKC)

The Son of Neptune/SoN (HOO)

The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide (TKC Extra)

The Serpent's Shadow/TSS (TKC)

The Demigod Diaries (PJO/HOO Extra ⁠☆)

The Mark of Athena/MoA (HOO)

Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo (PJO Extra - hard to find in print especially if you're not from the US, I genuinely recommend you to look for a PDF version)

The House of Hades/HoH (HOO)

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (HOO Extra)

The Blood of Olympus/BoO (HOO)

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes (HOO Extra - afaik it doesn't exist in print in Brazil, might also be the case for other countries)

The Sword of Summer/SoS (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard/MCGA)

Demigods and Magicians (PJO × TKC Extra ⁠☆ - Collection of 3 short stories and a crossover between PJO and TKC. Hard to come by in print, I recommend you to get the eBooks. You can also read the 1st story = The Son of Sobek between MoA and The Singer of Apollo, the 2nd story = The Staff of Serapis between HoH and Greek Gods and the 3rd story = The Crown of Ptolemy between BoO and Greek Heroes)

The Hidden Oracle/THO (The Trials of Apollo/TOA)

Guide to the Norse Worlds (MCGA Extra)

The Hammer of Thor/HoT (MCGA)

The Dark Prophecy/TDP (TOA)

Camp Half-Blood Confidential (TOA Extra)

The Ship of The Dead/SoD (MCGA)

Brooklyn House Magician's Manual (TKC Extra)

The Burning Maze/TBM (TOA)

9 From the Nine Worlds (MCGA Extra)

The Tyrant's Tomb/TTT (TOA)

Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio's Journal (TOA Extra)

The Tower of Nero/ToN (TOA)

The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure/TSatS (Stand-alone)

The Chalice of the Gods/CotG (PJOX)

Wrath of the Triple Goddess TBR 2024 (PJOX)

3rd PJOX Book TBR 2025 (PJOX)

Chronological order

Recommended for: anyone

The chronological order of the stories, mainly following the guide made by taetaae_v, eliascsc, riordanverso and percyjstan (all on Twitter). The only thing NOT included is the first story from the extra book "The Demigod Diaries", as it contains spoilers/heavy foreshadowing about the first series, including the end. If you are reading for the first time, I advise you to not buy the book until you finish PJO and to read the story afterwards. If you are rereading the series, the story is chronologically located before everything else, so start by reading it.

Refer to the release order to know when to read the extra books (outside from the stories included below), since they contain content that can't really be placed. Also, Rick Riordan is not the best writer when it comes to consistency, so some of the short stories might actually contradict what is said in the main book series when placed where they are, even if it is the only reasonable time to place them.

(For rereaders) 1st Story (from The Demigod Diaries)

The Lightning Thief/TLT (Percy Jackson and the Olympians/PJO)

The Sea of Monsters/SoM (PJO)

The Titan's Curse/TTC (PJO)

The Battle of The Labyrinth/BotL (PJO)

Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon (from The Demigod Files)

Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot (from The Demigod Files - alternatively placed between TTC and BotL)

Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades (from The Demigod Files)

The Last Olympian/TLO (PJO)

(For 1st time readers) 1st Story (from The Demigod Diaries)

Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo (PJO Extra - hard to find in print especially if you're not from the US, I genuinely recommend you to look for a PDF version)

The Staff of Hermes (from The Demigod Diaries)

The Lost Hero/TLH (The Heroes of Olympus/HOO)

Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford (from The Demigod Diaries)

The Red Pyramid/TRP (The Kane Chronicles/TKC)

The Throne of Fire/ToF (TKC)

Son of Magic (from The Demigod Diaries, by Haley Riordan - not strictly part of the series but adds some depth)

The Son of Neptune/SoN (HOO)

The Mark of Athena/MoA (HOO)

The House of Hades/HoH (HOO)

The Blood of Olympus/BoO (HOO)

The Chalice of the Gods/CotG (PJOX)

The Serpent's Shadow/TSS (TKC)

Demigods and Magicians (PJO × TKC Extra ⁠☆ - Collection of 3 short stories - The Son of Sobek, The Staff of Serapis and The Crown of Ptolemy - and a crossover between PJO and TKC. Hard to come by in print, I recommend you to get the eBooks)

Wrath of the Triple Goddess TBR 2024 (PJOX - might take place before The Crown of Ptolemy)

3rd PJOX Book TBR 2025 (PJOX)

The Sword of Summer/SoS (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard/MCGA)

The Hidden Oracle/THO (The Trials of Apollo/TOA)

The Dark Prophecy/TDP (TOA)

The Burning Maze/TBM (TOA)

The Hammer of Thor/HoT (MCGA)

The Tyrant's Tomb/TTT (TOA)

The Ship of The Dead/SoD (MCGA)

The Tower of Nero/ToN (TOA)

The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure/TSatS (Stand-alone)

Greek Mythology First order (Personal Favorite)

Recommended for: those who want to read the main series first before going to the Egyptian/Norse mythology spin-offs.

Besides Rick Riordan's three main 5-books series about Greek mythology, there are also two other 3-books series about other mythologies and following other characters. Although there are crossovers between the main series and the other two and they sometimes reference each other, there's absolutely nothing lost by reading the main series first and you can do that without receiving any spoilers.

The books are organized following the chronological order of the series, so PJOX comes before TOA. The extra books that aren't relevant for the story are added at the end of their series. You can also read TKC between PJO and HOO and MCGA either before or after TOA (TKC can actually be read at any point, but MCGA needs to be read after HOO).

Greek Mythology

The Lightning Thief/TLT (Percy Jackson and the Olympians/PJO)

The Sea of Monsters/SoM (PJO)

The Titan's Curse/TTC (PJO)

The Battle of The Labyrinth/BotL (PJO)

The Demigod Files (PJO Extra ☆)

The Last Olympian/TLO (PJO)

Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo (PJO Extra - hard to find in print especially if you're not from the US, I genuinely recommend you to look for a PDF version)

The Ultimate Guide (PJO Extra)

(Optional) Demigods and Magicians (PJO × TKC Extra ⁠☆ - Collection of 3 short stories - The Son of Sobek, The Staff of Serapis and The Crown of Ptolemy - and a crossover between PJO and TKC. Hard to come by in print, I recommend you to get the eBooks)

The Lost Hero/TLH (The Heroes of Olympus/HOO)

The Demigod Diaries (PJO/HOO Extra ⁠☆)

The Son of Neptune/SoN (HOO)

The Mark of Athena/MoA (HOO)

The House of Hades/HoH (HOO)

The Blood of Olympus/BoO (HOO)

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (HOO Extra)

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes (HOO Extra - afaik it doesn't exist in print in Brazil, might also be the case for other countries)

The Chalice of the Gods/CotG (PJOX)

Wrath of the Triple Goddess TBR 2024 (PJOX)

3rd PJOX Book TBR 2025 (PJOX)

The Hidden Oracle/THO (The Trials of Apollo/TOA)

The Dark Prophecy/TDP (TOA)

The Burning Maze/TBM (TOA)

The Tyrant's Tomb/TTT (TOA)

The Tower of Nero/ToN (TOA)

Camp Half-Blood Confidential (TOA Extra)

Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio's Journal (TOA Extra)

The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure/TSatS (Stand-alone)

Egyptian Mythology

The Red Pyramid/TRP (The Kane Chronicles/TKC)

The Throne of Fire/ToF (TKC)

The Serpent's Shadow/TSS (TKC)

The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide (TKC Extra)

Brooklyn House Magician's Manual (TKC Extra)

Norse Mythology

The Sword of Summer/SoS (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard/MCGA)

The Hammer of Thor/HoT (MCGA)

The Ship of The Dead/SoD (MCGA)

Guide to the Norse Worlds (MCGA Extra)

9 From the Nine Worlds (MCGA Extra)

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swervesbootycall · 2 years

Note

Literally anything with riptide, man- love me my ocean man

//. Cybertronian Ex-Autobot neutral reader. Hope this is something.//

“I haven’t been held hostage in a while,” Riptide sounds almost impressed, “I didn’t think you would really go through with it.”

“I guess that explains why you practically volunteered,” you mutter.

It was work to move forward keeping Riptide’s gun pressed firmly against the spot marksmecha like yourself referred to as the “point of no return.” There were cranial injuries, even near complete destructions, that the right mechanic could bring a bugger back from, but you had a long, solid habit of never inflicting them. One shot: one less Decepticon. That had been your modus operandi from the moment you’d been forged up until your—

“The deserter!” Some bot or another yelps on finally spotting the two of you enter the ship’s main corridor.

“Your ship’s security is awful,” you grumbled to Riptide, “I assumed the alarm had been sounded back in the brig.”

“Red Alert was re-stationed a while ago, that’s probably why.”

“No idea who that is, but at least the name’s unsubtle enough to guess,” you raise your voice, “yeah it’s the deserter. The assassin. Tell Ultra Magnus to get a pod ready for the nearest waystation or you’re volunteering for next example.”

You jab the gun a little harder against Riptide and he winces, making you wince. You want to apologize, but the ruse is too important. Too much on the line. The bot rushes off to sound the alarm. You stick to the wall.

“I think they would let you go, if you just explained the situation. The war is over. And Ultra Magnus is-“

“Still running the place on military rank and code. Everybody’s still got their badges,” you mutter, “and it’s not like I haven’t racked up a body count on both sides. If you were serious about helping, just. Keep quiet.”

Riptide looks at you, concern in his faceplate, and you look away with a cough.

Very quietly you add, “please?” --- You spend the flight to the waystation pacing while Riptide sits and watches you. "What are you worried about?" "Who says I'm worried?" "You're biting the paint from your hand?"

You exvent and face Riptide. "It's not easy to relax with," you gesture to the Lost Light, which lazily follows your small craft. "You really think they would have shot you down without me?" "I don't know what to think." You check on autopilot again. Check your weapons. Check your comms. You're so busy checking things that your don't notice Riptide until his arms are around you. His chin rests on your shoulder. "I'm glad I got to see you again, if that helps." What it does is bluescreen your processor. "Riptide. I'm not. It's not good that we... reunited."

"Huh." "Huh?" "Just huh." Slowly, you set your gear down and, cautiously, hug him back. "I didn't think you would really go through with the hostaging," Riptide finally says, "because we both know you can't lie for scrap." "...Well. Good thing we were the only ones who did." "Hah, yeah." You don't mean to kiss him. You really don't, but another thing you can't do for scrap is resist your feelings for Riptide. You've never been able to. You didn't mean to find yourself under him for the brief time you were stationed together, and you don't mean to now.

And just like then, he knows this somehow. Riptide doesn't escalate, he lets the two of you slide to the floor and just holds you- careful to avoid your scratched out insignia. "You want to focus on finding your brother," he says half to you, half to himself, and ten percent to no-one. "I'm sorry." "It's okay." "It's not. I owe you so much, Riptide."

"Okay, then just try to stay alive so you can pay me back. Hey, maybe if you find him we can capture both of you! Then you won't have to hostage anyone." "...That's...that's an idea. That exists. Thanks Riptide."

"You can kiss me again if you want."

--- You bolt the instant the pod touches down, transforming for maximum speed. Riptide watches you go ant touches his faceplate. At least you got to say goodbye this time. He wonders if you'll forget him. Maybe that's okay. Maybe it's best to try and forget too... not that he was able to before. He smiles. Nah. He has to remember you. Otherwise, how would he explain all the new paint transfers to Ratchet?

#riptide/reader #riptide mtmte #minors dni #well.#this uh #this got away from me!#anon this is what happens when you rec “literally anything”#some of you may be thinking hey Ish this is weirdly specific #yeah #this is gonna be a case of “I wouldn't do that” I have a feeling #well maybe you need to turn into a gay space plane and maybe it'll hit different #i tried to actually put smut in here and then failed #whoops #anyway

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nossumusmanus · 1 year

Text

Get to know the Mun

What’s your phone wallpaper: My lockscreen wallpaper changes semi-frequently, but right now it's one of my favorite screenshots of my Quintus alt because I Just Think He's Neat. My actual wallpaper on there, though, is this pretty starry dusk sky to try and match with my Sailor Moon phone case.

Last song you listened to: Foo Fighters - Saint Cecilia, which I am ... currently listening to again, for the fifty-billionth time today.

Currently reading: I haven't sat down to read a book in forever; my attention span won't let me. But I am currently reading a gathering and crafting melding guide? So we'll just smile and nod and pretend that counts.

Last movie: A WWII movie called "Come And See". If you're into that sort of thing, I do recommend it.

Craving: Absolutely nothing. 8D

What are you wearing right now: Uh... khakis? In all seriousness, I'm wearing jeans and a purple slightly-bell-sleeved top.

How tall are you?: 5'7"!

Piercings / tattoos ?: Just my ears pierced.

Last thing you ate?: I may have just finished eating a little chocolate pie before I started answering this.

Favorite color(s): It's a toss-up between silver and blue, or gold and red. But I also really like pink and purple, especially softer shades.

Current obsession: FFXIV, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs even though the game is old as fuck by this point, uh. That's kind of all I can think of at the moment, besides history -- primarily late 19th century/American Civil War up 'til the end of the second World War.

Any pets?: Six cats and one dog.

Do you have a crush right now?: Not really.

Favorite fictional character: Hmm. That's hard. I'll limit it to FFXIV characters, for the sake of not making a miles-long list.

In no particular order: Ameliance and Fourchenault Leveilleur, Aymerc de Borel, Raubahn Aldynn, Quintus van Cinna, Menenius sas Lanatus, Jullus pyr Norbanus, Minfilia Warde, Venat, Hythlodaeus, Hermes and Meteion, Dulia Chai and Chai-Nuzz, Kai-Shirr, Anogg and Konogg, Lucia goe Junius, Yotsuyu goe Brutus, Fordola rem Lupus, Misija Votyasch, like half of the fucking IVth Imperial Legion, Marsak and Basaljen of the Bozjan Resistance. Ryne and Gaia, Loghrif herself and Mitron too, Magnus gets thrown in there for breaking my heart, uh. Lahabrea, Themis, Erichthonios, Agdistis of course. Igeyorhm, Nabriales, Emet-Selch. The Warriors of Light from the First. I'm probably forgetting some, ngl.

... Actually, I lied about limiting it to FFXIV characters. Speaking of Magnus -- Magnus from MapleStory, as well as Von Leon from the same game. (Roleplaying as Von Leon is actually where my name "Vonny" stems from!) Oh and Oswald Mandus.

Last place you traveled: My sister and I went to this dog school about half an hour away to see about enrolling the puppup there because of her anxiety, and to help train her to be a service dog for my sister and dad.

tagged by: @surpassing-limits

tagging: @valiinus , @angelic-din-mortem , @ancalagxn , @keyward , @peachbelli , and everyone else who wants to do it! Steal it, gogogogogo!

#Out of Ammo #Memes and Prompts

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themagnusbane · 9 days

Text

Murder at the New York Institute

Title: Murder at the New York Institute

Artist: @la-muerta

Rating: Mature (This is the chapter with the sex. Here's your heads-up!)

Pairings: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood, Jace Herondale/Simon Lewis

Word Count: ~27k

Summary: Pull out the Cluedo board they said. It would be fun to play they said. Nothing could possibly happen on Samhain they said. And now, Magnus and Alec, Clary and Izzy, Simon and Jace have been pulled into an alternate New York Institute, with no powers, no idea what has caused it, or who has brought them there. Oh. And there’s been a murder. Except, can you kill a dead man twice? And can Valentine Morgenstern just SHUT THE FUCK UP!

This fic was created for the Shadowhunters Reverse Bang 2024: Presented by the @malecdiscordserver

Chapter Seven: Malec|Jimon|Clizzy

Heads up. There's fade to black sex in this chapter. Will indicate exactly where, when we get closer to it.

There was a long pregnant pause. Magnus could feel the shock of the room. The brief stunned moment, before everything seemed to click into place for them. The clothes that had been chosen specifically to be ones desired by their partners. The power it would take to move them all to this pocket dimension. The arrogance to not attempt to populate the world to make it more believable, but instead, to have it empty, showing them off like a fish in a glass bowl. The temperamental nature of the system voice. The entertainment nature of the entire situation.

“Fuck! The Seelie Queen?”

Magnus nodded. Reaching out to pat the stunned Simon on the shoulder. “Spirits aren’t the only ones that love to play tricks on people on Samhain. The veil being extra thin also means that those who exist in liminal spaces, get to play as well.”

“Like the Seelie Realm?” Clary asked.

“Like the Seelie Realm,” Magnus agreed. “Those who exist in liminal spaces also have their powers heightened. Which means that if you’d thought that she was powerful on a regular day. She’s even more powerful on the most powerful night for witches, warlocks, and those who use magic.”

A clear clapping sound reverberated in the room, and then everything shimmered.

Magnus blinked and all six of them were standing in front of the Seelie Queen, her fiery red hair spread behind her. The markings of flowers and vines across her cheek, spreading.

She looked stronger. Felt stronger.

He was sure everyone else standing with him had figured out exactly what he meant by she was practically unbeatable this particular night. He could feel the power, roiling off her in waves.

Every prank. Every joke. Every bit of mischief and cunning, performed that night, filled her with power beyond their collective imaginings.

Magnus though, kept his gaze straight and level on her.

He might not be on talking terms with his father, but there was absolutely no way Asmodeus’s son was going to cower in the face of the Fae.

The fae can be capricious. Occasionally kind, and the next minute cruel.

Devils however, had mastered and turned cruelty into an art form.

He could admire her work, as one did a master who pulled off a surprising new technique. But making her think she wielded any power over him, would not only make her attempt something worse, but would also bring Asmodeus down on his head.Magnus personally, would rather deal with the Seelie Queen, than have to deal with his father in any capacity.

“What gave me away?”

Her voice was beauty and terror, wrapped in coiled spikes of carefully set traps, waiting to be set off.

Magnus grinned and crossed his arms. “Alexander in a priest garb.”

“Ah.” The Seelie Queen showed her teeth. “Too much?”

“For a chance to see my boyfriend show up as the very personification of my sexual desires?” Magnus tsked and shared a secret smile with her, “It’s never too much.”

The Seelie Queen laughed.

Magnus waited until she was done, before he continued speaking. “But I did find it suspicious that everyone was suddenly dressed in outfits that their partners found attractive.” He bestowed her with a smile and a gracious bow of his head. “Who else would know how to see into our hearts, to what we truly desire and make it a reality.” He raised his head and winked at her. “It really is masterful work”

Her laugh danced on the wings of the moths that swirled around them. It had lost a bit of the jagged edge of the traps she’d set for them when they’d initially arrived.

“What else gave me away?”

“Who else in this corner of the world would be powerful enough to unravel my wards and pull me from my home.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but Magnus continued. “Of course, when I asked you if we were still on the same plane, and you responded with a yes, I figured it out.” He inclined his head at her. “You didn’t actually move us. Our bodies are still in my apartment. You merely grabbed our psychic energies and placed it in the supplanted Institute you layered over my apartment. It’s why Clary, Isabelle, Jace and Alexander didn’t have any runes they could activate. Why I didn’t have my powers and why Simon didn’t have super speed, or strength. Just his lengthened canines.”

The Seelie Queen pushed herself slightly forward, cupping her chin with her left hand as she smiled down at Magnus from her throne. “You were always too smart for your own good Magnus Bane.”

Magnus inclined his head in a bow. “A gracious compliment, but one I accept wholeheartedly.”

She laughed. A merry sound. “And with not a single humble bone in your body.”

“Would you like me so much if I gave you false modesty?”

Her mouth made a little move, and then she shook her head. “Of course not. You’re far more entertaining when you’re your radiant, brilliant self, Magnus Bane.”

“Your majesty is too kind.”

She made a gesture, indicating that they should leave, and Magnus was just about to do just that, but stopped at the sight of Jace, taking a moment to bow at the Seelie Queen, before lifting his eyes to meet hers, and asking. “Why Valentine?”

The Seelie Queen looked back at him. “Why do you think?”

“I would never presume to know how your mind works, Your Majesty.”

There was a brief moment of stunned silence from the rest of the Seelies. But then their Queen burst into uproarious laughter, and the tension eased out of them. “Ah. You flatter me, Jace Herondale.”

Jace inclined his head. “I aim to serve your Majesty.”

The Seelie Queen nodded. Then her smile turned sharp. “I brought him into the game to see if either you or Clarissa,” her eyes swung over to Clary. “had anything left to learn from him. To resolve with him.”

“I have found my healing outside of him.” Jace stated. Clearly. Calmly.

The Seelie Queen watched him. Eyes focused and abrasive. Magnus felt Alec’s fingers tense in his hands and he stroked the back of his palm slowly, to calm him down. There wasn’t a need to rush into the conversation.

The Seelie Queen didn’t mean Jace any harm. And it was clear that Jace knew just the level of flattery and needling that was needed when dealing with the fair folk.

And he applied both in equal measure.

Magnus was impressed.

“Indeed you have,” the Seelie Queen said after a long while. “It is clear you don’t need his support or validation anymore. Which is good for you, and a pity for him. After all, what purpose do we serve if we are useless to our children?” She burst out laughing. Sharp, loud and high. Until it slowed to a stop and she wiped her teary eyes, then turned those moss green eyes to Clary. “Clarissa Fairchild on the other hand, needs to continue working on that. If it is not your desire, young Shadowhunter, to remain shackled to your father, it is best that you stop searching for him in every corner. And learn to trust your own decisions. No further approvals are necessary,”

After speaking, her eyes narrowed on the rest of the party, although they softened slightly when they landed on Simon.

“Well then. Now that you have all returned, should I send you all home?” She wiggled her fingers and three separate glowing portals opened up.

“And our bodies?” Isabelle asked.

“Will be merging with your energies the minute you step through the portals. Of course Magnus needs to give me temporary access into his loft, otherwise your spirits will wander in limbo for eternity whilst your bodies wastes away.” She grinned, all teeth and unholy glee.

“That would not be necessary, Your Majesty,” Magnus interrupted, smoothly. “We will want to catch up a bit before going our separate ways.”

The Seelie Queen shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Two of the portals vanished, leaving only one.

They bowed to her in thanks and turned around. Magnus made sure he was in the rear, with Alec right beside him.

When they got to the portal, Magnus turned back to incline his head at the Seelie Queen and stepped through. He arrived to find that his body had slumped over Alec’s who was sprawled out beneath him.

He looked down into hazel eyes and grinned. “Hello gorgeous.”

Alec smiled right back, leaning up to give Magnus a quick kiss. “Magnus.”

Magnus pulled back, and looked at everyone else in the room. “How are we all feeling? Good? Did we come back with all our appendages intact? Nothing wrong with our extremities?”

Simon chuckled. “You say the wildest things, Magnus.”

“When you’ve lived as old as I have, you pick up a couple of things kid.”

Simon nodded at him, and looked around the apartment, breathing a relieved sigh, like he had been terrified that it was all a dream and they were still somewhat stuck in the pocket universe.

“We’re home,” he finally breathed. Then shouted louder. “WE ARE HOMEEEEEEEE!!!!”

“Yes, Shelly. Do yell a bit louder, so my neighbours can show up and accuse me of disturbing the peace.”

“Gods Magnus.” Izzy said. “If not that I’m a lesbian, and I have a totally hot girlfriend. And you have a scrumptious boyfriend who happens to be my big brother, because of course you have great taste, I totally would have kissed you FULL ON THE MOUTH.”

Magnus took a step back, laughing. “Eh. Let’s not please.”

Izzy snorted. “Just joking.” She entwined her fingers with Clary’s. “Plus, I just want to go home and spend the next week or two in bed, with my girlfriend, and never have to leave.”

Magnus nodded, and caught Simon nodding as well from the corner of his eyes.

He made a sound of acquiescence, and threw his hands out, feeling the rush, the alrightness of having his powers back, rush through him. Two adjourning portals opened and he jerked his chin at them.

“Your carriage awaits, sirs and madams.”

Jace extended the crook of his elbow to Simon who took it with a giggle and an exaggerated wink that made Magnus laugh.

Just as they were about to step through the portal, he snapped his fingers.

Clary, Izzy, Jace and Simon all turned around to look at him in confusion. “A little gift and thank you for today.”

They nodded and stepped through the portal.

It gave a high hum, and then slowly winked out of existence.

Magnus turned around and caught the smirk on his boyfriend’s face. “You sent them the outfits didn’t you?”

Magnus grinned. “Why Alexander. Don’t let your siblings say I never did anything for them.” He waggled his fingers and a box came flying to meet Alec, dropping carefully on the couch beside him.

Alec opened the box and saw the priest’s garb. He laughed.

“Why am I not surprised?”

“What I’m surprised about is the fact that you’re not already on your way to change into that!” Another flick of his wrist and the door to the bathroom opened. “I already have water running for you. Don’t be long.”

“And what shower would you use?”

“The one in the guest bathroom. I definitely do not trust myself not to touch you if we’re in the shower together.”

Magnus heard Alec’s low laughter as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He smiled at the sound and exited the room himself, heading to the guest bathroom.

With his phone in one hand, he sent out a message to Catarina.

“Seelie Queen basically fucked with us tonight. Supplanted a pocket universe over my apartment and nabbed us.”

Magnus put down his phone and took a long shower, taking care to wash away the grime, and gunk that had settled in. Sure he might have all been in a dream, but even in the dream, he had been desperate for a shower. And now that he got the time to enjoy it, he was taking all of it.

By the time Magnus stepped out of the bathroom, almost thirty minutes had passed since his message to Catarina. He picked his phone back up to confirm, and sure enough, she texted him not even five minutes prior to him stepping out of the bathroom.

It seemed like it was a bit of a busy night at the office. Catarina was the type of person who loved to respond immediately.

Damn. She must still be really pissed that you beat her to the punch to nab the children’s shelter. You know magical real estate is really tight in New York City. Plus, she only hears of these things on the rare occasions when she leaves the faerie realm. You’re here so you catch all the deets first.

Magnus read Catarina’s message again, and released a slow breath. Ah. So tonight wasn’t just her playing pranks, but also her expressing her displeasure about not getting what she wanted. Magnus shook his head. A truly capricious woman.

But with that settled, he didn’t need to pay the Seelie Queen any mind for the next couple of days. All he needed to think about was his boyfriend.

Magnus stepped away from the guest bedroom, and walked into the master bedroom, calling out to Alec as he stepped through. “Alexander, you would not believe what Catarina said—“

His words trailed off as he took in Alec, who was backing him as he entered the room, but turned around when he heard Magnus’s voice.

The priest gab Magnus had gotten him, fit even better than what the Seelie Queen had initially put him in.

This one caressed every inch of skin, molding itself to fit Alec like he was MADE to wear it.

It showed off his boyfriend’s long legs. the slim waist. The tight ass. The broad chest. And that neck that Magnus felt a gnawing session to sink his teeth into and leave bruised hickeys all over that sun kissed skin.

“Looking good Alexander.”

Alec was beside him in two strides.

One hand wrapped around his waist.

The other tilted his head back as he ravaged his mouth.

They exchanged moans, breaths, pants and spit.

Alec walked him backwards. Step by step, until Magnus’ legs hit the edge of the bed and he tumbled backwards, pulling Alec along with him. He released a soft, delighted “oof” at the impact, and moaned at Alec pulling away.

Only to stretch out properly on the bed, when Alec proceeded, to undo the buttons on his pants, one flick at a time. Hazel eyes focused wholly on Magnus.

Magnus wet his lips. Watching the slow appearance of Alec’s happy trail with each button undone. Until his boyfriend pushed the pants off, and did a little wriggle that sent it flying.

Next was the cassock. And this time around, Alec started from the bottom, revealing the rest of his happy trail, the toned abs, the fine dusting of hairs, the dusky nipples, and his broad shoulders, slightly scarred from all the Shadowhunting duties, but they were infinitely lovely.

Magnus reached up and helped Alec push off the cassock, which fell to the floor with a soft whisper.

He reached for the clergy collar, but Magnus stopped his hand. “Leave it on.”

He sank to his feet before Magnus. Face directly in front of the wet, slightly soaked underwear, that bulged with Alec’s desire. He mouthed it silently.

Looking up at Alec from his position on the floor, he smiled. Slow and sultry. “Bless me father. For I have been a naughty, naughty naughty boy. Who wants to do such nasty things to you.”

He felt Alec harden against his face, and burst into laughter as his boyfriend pulled him up, and tossed him onto the bed, with a flicker of his fingers, they were both naked, and the lights went off.

***

Simon ran his tongue slowly overJace’s pectoral. Watching in delight as they jumped at each stroke and movement.

He felt his boyfriend straining above him, and smiled at the thought that no matter how much Jace pulled, the restraints were going to keep his hands, and feet right where Simon wanted them. Tied to four corners of their bed. Spread eagle because Simon wanted to feast.

He looked up at Jace. At those eyes, one a pretty blue, and the other a mix of blue and brown. As unique as Jace Christopher Lightwood Herondale was.

And Simon hummed at how incredibly lucky he was.

He put his mouth back in, running the edge of his canines over the taught stretch of Jace’s thighs.

The way the muscles rippled and moved with every movement. Every ghost of his breath against the skin. Every little nick that his canines sometimes caused, desperate with the desire to sink into Jace’s flesh. But not yet. He only fed when Jace gave him explicit permission.

And they had an agreement. Simon would only drink from the juncture, where Jace’s neck connected with his shoulder, and with Jace’s hands free to push him away if there was a need to.

Right now however…

Simon ran his tongue. Making a wet trail from the inner sensitive corner of the back of Jace’s knees, all the way to his hip bone.

He suckled a hickey. Working it hard until it bloomed red

Simon smiled.

How lovely.

He followed the trail from Jace’s hip bone, to the dip in his navel, tongue dipping in, laving it up, drinking in Jace’s pants. The slightly upraised hips. Like his boyfriend was desperate for contact. Even though Simon was keeping his hands on Jace’s sides. Making sure not to go any lower.

He needed him to wait. To want. To beg.

He dragged his tongue slowly, to the nubs of Jace’s nipples, licking the first. Then the second. Alternating so he could give them both equal attention.

And he would have continued if Jace had not whispered. “Bite me.”

The journey from Jace’s nipples, to the point where neck met shoulder was a short one. But they had a code. The first thing he did was turn around, his ass in Jace’s face as he reached for the belt buckles that had accompanied the uniform Magnus had sent their way, and pulled. setting Jace’s feet free. He was about to turn around when he felt warm air over the curve of his ass.

Simon felt his dick twitch in his underwear.

Fuck.

He turned around. Making quick work of the belt loops over Jace’s hands. Freeing them, only for Jace to flip him under him and kiss him, mouth devouring, nibbling, biting, and he then switched them back around. Presenting his neck to Simon to bite into.

Simon leaned forward as he felt his canines elongate. His gaze focused on the pulsing vein. As he bit in, depressing his fang, his mouth filled with blood, He felt Jace tighten beneath him, hands molding his ass, ripping off his underwear and holding hot hard flesh.

Simon’s vision went white.

***

Clary loved a lot of things about her girlfriend. She loved Izzy’s smarts. Her ferocity. Her laugh. She loved the confidence with which she navigated the world. Without giving a single flying fuck what people thought of her and her choices. But, she also realized that something else she really REALLY liked about her girlfriend, were Izzy’s breasts.

They were full, and perfect, and filled Clary’s hands to the point of overflowing.

They were also pierced. A bar on the left. A clicker on the right. That meant that she was just doing this… Clary tugged on the space in the clicker with her tongue.

A slight twitch that made Izzy moan, legs falling open, wrapped around Clary’s lower back as she took her time to show Izzy’s nipples the love and care they deserved, was enough to drive her girlfriend over the edge.

Clary reached over the bed for the ice chips she’d brought from the fridge and popped one in her mouth, then leaned over and let the cold water trickle.

Each splash, each drop had Izzy’s twitching.

Her half moans, half pants, all cries, music to Clary’s ears.

She reached for an ice cube, and ran it slowly over Izzy’s areola, watching in fascination as it pebbled and peaked.

Clary didn’t think she would ever tire of this, of her girlfriend’s responsiveness. The way Izzy buckled and pleaded.

Her brown eyes hazy and clouded with desire. The way the goosebumps peppered her skin.

Clary gave her a gentle kiss. Small soothing kisses over every inch of skin she could reach, as her fingers dipped ice, from one nipple to the next.

She could feel the dripping. The damp. Izzy and her had been at this since they left Magnus’ apartment about four hours ago.

She’d lost count of Izzy’s orgasms at this point. But they were not enough. They would never be enough. She needed to see Isabelle Lightwood come undone. She needed to feel the tremble of her thigh. The way she scrambled to spread her legs when she felt Clary’s mouth grace the base of her navel.

Like they were doing right now. Clary smiled.

She took in a deep inhale. Smelled the musk. The taste and smell that was all Izzy. She lifted Izzy’s hips slightly, smiled down up at her girlfriend, and settled in to feast.

Somewhere in the corner of the room, lay a discarded red dress.

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