#I am trying to learn this fascinating language could you please stop hurrying me!

[adreamthatsworthkeeping]

I had to capture my favourite part in the whole episode.

[breadoffoxy]

Of Insults and Flowers

Summary: You weren’t sure what to expect when a hot customer comes barging into your shop, but the depletion of your flowers representing insults and falling in love was definitely not on the list.

Written for the  BTS Ghostie Writers Bingo Bash. Prompt: Florist!AU

Pairing: Jungkook x n. Reader

Genre: Fluff, one sprinkle of angst, humor, florist!AU

Warnings: Some language, cheesy flirting, kissing, an innuendo, Jin being the best chaotic friend, brother, and boss a person could ever want.

Word Count: 5,363

The day at the shop has been slow. Here you are trimming yet another thorn off yet another rose. One large pile on the left slowly shifting to become a large pile on the right. Your phone is hooked up to a little speaker playing music that's irresistible to dance to.

The clanging of the bell on the door makes you squeak as you quickly look up. Your dancing form is frozen as you hope that they didn't see your booty shaking.

A young man strides forward purposefully, large eyes intently focused on your form behind the counter. Crap he totally saw you dancing.

Double crap he is super-hot.

The brunette customer is decked out in all black from his large shirt, jeans, and clunky boots. Tattoos peek out from under his sleeves on muscular arms. Small silver hoops swing from his ears from his hurried pace.

When the man reaches the counter, his hands slam down on the surface making you jump. From their position you see more tattoos inked across his hands. The grip on your cutters tightens. The type of customer that is impatient, rude, and knows better than you have frequently entered your shop, but no one has ever entered like this. You're not sure what set the brunette off as you never seen him in your shop before. You would have remembered him if he did.

"How do you say fuck you in flowers."

"...Excuse me?"

"I need a bouquet to give to a...acquaintance. One that says fuck you, and not the good fuck you. Sure, he's good looking for someone his age but ah sorry that's not the point." He runs a hand through his dark locks. The action makes it look incredibly fluffy. "The point is, I need flowers that look pretty but are a proverbial middle finger."

The only sound is the music from your phone. Body rigid despite the tune you love, you stare at him with wide eyes.

An awkward beat passes between the two of you as you try to gauge the hot madman in front of you. He seems to finally notice the death grip you got on your cutters and the confusion in your eyes.

Black boots take a couple of careful steps away from the counter. He raises his hands in front of him.

"Sorry...I'm just really frustrated at this guy. I didn't mean to scare you."

Quickly the young man bows deeply. "Please forgive me."

Ok, now you are even more shook at the situation.

Your hand loosens its grip on the cutters a bit as you wave your hands frantically.

"It's ok, please don't bow. I was just really surprised."

The man straightens slightly from his 90-degree angle and looks at you with large eyes. The intensity of them has simmered down to a sheepish look begging for forgiveness. 

Oh god, the hot man just turned into an adorable puppy.

"Just don't walk into someone's store like that again, ok."

You place the cutters on the table gently but keep your hands lingering close to the tool. The man returns to his deep bow.

"That acquaintance must be a piece of work."

Straightening, the man huffs and smiles sardonically, "Oh, you have no idea."

"Fill me in, that way I can get the appropriate 'fuck you' across."

"Ok, so I work at Kim's." At the lost look on your face he adds "That small restaurant on the other side of the neighborhood."

"Oh, I think I've seen the sign before?"

"Seriously? Their food is to die for. Sorry, I keep getting off point. Jin, he's the head chef there. His brother is on vacation and he's been missing him which causes him to act up more. The two are a force together but on their own its a whole other story."

You learn that the man in front of you is a server at Kim's as he regales tales of his boss Kim Seokjin, head chef. He misses his youngest brother Taehyung dearly, and has been acting out as a result. Dad jokes have been at an all-time high along with bickering over every little thing with is servers. Without Taehyung there, apparently no one comes close to the man named worldwide handsome in the looks department causing him to gloat about his looks more frequently as well. Many of the stories have you laughing. Leaning against the counter you're completely invested in every word the young man tells you.

"So here I am because Tae wanted me to buy his brother some flowers as a gift. As a friend it is my duty, but I feel like this is my time to get some revenge as well you know?"

You nod sagely in complete understanding. "I think I have just the ensemble of flowers for you...ummm...sorry I didn't catch your name?"

"Sorry, I really am an idiot. I'm Jeon Jungkook."

"Nice to meet you Jungkook. I'm y/n. Just give me a minute and I'll be back with some flowers."

You ponder over the flowers in your stock for a moment before carefully grabbing some to take back to the counter. Jungkook looks over your colorful assortment in curiosity.

You pick up an orange lily from the pile for Jungkook to inspect. "If you want the biggest fuck you in flower then this is it."

Next you pick up a delicate white flower. "This is orange mock, which means deceit. I thought it would be appropriate as well."

Jungkook carefully takes the flower from you, fingers brushing against yours accidentally in the process. The touch makes you jolt slightly. It goes unnoticed as the customer appraises the flower.

"Why is it called orange mock when it's white?"

Slightly still flustered you do your best to answer. "Its um well... you see the flower looks similar to orange blossoms. if you smell it, it also smells citrusy kinda, and that is why they have that name. Fake oranges."

Jungkook tilts his head down and takes a deep breath of the orange mock. He looks up with a smile partially hidden behind the flowers. You think your heart may have stopped at the sight.

"It does smell nice."

"So, um this last one," you sputter and focus on the cluster of flowers on the counter instead of the customer who's smiling with glittering eyes over your shyness, "is a zinnia. They come in many colors but they mean thinking of an absent friend. I figured your friend would appreciate part of the flowers being partly symbolic in the way he wants."

Jungkook picks up the zennia that's a mix of yellow and orange with highlights of pink. "He would like that." With all three of the flowers now in his grasp he nods. "Plus, I get to be petty now."

"Exactly. Now how would you like these wrapped?"

"You wouldn't happen to have a small vase for these would you? Something that's not too expensive?"

"I got something that'll work."

You retreat to another section of your little shop and return with a simple and small glass vase.

"Will this do?" You tilt the vase for Jungkook to see the price tag on the bottom.

"Yeah that'll be fine."

Putting the flowers in your outstretched hand, Jungkook watches in fascination as you assemble the flowers together.

"Tada! How do you like it?" You exclaim after you put in the last flower.

"It's perfect, thank you."

Making a customer satisfied has never made you happier. Quickly you scribble everything down on the receipt pad as Jungkook pulls his wallet out from his back pocket. You give him the receipt which he quickly looks over before giving you his card.

"Alright, I hope Jin likes it." You can't help but giggle. "Thank you for your purchase."

"No, thank you y/n." He bows quickly again before picking up the vase. He walks out of your shop, but not before giving you a little wave goodbye.

A few hectic days pass after that as you fulfill an order for a bridezilla's wedding. You almost forget about the ordeal until a tall handsome man with wide shoulders enters your shop. You can't help admiring the man as you cut off a long piece of ribbon to tie around a small arrangement. That is until your eyes spot a familiar looking assortment of orange and white flowers in a little glass vase. Crap, you hope he isn't here to yell at you. Double crap because he is more attractive than Jungkook mentioned, if he is who you think he is.

He notes you eyeing the flowers he holds with wide eyes. "Recognize these do you?" He places them on the counter as he leans over it slightly. "Imagine my surprise when I thought I was being gifted this beautiful bouquet," One of his hands waves at the flowers before resting on his hip and his polite smile turns into a frown, "were part a lovely message from my brother, but also an insult from that brat."

The fingers on his other hand strum against the table, adding to your anxiousness. "You can imagine how shocked and upset I was when my beloved smart brother told me the true meaning of these flowers."

"I'm sorry about that sir." You force out your customer service voice. "Our refund policy would not cover these flowers as there are no defects."

"Oh no, I'm not here for a refund."

What is up with these hot men making you so confused.

"I want my own insult flowers to give back to him."

"...Okay?"

So here you are going over different flowers with the handsome customer who you learn is indeed Jin, mister worldwide handsome himself.

The two of you decided on monkshood, a pretty purple flower that's poisonous if eaten, among a bundle of pink and white Rhododendron. Basically, it’s a batch of flowers warning Jungkook to watch his back. You make sure Jin promises to keep the monkshood away from food and he swore on his pride a chef he would never ruin food like that for someone.

"Thanks, Flower, for the flowers." Jin winks at you with a chuckle. "Come by the restaurant sometime and I'll whip you up something good. My treat."

You stand there a bit baffled as the man makes his exit.

For some reason you're not surprised when Jungkook stops by a couple days later asking for more flowers to serve as insults to his boss. The two keep coming back and forth to your shop. You find it entertaining and honestly their feud is really good for your business. Seeing the attractive men always makes your day a bit better. However, you're starting to run out of different flowers that they would consider insults. Jungkook did just buy out all the buttercups you had left to give to his somewhat childish boss.

One day while watering your plants you receive a phone call. Cradling the phone between your shoulder and you're ear you answer, "Hello, this is Spring Day how may I help you?"

"Hello, this is Kim Namjoon from Kim's restaurant. I'm sure you're familiar with the name with your two loyal customers."

You can't help the chuckle at the tone of Namjoon's voice. "Yes, very familiar." The common visits of the two have sparked a unique friendship. It hasn't helped that the attraction you felt for the younger frequent customer has turned into quite the crush.

"The arrangements you have been making for my brother and Jungkook have been displayed around the restaurant and the customers have been noting how much they like them. We would like to hire you to supply flowers for our place sets if that is something you are interested in. If so, I have some numbers ready to go over with you."

"Ok Mr. Kim, thank you for the opportunity. Let's talk some business."

After Namjoon and you discuss prices and scheduling you eventually came to a solid agreement. When the phone call is over you can't help but do a happy dance. You're so proud of how your little business is growing.

Despite Jin and Jungkook visiting your store so often, you still haven’t visited Kim’s Restaurant until now. You stand out of the classy looking restaurant with your first delivery. Assorted colors of orchids fill the box, the simple yet elegant flower you and Taehyung agreed upon would work best to start with for now.

The youngest Kim brother emailed you upon returning from his vacation. He was the one in charge of the restaurant's graphic and interior design. He often worked as a host, greeting everyone who enters with a boxy smile. One was aimed your way just now as he helps you with the door to get inside. "Great to see you y/n, come in, come in."

Enthusiastically he ushers you into the restaurant. It's early in the morning so there are no customers yet. A lovely smell wafts from the kitchen as you follow Taehyung to a table further back. The restaurant is very chic looking with black and white pictures of various sizes and settings hanging on the walls.

"These photos are all beautiful Taehyung. Are they all yours?"

"They are." Taehyung is beaming at the compliment. "I took new photos on my trip so I can't wait to get those developed. Now let's look at those flowers."

Taehyung helps you carefully take the flowers out of the box and set them on the table. Namjoon, a couple of tables over with what looks like important papers and folders, tries to come over and help, but Taehyung shoos him away. "He'll destroy the whole batch if we aren't careful y/n." He whispers playfully to you.

"I can hear you; you know that right."

Namjoon just gets Taehyung's signature smile in return. The back door opening and slamming shut drags your attention towards the back hall.

"Yah! What have I told you punks about that door, huh?" An aggravated voice yells from the kitchen.

"Sorry Yoongi," comes a triage of voices. You're excited to see Jungkook come into view along with two other men. Your favorite customer stops with wide eyes as he notices you. A smile quickly blooms on his face and he makes his way over to you excitedly.

"Y/n! You finally came."

The two other men look at the scene with interest, recognizing your name instantly as it comes out of the youngest staff member's mouth.

"Hey Jungkook, sorry it took me so long, and that it's for work. I'm an awful friend huh?"

Jungkook whips his head side to side. "No, no, your business keeps you busy. I'm just glad you're finally here."

The young server leans close to you to get a good view of the flowers on the table. The other two servers behind him share a knowing look before approaching.

"So, you're the famous y/n, we've heard a lot about you." You turn to see the attractive men bow in greeting. "I'm Jimin." Greets the grinning blonde who gets elbowed by Jungkook after his statement.

"Hiya! I'm Hoseok, nice to finally meet you." He makes a cute sound effect as he also examines the flowers. "These are really pretty."

"Thank you, and nice to meet you too." You beam at the two servers. Jungkook's hip suddenly bumps into yours softly making you look at him questioningly. He only smiles at you so you bump your hip back into his.

"Wait, is that my Flower that I hear?" A voice comes from the kitchen as a head peeks through the server's opening in the wall that also lets customers see into the kitchen. "It is!"

Junkook frowns at the nickname as Jimin, Hoseok, and Taehyung laugh at his disappointed face.

"Hello Jin." You call out to the man walking his way out of the kitchen. He makes his way over towards you and opens his arms for a hug which you gladly return.

"Oh, it's so cool to see you in your chef's outfit." Jin's wide shoulders fill out his black chef's jacket which is tied tightly around his thin waist. The chef's ears turn slightly red at your compliment. "Oh stop...tell me more."

"Ok, that's enough back to work." The grumpy voice calls over from the open area into the kitchen. The man with dark hair, you assume must be Yoongi, nods in greeting before disappearing.

"On my way Yoongles!" 

You swear you can fell the sigh that came from the kitchen.

"Don't think I forgot my promise to treat you to something y/n. Prepared to be blown away." The tall chef blows a kiss to you dramatically before reentering the kitchen.

"Ok guys," Namjoon claps at the servers. "Let's go over today's items." He ignores the collective groans. "You're good Taehyung and y/n?"

You nod as Taehyung answers, "All set."

Jungkook hips bump into yours as he follows the others to Namjoon's table. He smirks over his shoulder and sends you a little finger wave, which you return. Straightening your shoulders, you turn back to Taehyung and the two of you get into business mode. You figure out which arrangements you want on each table, making the displays form a slight pattern based off color. Taehyung and you now stand near the host's table, eyeing the flowers approvingly.

"This look's good y/n, thank you for the hard work."

"I'd say a lot of this is a win for you. You have a really good eye Taehyung."

Taehyung playfully puts a hand on his heart and looks at you with the cutest expression. Namjoon walks from the back and nods at the flowers approvingly as well as he passes.

"Y/n have a seat please." You follow the two Kims to Namjoon's table where you discuss further business. That is until a bowl of japchae is put down in front of you. The sight and smell of it make your mouth water.

"Compliments of the Chef." Grins Jungkook, who is now changed into his server uniform of a black button up long sleeves shirt tucked into black slacks with a sleek black belt. Not used to seeing him dressed so sharp, you can't help that your eyes look him over appreciatively.

"Sorry y/n, but Jungkook isn't on the menu."

You whip your head to look at the youngest Kim brother looking slightly affronted. Taehyung's head is resting in his hands propped up on the table and is grinning at your reaction. Taehyung winks at you while Namjoon snickers as he busies himself with his papers.

"Eat it before it gets cold y/n" prods the grinning server besides you. You pick up the chopsticks ready to bury yourself into the heavenly looking japchae and pretend you don't exist. Flavor explodes in your mouth the taste is-

"I wouldn't mind if you wanted to order me though."

You're choking on the noodles, coughing to try to clear your throat. Oh god this was how you're going to die.

Hands are hitting your back trying to help you clear the food. Luckily the food gets cleared quickly and a large glass of water is placed next to you. Quickly you gulp down the water as a large hand gently rubs up and down your back soothingly. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah..." You clear your throat for good measure. "Yeah I'll be good."

The perfect server, Jungkook refills your water quickly.

"Thanks."

"Don't kill our customer and florist now Junkook." Namjoon slightly disciplines.

"Sorry boss. Sorry about that y/n."

You see the young man look sheepish and enter a deep and apologetic bow.

"You're going to kill me one of these days Jungkook I just know it." At your teasing tone Jungkook brightens up immediately.

“If that happens, I’m sure it would be from me giving you too much love.”

You roll your eyes at his cheesiness. He’s clearly learned from the best.

“Now go on, give it a try.”

You take another bite of food, and you're grateful no one says anything as you appreciate the taste slowly.

"Tell the chef this is amazing and thank you."

"He'll be glad to hear it." With a slight bow, Jungkook heads back to the kitchen. The sound of some sort of commotion starts back there making everyone at the table shake their head.

"Sorry for the trouble y/n."

"It's no problem Namjoon. I'm quite fond of it now."

Time flies by before you know it. You're busy at Spring Day fulfilling orders and spending your time at Kim's, not all of it for business. It's a lively environment, and going there has made your days so much more enjoyable. It also made your crush on the server Jungkook a whole lot stronger and into something more real and concrete. His flirting still shocks you every time much to everyone's amusement at the restaurant.

The bells on the door clang loudly making you stop your dancing to greet your customer. A loud voice greets you back. "Hello Flower! How are you today?"

"Hey Jin. Just cutting thorns off roses...again." Seriously cutting thorns off roses seems to be a never-ending task for you but that's what you get for being a florist.

"So, what brings you in today?" You glance at the calendar tacked up to the wall. "It's not delivery day."

Jin looks at you with a mockingly offended expression. "What, so I can't just come here to visit my favorite florist?"

"I'm the only florist you know Jin."

"Fine, fine you got me. I am here for a reason."

"I told you I don't have any new revenge flowers to give you. You'll have to do repeats if you want any."

"Nope that's not the reason I'm here today, but you know you really need to get some new ones in."

You raise an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to get to the point.

"What brings me here today is..." He taps a drum roll on the counter top. "...is love."

"Love?"

"Yes, love!"

"Ok, I'm getting a little offended with your blank stare of yours right now." Jin confesses.

You lean against the counter, careful not to smush any roses, and rest your head on the palm of your hand. "So, tell me of this love of yours."

Jin mimics your position and you feel like two kids gossiping.

"Well they are really sweet, and they get super cute when their shy. He li- I like their smile and laugh. Makes my heart flutter and all that."

"Uh-huh. What's their name?”

Jin winks at you. "Now that's a secret y/n."

"Of course it is." You can't help but roll your eyes. "So, does your lover know about your feelings and this is a gift, or are you needing to use the flowers to confess."

"The second one." Jin points finger guns at you.

"Alright, do you know what their favorite flower is." You straighten up and reach out for your inventory book.

"Uhh, what's your favorite flower."

The binder falls to the ground with a slap after your surprise caused you to fumble it.

"J-Jin," You squeak. "Are you confessing to me?"

You love Jin, but not that way. Your heart beats faster despite that, it feels like a hummingbird in your chest. You've never received a confession before.

"What, no no no, not me! Oh god I'm sorry I didn't mean for it to sound like that." He denies until he sees the look of disappointment in your face. You know you are not interested in him like that but his strong refusal makes your eyes sting.

"...Oh, that's fine. Good yeah, because I don't see you that way either." You try to play it off, but your voice doesn't sound that convincing. You bend down to pick up your binder. quickly trying to get your act together, you stay hidden a second longer behind the counter than you need to.

When you pop back up from behind the counter you keep your eyes focused on the inventory book you open up and avoid looking at the handsome man in front of you.

"So unlike revenge flowers, there are a lot more flowers that represent love."

Large hands cup your face and to pull your gaze to meet warm eyes that are worried yet reassuring.

"y/n there are so many people out there that love you. All of us at the restaurant," He pauses to wipe a stray tear with his thumb. "It may not be all romantic love, but you're part of our family now. So, don't be sad. I know there's someone who will give you the love you deserve. You got that Flower."

You nod your head in his warm grip. His hands stroke your cheeks before pulling away.

"These flowers are for...for someone else, but I know I can trust you to make something beautiful full of love."

You sniffle, but a smile is on your face now as you flip to the page you need. You’re lucky to have such a good friend. "Well let's get started on making the best confession bouquet that's going to knock their socks off."

Jin smiles at you reassuringly as the two of you look over your stock. You explain the flower meanings to him as you go along. After analyzing a variety of choices, the two of you decide to go with a simple arrangement of red tulips and orange blossoms.

At first Jin was wanting to go for the iconic roses, but you explained that something different with a similar meaning might be good by impressing the receiver with not the default choice. It could just be you and your high stack of roses you still have to dethorn, but you’re a little tired of the beautiful flower. Jin quickly relents and goes for the red tulips that you explain represents a declaration of love, and to believe the person giving the flowers is honest in their feelings.

He does question your choosing of orange blossoms as a filler flower to the bouquet over the traditional carnations, but you explain that they have a similar meaning as well and it would be something unique. It has nothing to do with the memory of Jungkook serenely smelling orange mock and looking at you in-between the delicate blossoms. Orange blossoms allude to innocence, eternal love, marriage and fruitfulness. You ignore the eyebrow wiggle Jin gives you at that last part.

"Do you want me to wrap these up for you, or just the bundle as is?"

"Wrap them up like one of your french flowers for me would you."

You roll your eyes as he laughs at his own joke.

"You should come by the restaurant tonight. It's dessert night." The chef sings to you.

You started the tradition of joining the staff at Kim's for a meal once a week after the store closes. Once in a blue moon, Jin and Yoongi go a bit over the top and make crazy beautiful fragile pieces of art they call desserts. When the rare mood strikes them to undergo the delicate process of creating such treats, the rest of the staff dresses up for the occasion to match the aesthetic food and to feel fancy once in a while.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Jin smiles fondly at you and carefully takes the flowers out of the shop, but not before giving you his signature flying kiss as goodbye.

Your shoes click on the ground as you approach Kim's. You glance at the time to make sure you weren't too early as it was dark inside. You peek inquisitively through the glass and you see Taehyung waving at you in dim lighting. After getting to know Taehyung better, you don't question things like why he would be standing alone in the dark at the front of his restaurant.

You wave back as the man rushes towards the door to let you in.

"Don't you look beautiful tonight."

"Same goes to you Taehyung."

Really Taehyung was dressed in rather laid-back clothes then what he normally wears for dessert nights. However, he's always beautiful no matter what he does which is so unfair.

Glancing around the dark restaurant, you don't see anyone else, though that could be because of the poor lighting.

"Why is it to dark in here Tae, and where is everyone?"

"They're out back. We're trying out something different this time."

He makes a dramatic bow and holds his arm out to you. Giggling at his antics, you link arms with his and he leads you through the restaurant.

Taehyung pats your arm reassuringly before unlinking his from yours as the two of you stop at a table adorned with a set of candles. With another flourish he pulls out one of the chairs at the table for you to sit at.

You look at him, to the romantic table settings, and then to the chair before hesitantly sitting down.

"Ok Tae, what is going on?"

He just grins that boxy smile of his before moving back into the kitchen, leaving you to sit anxiously at the table. Your fingers fiddle together before a figure steps out from the kitchen.

A quiet gasp escapes you as you take in the man dressed in black walking slowly your way. He's wearing his normal working attire just like Taehyung, the black button up shirt, black slacks with belt; but this time the top few buttons are undone showing you a tease of skin. The sleeves are rolled up showing off his strong tattooed arms that he knows you admire.

And he's holding a bouquet of red tulips and orange blossoms.

"J-Jungkook..I..what are you..."

You turn in your seat, about to stand before he motions you to stay sitting. He kneels in front of you and takes your hand in his. He brings it up to his lips, his eyes never leaving yours as he places a delicate kiss on the back of your palm.

You feel your heart trying to beat out of your chest, blood flushes to your head and it feels really hot all of a sudden. He holds the flowers for you to take without letting your hand go.

"Someone told me you like these."

You take the flowers and breathe them in. "They're perfect."

"Just like you."

Your foot kicks out at him lightly, embarrassed at his words.

"The flowers are telling you to believe me you know. Do you, do you believe in me?"

You see the earnestness in his eyes as he looks at you, remember all of those non-accidental touches as his thumb runs circles on your hands, the sweet words that come out of those perfect lips, the way your heart beats faster every time he's near you and dulls when he is gone. How you dreamed of kissing him as you lick your lips, his eyes following the movement.

"I do."

He leans forward until his lips meet yours in a soft kiss. His lips trace over yours as soft as a petal would. Shyly, you push your lips towards his, continuing the kiss. Your grip on his hands tighten as the hand with flowers seeks the table blindly as your bodies come closer together. His free hand comes to hold the back of your head, tangling itself in your locks to angle your head to deepen the kiss. You can't stop the breathy moan that escapes your lips, making Jungkook smirk into the kiss.

"Ok, time for dessert!"

The yell makes you jump, startled to remember you are not exactly alone. Jungkook groans as he breaks the kiss and glares over his shoulder.

"Jin they were having a moment!" Yells out Yoongi as Jin bustles out of the kitchen carrying two plates of dessert.

"I don't want them to have any more of a moment because I don't want my place of business to become unsanitary with their fruitfulness."

"Don't worry boss, we'll take our fruitfulness somewhere else."

"Oh no you don't, not after Yoongi and I made you these. Now sit down and eat."

You hide your face with a groan. Some things change and then some never do.

[rainbowpacifiers]

Twin Kingdoms (A3! Event story) - Chapter 7

Haruto gets an unexpected visitor and recounts his childhood.

Chapter 6 | Index | Chapter 8

Haruto: --hng. Haruto: ...morning? Haruto: My alarm--stopped. I am totally late. Haruto: (Calling in now would probably be too late, right?... My fever...) Haruto: (It's gone down, but I feel sluggish.) Haruto: (Even though I said that I'd definitely be recovered by today...) *doorbell rings* Haruto: ? A delivery, at this hour? Haruto: Yes? Shift: A delivery for you. Haruto: ..... Haruto: (Is he trying to change his voice? I can see him on the monitor though.) Shift: Huh? You're not surprised. Haruto: You showed up on the monitor--cough, cough. Shift: How's your cold? Haruto: Better than yesterday, but I'm still slightly feverish. You're going to catch it, so hurry up and go home. Shift: Ah, the part about the delivery was real. I will just put in on the table. Haruto: Hey, don't just do as you please! Shift: Drink this supplement drink and go to sleep. It's ready to drink. Haruto: What? Shift: Reni-san generously gave me a lot of money, so I got the most expensive one and took a taxi to get here. Shift: Come on, a sick person should hurry to bed. Haruto: (Reni-san did....?) Haruto: --bitter. Shift: I will borrow your kitchen~. Haruto: Hey, I didn't say that you could-- Shift: Woah, this is my first time using induction heating!? Haruto-san, you have it good, living in a nice place~. Haruto: (I didn't ask...) Haruto: Just so you know, when I came to the capital, I lived in a one-bedroom flat that was smaller than your house. Haruto: Since GOD Troupe distributes a lot of royalties for merchandise goods and such, if you're popular, your income will quickly increase. Haruto: Well, unlike you, I've been at it for a while. Shift: Speaking of, I briefly heard of it before, but I kinda want to know more about your impetus to enter GOD Troupe or like that time when you were in the lower ranks~. Haruto: I absolutely do not want to tell you. Shift: Ey~. How about your hometown, or your parents? Shift: It's not out of the blue. I've been thinking that I want to know more about Haruto-san. Shift: If you thoughtlessly ask about someone's parents, some people will get hurt. Not all people want to talk about them, so I can't just casually ask. Shift: I usually don’t ask myself, but that’s because I want to face you and get to the core of you.  Shift: Lutz, who I'm playing this time, is Cain's foster brother, right? That's different from being just a friend or a childhood friend. Shift: Whenever I recited the lines that imply that Lutz understands everything about Cain, I've felt this sense of discomfort. Shift: After all, all we know of each other is that we're in GOD Troupe together. Shift: I want to hear more about you, for my role-building too. Haruto: ...... Shift: Also, when you're in a weakened state, doesn't it make you feel like talking truthfully about things you usually can't say? Shift: If you do, it might make you feel a bit better. I can conveniently forget about it. Shift: Alright, all done. Haruto: Congee...? Shift: It's definitely rice porridge for the sick~. Haruto: Since this is you, I thought you'd bring croquette udon. Shift: But fried stuff would be too heavy for a patient's stomach. Haruto: So someone like you, who just barges into someone else's place, has some common sense too. Shift: I made some tea as well. Your tea kettle is really well-used. Haruto: It's the only partner I brought with me to Tokyo.

"I was born in a town in Kansai that was neither too urban nor too rural. The people living there were all friendly and noisy,  the yearly festivals were lively, my family and neighbours possessed a lot of love for our hometown, and I, too, loved that hometown.  

But one day, I saw a brilliant kabuki play that my mother was occasionally watching on TV, and I was fascinated. When I copied the dance, my mother was happy that I was good at it. It was a world that was like a brilliant and beautiful dream and the complete opposite of the environment that I was living in. I wanted to become beautiful in such a world as well.

As I grew up, my admiration became stronger and stronger, and I was frustrated that I could have become a person suitable for that world if I'd been born in a different place. At the same time, thinking that way was painful and felt like a betrayal to the hometown where my family and friends lived and which I loved.

I also practiced standard Japanese secretly because my intonation would inevitably interfere with the songs and lines that I learned by watching videos of plays. However, when I inadvertently spoke in standard language in public, I would get teased, which added to the feeling of leaving this city someday.

Therefore, I aspired to be an actor and decided to move to the capital once I graduated high school. When my classmates found out, they'd make fun of me, and even my teacher was opposed, telling me that it'd be impossible for me. My mother was opposed to my moving to the capital as well, but because I didn't give up, she said, "Ya don' hafta come back 'til ya succeeded. I don' wanna see yer face either."

On the day I'd leave my home, prepared with a bento, I was stopped by my mother in the entranceway. 'This is sumthin’ Ah received, but it'd be a pain to throw away, so ya take it.' 'That'll jus' be a burden.' ''s fine. If ya ain't gonna use it, ya throw it away.' 'Heavy.'

I got on the highway bus with the pot that was forced upon me reluctantly stuffed in my bag. An electric kettle that was taken out of its packaging but looked like new. I realised my awkward mother's real feelings.

That is why I thought that I would definitely succeed as an actor."

___________________________

Chapter 6 | Index | Chapter 8

[pkmnsdarkqueen]

Tempting the Crowns

Wasn't sure if I was gonna release this but then I got tagged in this, by @komala-scientist and like now I have to. Been desperately wanting to explore Karen in like the sexy times mode cause never have despite having her character for years. I want to explore both her adjusting to letting herself be there cause if all her trauma, but also desperately want to showcase how she is trained to use people and by proxy has used lust to do this. (unaware she's using her emotion reading from ho-oh link but yeah) The latter I haven't really found a good excuse for Karen to use in main verse cause she's trying to be a better person, but Twist would have no shame in doing it. Hell she would use sex to gain control often I imagine or fake having had it with someone if needed if it gave her control. Tho also....what if she did fall for someone? So was in talks with @tokiwagym awhile ago on something like that happening, and by proxy would also take their Giovanni to unexplored territory and yeah this scene has been living in my head rent free.

So here ya go hooligans sexy Karen....sort of.

(under cut cause long)

Too close.

Karen's mind pipped in making her freeze in place. The hesitancy didn't go unnoticed as the person she was with stopped as well. The mood between them shattered in an instant at they sat in the resulting dead air of silence.

"I think we've kept each other up long enough."

She announced pulling one hand away from his shoulders, realesing the hem of the pants she originally tugged him by, and slid of his lap. The emotions from him flicking from shock, disappointment, confusion, and everything in between as her feet landed quietly back on the red carpet. She couldn't blame him for it, they had gotten rather close. All of their fake intimacy having leaked into what was supposed to be private chats for logistical reasons. Ah these private chats, where they didn't have to put on the silly show of her fawning over him to lull the scattered followers back under his control. Yet they'd found themselves talking business, to playfully fighting all too easily. Sharing the bed tonight would be out of the question, she'd have to take the pull out.

"Did I do something wrong."

"No we both did. I suppose it was inevitable though with all of our teasing."

"Both of us? What do you mean? You were doing fine till, well if you're not comfortable-"

"That's one way to put it."

"Then let's fix it. We don't have to stop if it's fixable."

"It is, but neither of us are ready to fix it yet."

Suddenly her wrist was grabbed. Ah, surprising that hadn't happened sooner in their relationship, but she'd been strict about anything of the sort. Even now her gaze drifted from adjusting her clothing to swiveling back, slowly, with a cold stare showing she had no intention to speak until he let go. They stayed that way for a moment, but as his eyes wavered in a rare moment where he submitted to hers letting the pale wrist slip from his hands. Her demeanor relaxed once again, but the exasperation hadn't left his.

"Karen please, none of you cryptic shit, what was wrong."

He asked directly. The emotions were fascinating to read from him in that sentence. His demeanor was trying to be authoritative, much like the boss act he did so often, but the slips of genuine confusion and concern were making their way through the cracks she'd been working on exposing. Such substantial cracks these days too, if only he'd fully trust her. No it was to early for that....it was cute though...how he was still convinced he could hide hurt from her. Huh, maybe he did care some if he was letting her hurt him as she had apparently done.

Giving a slight smile, of shared disappointment Karen remained having eye contact with him for a second. Sighing she turned making dipping steps towards the door extenuating her own laments on cutting their time short. However she did answer him as he so politely asked.

"Our deal is so simple. Out there I'll be good, pretend to another loyal sap to you, hang on your arm like a trophy, and make sure this whole organization gives you the respect you had."

She reminded finally stopping at the door, back against it as she turned to him.

"But in private. We are equals Giovanni. I've struggled enough trying to make sure you understand that. You're cute when you're mad, but I don't like playing this game of who side am I on when I've told you countless times I'm on yours. Giving myself here? Well that'd be fulfilling our lusts, but how often have you done that with someone? I'd give you too much power."

Karen hummed sorrowful while her facial expressions stayed lightly smiling. A simple shrug with it, and her hand was on the door knob. That act had the other to his feet walking towards her in a hurry. His hand reached for the knob staying close to her before drawing it back. Ah, good, he was learning. Attempts to control her would only prove her point, and though the frustration of fighting his need for control was apparent in his body language Karen stayed put giving him the notice he needed to process.

"It won't be like that. What do you want to top? Is that the issue or something?"

He huffed clearly not wanting to be so blunt, but not in the mood to delay.

"No Giovanni. I want you to tell me you love me, and for it to be true."

She answered bracing for the wave of panic from him. Her eyes drifting from the knob up his now twitching hand, and finally his face. He didn't need to say his thoughts, she could practically hear them even without psychic powers. There was the basic ones of defense,'How silly, and juvenile to ask of him. How could she tell it meant anything at all? This was a pointless thing to ask." Only a bit deeper though sat his honest thoughts. The fear behind such a request, and the desperate beating of his heart that begged for that to never be on the table. However Karen wasn't going to waiver.

Her hand reached out slowly as if to avoid spooking some timid animal. Till gently her slender fingers wrapped around his tie. Her eyes focused on her movements running her hands up to re straighten it for him.

"Say that, mean it, and I'll say it back when I can because then I'll feel safe to do so. After that....then we can indulge since we'll both be trapped in each other's snare...equally."

She commented letting her hands linger by his neck a moment able to feel the increased heart rate through the shirt. Her eyes met his brown ones again, they were much softer when he was exposed like this. It was entertaining to her.Meanwhile her hands began to travel back down unashamed as the back of her fingers felt down his shirt.

"Till then, we both have imaginations to keep ourselves occupied. Though you seem to have something more personal to handle, and since sharing a bed, as we've done, feels cruel I'll take the pull out."

Karen addressed glancing down to send him a brief signal that his pants were doing a poor job at being discreet.

"No."

He snapped taking the door knob before she could return her hand to it.

".....take the bed you...you want proof I see you an equal, fine then. Just leave a spare set of clothes outside the door."

The meaning was kind, but the tone was one of an order. Karen didn't mind terribly recognizing it as his trying to regain a level of lost control after being embarrassed, and while still processing her request. Stepping to the side as he threw the bedroom door open to the living space she made her way towards his drawers where his nightwear was kept. Her own disappointment still clung to her some, but her mind was still taking in the emotions he had been trying to keep hidden while talking to her. As she came back she didn't have the clothing as asked having left that in the bathroom instead. Unsurprisingly she found him somewhat struggling with the cushions still flustered from the conversation.

"Hey, I left them in the bathroom. A shower maybe good for you. I'll get the bed set up, and make sure the pokemon are ready for bed too. You're giving me the bed, so let me make it equal by helping you."

She offered wanting to still validate his gesture. There was a hesitation, and a heavy sigh on his end before he turned to face her holding one of the cushion in front of himself. Heh, she noticed the blush.

"Fine....thank you."

He mumbled walking past her briskly.

"Welcome Gio."

[anna-mator]

How to Draw a Toon - (In-Progress) Fandom: Warner Bros, Looney Tunes, Disney, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Rating: M Categories: M/M  Relationships: (eventual) Bugs/Daffy  Warnings: Language, moderate violence, cartoon violence, racism, Additional tags: friends to lovers, mystery, adventure

Somewhere in Toon Town, a rabbit sat uncomfortably in the only library in town. He was pouring over autobiographies of other Toons. Each chapter of every book began the same: humble beginnings with a chance of stardom. Most were poor, some were sheltered… every single one was literally drawn into their lives. Their family, their class, their religion, their politics; it seemed to be all predetermined. Whether it was intentional from the creator, or heavily influenced, he still wasn’t sure. 

“Bugs?” A small voice spoke.

Bugs Bunny jolted, placing his hands over the piles of books he collected on instinct. He quickly regained his posture and settled his eyes on a soft-colored and familiar face. “Belle?” He asked, shocked.

Belle was hovering over him slightly with a few books in hand. “It is you… Did you need any help, Bugs?” She asked politely. 

“Oh ehh… nah.” Bugs said, trying to keep some of the books from her view. “I’m all good here. Say ehhh… shouldn’t you be at like…. Disneyland or somethin’?” he asked.

At that, Belle laughed slightly. “Oh Bugs… just because I’m a Disney princess doesn’t mean they keep us all holed up in their theme parks. Plus, with all of the royalty checks, I don’t really need a job. I volunteer here.”

“Ah. I see. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“Not at all…” Belle said, then looked curiously at Bugs’ pile of books. “It looks like you’re about to check out the entirety of the Autobiography section.” She chuckled.

“Ahaha… just about.” Bugs said, suddenly feeling slightly nervous about her nosiness.

 “All of them are Toons, too…” 

Just then, Bugs had an idea. “Ah!” He exclaimed before he stood up and gently turned her away from his pile of books, “Actually, I’ve been watchin’ some kids recently and wouldn’t ya know it, I can hardly put ‘em to bed. If you could find me the very best fairy-tale book you can think of, I would be foreva in your debt.” 

“Uh, sure.” Belle said with a weary tone. 

Bugs didn’t like the sound of her voice. Once he believed Belle was out of earshot, he scrambled to gather his haphazard notes and supplies. “I gotta get outta here.” He said from under his strained breath. 

When Bugs placed things away, he turned tail to find the closest exit. The rabbit managed to slip through a back door completely unnoticed. He found his car and sped off in a hurry. This kind of prodding had consequences. He had heard rumors of Toons going missing over stuff like this. Luckily, Bugs was smarter than that. 

In truth, Bugs trusted no Toon nor Human with the kind of information he was gathering. It was starting to weigh on his conscience, and even take a blow to his general health. Typically, when a Toon became stressed it visibly showed. Bugs was no exception.

Which was why an hour later, with no one else to turn to, Steven Spielberg took a look at Bugs and simply said, “God you’re a mess.” He commented once he approached the Toon rabbit.

“Thanks, Doc.” Bugs said with a slight roll to his eyes. “You looked in the mirror lately, yourself?” He japed, commenting on the distracting and ugly anti-paparazzi gear Steven had on.

Deciding to ignore the comment, “Please tell me it’s not…” Steven asked, as he brought his shades onto the brim of his baseball hat.

“It’s not the kids. I can take care of ‘em jus’ fine.” Bugs shot Steven down immediately. 

They walked down the sunny L.A. street, headed towards Griffith Park. They were both well aware it was the entrance to Toon Town. Still, the park itself was the only place that provided Bugs with any comfort. 

“So… what did you bring me out here for?” Steven asked. 

It took every ounce of energy Bugs had not to just start spouting out every tiny piece of information he had been gathering for the past six months. Instead, he took a breath and exhaled softly. “I’m over eighty years-old, mac. I’ve been repainted a dozen times and there’s no end in sight.”

Immediately, Steven knew exactly what Bugs was dealing with. It was obviously some kind of mid-life crisis, but a Toon equivalent. “Go on…” He prompted.

“So a few months ago, I got ta thinkin’... What else am I gonna do with my life? I can’t be slingin’ dynamite foreva. I already toured the world when I was younger… but I never learned anything!” Bugs cried out, “Sure the occasional script had some kind of historical tidbit, or a line from another language, but I still felt… uneducated.” 

Steven was already connecting certain dots in his head, leading up to what Bugs wanted to say. Because of it, a small smile was beginning to inch onto his face. However, he continued to let the Toon speak.

“Then I realized… what if it ain’t just me? And as it turns out--” 

“Eighty-seven percent of Toons are uneducated.” Steven finished and the smile vanished, ”And the number keeps growing every year. There isn’t a single school in Toon Town. If Toons want an education, they acquire it themselves or through scholarships the studios award.”

Bugs and Steven stopped and looked at one another. “I came to you nearly a decade ago... “ Steven started, feeling slightly irritated at Bugs.

Immediately Bugs cringed, “I know, I know!” he shouted, starting to move away from him. While he wanted to tell Steven more about his findings about Toon education, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Paranoia struck him again.

Still, Steven gave a small chase. “I asked repeatedly if you wanted to make Acme Loo into a real school, and you said there was no need. I gave you my pitch all those years ago, now give me yours.” He said in a harsh tone.

Bugs tugged on his ears before looking at Steven in the eyes again. “People love me, Toons idolize me… but for what? Bein’ the lucky one? Always comin’ out on top? What good is that when you can’t protect the ones you care about? I just… I want to give somethin’ back’.” 

After hearing that, Steven was more than pleased. He gave a nod to Bugs, “Alright, I’ll help you. We’ll make Acme Loo.” 

“Thanks, Doc.” There was still so much on Bugs’ mind, but he tucked it away for later. Right now, he allowed himself to relax and feel good about these life-changing decisions. 

A year passes, and somewhere along the coast of Central America there was a lowly island on the horizon. With a closer look, anyone could see the stark-white mansion that stood nearly three stories tall.

Even as a young Toon, Daffy Duck had pictured his retirement from his acting career very vividly. He dreamed about being alone on a private island, with an enormous mansion and every luxury he could possibly think of. And wouldn’t you know it, after nearly a decade of work, few movies and a couple of reboots, Daffy had that private island. Staying there continued to be a blessing for many, many years. With the royalty checks and occasional paychecks from public appearances rolling in, he was able to upkeep the mansion very well. 

Daffy’s desire for attention was somewhat satiated by social media. He had a big presence online and made sure everyone knew it. From when he woke up to when he was preparing for bed, he would cross post about every detail onto every feed. People ate it up, as they were fascinated by his lifestyle. While he wasn’t the richest duck in the world, he was certainly one of the most popular. At least, he was in his mind. 

As Daffy was tweeting about his incredible breakfast one morning, he noticed one of his butlers carrying in some mail. “What’s the big idea? Checks go straight to my financial adviser, and fan mail without any valuables inside are shredded! You all know the deal!” Daffy barked. To his knowledge, he hadn’t been expecting anything either. Still, the butler came to his side and silently handed him a letter. 

Before he could protest further, the Butler turned away. Daffy simply huffed to himself and opened the letter. He took his time to read it, just to make sure he was reading it correctly. Once he had finished he slammed the letter onto the counter top, and ran up the stairs towards his room in seconds flat. 

He pressed his help buzzer multiple times and shouted into the speaker, “I need to pack, now! Book me a flight to L.A.! Let’s go people!”

It was time to move back to Los Angeles. 

The next day, Bugs Bunny got out of his Oober (Toon Town’s Uber equivalent), adjusting his suit as he looked on towards his greatest accomplishment. A stairway from the curb stood Acme Looniversity. Despite seeing the building many times over the course of its production, Bugs still couldn’t help but feel his chest swell with pride at the sight of the finished school. 

And there, in front of the entrance, he saw a huge crowd gather. This wasn’t even taking into account for all of the cameras and people lined up along the sidewalk. Not even the Toons who were celebrating in the streets. The crowd split like a wave as Bugs approached the doorway of the school, finding it partially blocked by a stage with a ceremonial ribbon. Bugs could tell it was painted because of how large and neat the bow in the middle of it looked. 

As he approached he saw the only human at the event (besides a few brave reporters) Steven Spielberg, sitting beside the podium on stage next to three empty seats. Bugs’ felt slightly saddened by the sight of the empty chairs, still Bugs shared a smile with Steven before he approached the podium. A deafening silence went over the crowd, with all eyes on the Toon rabbit.

“My fellow Toons,” Bugs began, “For too long, we’ve been deprived of our own education. More than 87% of Toons have never stepped foot in a school that wasn’t a painted set. After learnin’ that, we decided that wasn’t fair.”

The crowd cheered and clapped for Bugs. Over the crowd he continued, “Our newcomers should know our history! They should know our culture!” He paused slightly to wait for the crowd’s enthusiasm to die down, “And they should know their limits.” 

Bugs felt his stomach twist, “Too many Toons have been lost simply because they didn’t know how to survive their next fall durin’ a stunt. We owe it to them to inform newcomers of the risks. No one on Earth can do what we do, and we need to learn to do it right.” 

Gesturing to the building behind him, “Now, thanks to Warner Brothers studios and Steven Spielberg, Acme Looniversity ain’t just a fantasy we all saw on TV all those years ago. It’s here for everyone!” 

The crowd once again burst into applause and cheers. Bugs looked out into the crowd, noticing a slight disturbance that was making its way to the stage. He wasn’t the least bit surprised when Daffy Duck emerged from the crowd and began to crawl his way onto the stage, rather than using the stairs on the side.

Immediately, Daffy wormed his way in front of Bugs in order to speak into the microphone. “Helloooo, Toon Town!!” He shouted. The only sound he was met with was the sound of crickets. “As the Master of Deception, I just wanted to say what an honor it is to have been recruited by my longtime co-Star, Bugs, to teach at this wonderful place of edumication.” 

Bugs saw the shifty eyes from the crowd when Daffy had mentioned his unofficial title. “Eeeh… We’re still workin’ on the curriculum.” He said, addressing the crowd. Then he turned to Daffy, knowing exactly how to derail him from hogging the spotlight. “Hey Daff, ol’ pal, wouldja wanna join me in the honors of cuttin’ the ribbon?” 

Daffy’s head whirled around as he gave out a gasp, “Really? You’d let me cut the ribbon?” He asked. 

“Togetha, yeah. It feels only right.” Bugs said, just to butter him up even more. 

The two of them were approached by a Toon who held out comically huge a pair of golden scissors. They took the scissors, holding them open above the ribbon for a little longer so photos could be taken. After a minute, they looked at each other and cut the ceremonial ribbon. Daffy and Bugs posed briefly with the scissors that were nearly the same height as them. 

Once they were done posing, Daffy turned to look for the first camera he could find. For Bugs, he turned to Steven and gave him his hand. “Thank you… So much. For everything.” 

Steven shook his hand, “Anytime, Bugs. I have a lot of faith in you.” Then he gave a slight nod towards Daffy, “You sure about hiring Daffy, though?” He asked. 

Bugs looked over and watched as Daffy chatted up the remaining reporters. “If there’s anything I’ve learned in the years we've worked together, it’s that I know how he ticks.” 

“Well, it’s your call. It is your school, after all.” Steven said with a shrug. 

“I’m gonna go check on ‘im. I’ll be seein’ ya, Steven.” Bugs said before slipping away. 

Bugs hovered over Daffy’s shoulder while he spoke to a reporter. “And that’s when I told my buddy Bugs, the only way we’re going to reach today's Toon youth is through education! And what better teachers than the oldest Toons out there?” He said. 

When he heard that, Bugs rolled his eyes. Of course Daffy would lie and make this his idea. Bugs decided to butt in. “We’re opening our gates to humans, as well.” He told them. 

At that, more reporters surrounded them. A chorus of questions were being launched at Daffy and Bugs. While Daffy shied away, Bugs lifted his hands to quiet the small crowd. “I wanna stress this; Acme Loo is gonna be the only school to focus on the importance of learning about Toons. As citizens and as a species. So we ain’t gonna turn away humans who wanna learn more about us.” Bugs said. 

A reporter’s voice spoke up, “Who else do you have in place as teachers? Any word about Mickey Mouse?” they asked.

“That hack—?” Daffy said before Bugs pinched his beak. 

“Mickey sent us his best wishes, but regrettably makes no plans of joinin’ the staff.” Bugs said with a shrug.

Daffy rolled his eyes when he felt Bugs let go of his beak. 

“As for the rest of the staff, we’re still lookin’. So if any Toon wants to come forward and apply, they’re free to do so on our website.”

“When does class begin? And what’s the class size going to look like?” The same reporter asked.

“We’re startin’ in the next coupla months, just in time for the school year. Dependin’ on how many teachers we get, we’re gonna be expecting anywhere between 500 to 900. Applications for students will also be online.”

“900?!” Daffy exclaimed. Just how was he going to teach to a class of 900? 

Bugs sighed a little, knowing Daffy had misinterpreted his information. He turned to talk to him, “900 altogetha, Daff. We’re lookin’ at a class of 40 for each homeroom.” 

“Oh.” Daffy said softly. 

Then Bugs turned to the cameras, “No more questions now. Thank you!” He said and waved them away. 

Disappointed, Daffy watched the reporters shuffle along and pack away their equipment. He had truly missed being in the limelight. Then a tap on his shoulder brought him out of his daydream-like state. “Huh?” He asked as he turned towards Bugs again.

“Ehh… Daff?”

“Yeah?” 

Bugs sat there like he was fighting to say something. “I’ll uh… I’ll see you later. We’ll have to look over that curriculum of yours, before school starts.” He finally said.

“...Yeah sure.” Daffy said. After looking at Bugs more he noticed something was off, “You should get yourself a new paint job. You look awful.” 

Bugs deflated angrily at the comment before rolling his eyes and turning away. He knew that, in Daffy’s twisted way, that he was concerned for his health. So he let the comment slide off of his back. The truth was, Bugs had never let go of his Toon research; and the paranoia had set in so much that it was starting to alter his appearance. He hoped that the success of Acme Loo would be both a distraction and a resource at his own disposal. 

Later, after numerous phone calls and even a couple of live interviews, Bugs managed to find his way home. He paid and tipped his Oober as much as he was allotted, due to the fact that they had to travel out of Toon Town during rush hour. As Bugs approached the steps of his white porch, he loosened his bow tie and unlocked the door. 

Bugs threw his keys on a stand next to the door, just before closing and locking it behind himself. Just as he was about to call out for someone, his long ears perked at the sound of rattling glass and plastic coming from the kitchen. Immediately, Bugs’ eyes darted towards a lowly baseball bat sitting in his umbrella holder in the foyer. 

Quickly and quietly, Bugs’ removed his black blazer and rolled up his dress shirt sleeves. All the while his mind was racing: Where had he slipped up? Who was onto him? What kind of force would be pitted against him? All these questions burned inside him while he picked up the bat and held it tight and high. With as much stealth as possible, he rounded the kitchen corner. As he suspected, the figure hidden partially inside of his fridge wasn’t any of the kids. 

The fridge began to close and the figure swerved around to meet Bugs. Several plastic containers dropped to the kitchen floor as they exclaimed, “Bugs?!”

Bugs brought down the bat, stopping it only inches away from Daffy’s beak. “Daffy?!” He exclaimed. 

“What the hell, Bugs? Is that any way to welcome an old friend into your household?” Daffy barked while pushing the bat away from his face. 

Only a few seconds later, Bugs and Daffy heard a stampede of footsteps coming from upstairs. Settling on the staircase, three Toons looked down on Bugs and Daffy. “Well what’d ya know, the old Duck has decided to grace us with his presence.” The tallest smiled. 

“Daffy, darling!! We had no idea you were in town.” The smallest chimed with an obnoxious accent of some kind.

“Really? I mean, he tweeted out his entire trip…” The middle one said in a thick Liverpool accent. 

Daffy looked on in surprise and awe. “The Warner’s?! What are you three hooligans doing here?” He asked with a wide smile. 

Bugs put down the bat, leaning it against the staircase, and turned towards Daffy. “They’re stayin’ with me.” He said simply. 

Sure enough, the three siblings of undetermined origins ran down the steps and gave Daffy a group hug. “You three look a little different than I remember…” he said, looking over Yakko, Wakko and Dot. 

Yakko peeled away first, “Haven’t ya heard? We got a reboot comin’ in! Two whole seasons, so far.” 

“You don’t say? An’ they gave you a repaint jus’ for that? Your designs were fine before.” Daffy said, a little confused. 

“It’s standard now. Nothin’ we could really do about it.” Wakko said as he pulled away with a slight shrug.

Dot continued to cling to Daffy, looking up at him with her glossy black eyes. “You don’t think we look ugly, do you?” She asked, her lips trembling. 

“Ugly?! Nonsense!!” Daffy exclaimed, picking up Dot into his arms and holding her tight. “You three are the sharpest lookin’ Toons I know. Anyone who says otherwise is blind.” 

Bugs looked curiously at the way Daffy was interacting with the three. He didn’t remember them being particularly close, but he assumed that was simply the effect the three had on adults and Toons alike. Still, he was certainly enjoying seeing this other side of Daffy.  

“Alright, you three.” Bugs finally interrupted, “How’s about givin’ Daff and I some space?” He asked. 

“Yeah yeah…” Yakko said before turning back up the stairs. 

“See ya later, Daffy!” Wakko waved and followed the oldest. 

“Always nice to see you, Daff.” Dot said when Daffy put her down so she could follow her siblings. 

Once the three were out of sight Daffy turned to Bugs, “Now, I know it might not be the most convenient thing for you at this time…” He explained, “But I’m certainly not the richest Duck in the world. I had to sell all eight of my estates to get that private island.” 

Bugs move towards the kitchen and began to clean up Daffy’s initial mess. He already knew what Daffy was about to ask, and he already knew his answer. Still, he let his friend speak. 

“Each estate had to go, including the two I had in L.A.! Honestly, the price for rent in this forsaken city is so damn high, I really don’t know how you do it!”

“You can stay.” 

Daffy gasped and looked deeply offended, “You would throw out your own flesh and blood onto the street? I thought I knew you better, Bugs Bunny!” 

“Ehh… we ain’t related, but you can still stay wit us.” He tried again. 

Daffy started to walk towards the door with a dramatic flair, “Fine! I know when I’m not wanted—” He stopped as soon as he draped himself on the corner of the closest wall, “Wait… what? You’ll let me stay?” He asked, bewildered. 

“Of course I will, Daff. We’ll be able to look over your curriculum togetha, you’ll be able to do some shoppin’ for the house, maybe a few chores and you’ll be able to watch the kids…” Bugs said, closing the fridge door to get a better look at Daffy.

At that, Daffy looked even more surprised. “Watch those kids? Chores? Me?” He asked.

“Well yeah! What? You’d think I’d let you stay out of the goodness of my heart?” Bugs asked, leaning on the island counter.

“Well… Yeah!” Daffy exclaimed, manhandling the other side of the counter. Here he thought he could take advantage of Bugs’ feelings of existentialism and sudden generosity to fully weasel his way into staying with Bugs with zero obligations. But apparently this rabbit had other plans for him.

Bugs simply laughed in Daffy’s face. “Ahaha, oh that’s rich, Duck.” he laughed. Then there was a slight pause,  “When are you gonna realize, we ain’t so different? You and I…”

Daffy and Bugs sat in silence for a little bit. Something about Bugs’ smug look made Daffy’s face feel warmer than usual underneath his feathers. He shook his head wildly. “Nope. I don’t see it.”

At that, Bugs simply rolled his eyes. “We can split chores in the mornin’... right now I just want to hit da hay.” He said, peeling himself off of the counter and moving to unbutton his dress shirt.

While Bugs navigated past the living room, Daffy gave a slight chase. “Wait, wait. I just gotta know one more thing,” then a slight pause, “okay a couple of things.” 

A small sigh came from Bugs, then he decided to plop down onto the living room sofa. “Alright. A coupla questions.” He said, putting his feet up.

Daffy sat in a recliner adjacent to Bugs. “How’d you end up with the Warners?” He asked, his voice a little hushed in case they were being heard. 

“...I was visiting the new set last year.” Bugs began to explain, “Steven told me that he was concerned about rumors that the Warners were livin’ in their trailer. No one was allowed to go near it. They even wrote up a contract about it, saying they’d leave the show if anyone on staff visited it. Because I wasn’t in the show, I could see the trailer for myself.” 

The memory was still vivid in Bugs’ mind. A little more than a year ago, Bugs shared a weary glance with Steven before he slipped off the set. With the Warners busy in a scene, Bugs was able to make it to the trailer. And with a copy of the trailer key given to him by Steven, he pried it open. 

The mess the three had accumulated was even taller than Bugs’ ears. He honestly didn’t know how anyone could navigate the trailer, let alone three Toons. Even as he was inside, he made an attempt to clean what he could. Still, it was a horrible mess. 

After doing what he could, Bugs waited outside the trailer until the Warners began to approach it. Yakko was the first to catch eyes with Bugs, before rolling them. “God damn it…” Yakko groaned, seeing the look of disapproval spread across the rabbit’s face. 

“Y’all really live in dere?” Bugs asked.

It was Wakko’s turn to be angry, “Yeah! What’s it to ya?” he barked.

“Guys, I’m jus’ concerned. A lot of the staff are concerned. Steven was even worried!” Bugs exclaimed, watching them weave around him and head into the trailer.

“Yeah? Well we don’t need your pity.” Dot snapped.

Bugs stopped the door from being slammed in his face with full force. The trailer door swung open and Bugs stepped inside once more. “Fine then. Lemme give you a place to stay. Eva since you were created, I’ve always told you guys you were welcome at my house!” He said. 

“We’ve been fine on our own, Bugs. Didn’t need your help then, don’t need it now.” Yakko said. “Any day now, the show will air, we’ll get another wave of royalty checks and we’ll be livin’ it up in a mansion down the street from yours.” 

“Those checks will only stretch so far. You already know this.” Bugs warned. 

“Blah blah blah I learned my lesson. Like I said, I don’t need to stay at yours. I’m comfortable here.” To make his point, Yakko cleared off some space on the couch (which also acted as their bed) in the trailer and found his ideal position. 

Immediately Bugs read this type of prideful attitude. He also knew where Yakko’s weak points were. “If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for your siblings.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Bugs saw Dot and Wakko perk up and look over at Yakko silently. Yakko sat up from the couch slowly and looked at Bugs with a hardened expression. “You’ve got a whole lotta nerve, rabbit.”

“And you’ve got a whole lotta attitude, kid.” Bugs snapped back. 

And with that, Bugs took them in. Presently, he looked at Daffy across the way and gave a slight shrug. “I’ve always seen a lot of myself in Yakko. Scrappy, independent and plenty mature for his age. It took him the longest to adjust here and for me to adjust to him, honestly. That boy doesn’t let me lift a finger for ‘im. His siblings? Sure. When it comes to him? No way, no how.” 

“Interesting.” Daffy finally said.

Feeling exhausted, “Any otha questions?” Bugs asked.

“Yes! Where do I sleep?” 

Bugs got up from the couch and beckoned Daffy to follow him. Down the hall there were three doors. On the left side there was a white door with a gold star labeled Bugs Bunny in black lettering. Though, something told Daffy that it wasn’t his original master bedroom. The middle door was left open, so Bugs pushed in further and flipped on a light to reveal a bathroom. “Here’s the bathroom…” he announced, then pushed open the door on the right side of the hallway. “And here’s your room. G’night, Daff…” 

Before Daffy could say anything else, Bugs slipped away into his bedroom and shut the door. “Night.” Daffy said more to himself. He maneuvered himself inside the bedroom and pulled out a suitcase from his Toon space. He flicked on the light and looked around, the decor was still predominantly white with the same hardwood floor that echoed through the house.

Daffy placed his suitcase on a chair sitting across from the bed and launched himself directly onto the comfortable mattress. It was something akin to a bed from a five-star hotel: soft as a cloud. It didn’t take long for Daffy to fall into a deep sleep.

----

NEXT CHAPTER >>

----

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! It was a struggle but I’m happy with it and I can’t wait to continue. <3333

[fandom-necromancer]

454. ‘Oh, you are jealous!’

Shoutout to the wonderful anon who prompted this! I really liked writing this!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900

Gavin looked over to Nines and observed how he first talked to Connor, then offered his hand with the artificial skin retracted. It had fascinated him ever since he stopped ignoring and denouncing everything android-related. Ever since a certain tin-can appeared in his life and changed it pretty much rootedly. Seeing the white, the true nature of them under their skin always set something off in him. It had been weird at the beginning, now it just looked… vulnerable. Nines with skin and hair and clothing was a strong being, capable of seemingly everything. Nines stripped of all that however… Gavin felt like he needed to protect him then. Maybe that was because he had only ever seen his partner like that when he was wounded or felt strong emotions. This interface now was casual, and the way Nines handled it seemed like he didn’t put much thought into it. But still Gavin had the urge to go over there and hold his hand, making sure he wasn’t hurt and just… holding it.

‘Hey, you got the report?’ Gavin had totally failed to realise Nines had long ended the connection and stood next to him again, smiling knowingly. ‘Err… sorry, no. I’ll get to it.’ ‘Don’t stress yourself.’ It was said amused and fondly as ever. ‘How does it feel?’, Gavin blurted out his thoughts before he could shove them back into the corner where they belonged. ‘How does what feel?’ ‘An interface. I mean, I know you guys send information’s back and forth, code and so on. But how does it feel?’ ‘Hmm… how can I explain that? It’s not only a meaning of data-exchange’, Nines began. ‘Well, it had been the intended use. But with deviancy it changed a bit. It basically connects our minds? Well, we still have a sense of self and we can control what to show the other, but we… can feel the other’s mind and share emotions, memories… the feelings one cannot possibly put into words because they are just to complex and can’t be expressed in a manner that would cover everything. Does that make sense to you?’ ‘Kinda…’, Gavin nodded. ‘Sounds pretty intimate though.’ ‘It is’, Nines agreed. ‘Others are more open with it, but I declined many times already. I would only interface with the people I fully trust. ‘ ‘Hmm, yeah seems like it.’ Gavin’s lingering stare stuck to Connor - the quirky bastard he had learned to evade as much as possible.

Of course, Nines immediately picked up the change in tone over to slightly sour and disappointed. ‘Gavin, what’s wrong?’ ‘Nothing.’ Nines LED changed from blue to concerned yellow, then to red and back to yellow. ‘Oh, you are jealous!’ It sounded like he just figured out a whole case and Gavin immediately tripped over to his raging defence: ‘Yeah, I phcking am! You over there, mind-phcking with the guy who punched me K.O. in one hit!’ ‘Gavin, he’s my brother’, Nines tried to calm down the human. ‘I know you two don’t get along well, but this is just… uncalled-for. I mean, you are getting jealous of something you can’t even do.’ ‘Oh, why don’t you just go and find some android boyfriend then, when they are so perfect!’ Well, that had just backfired. ‘Gavin, please!’, Nines tried to stop the oncoming storm. ‘Don’t!’

The human stood up jerkily and Nines knew him well enough to know he would run off to god knows where if not stopped and quickly jumped up, too. He managed to intercept Gavin as he tried to duck away and hurry for the exit and caught him in an embrace. Of course, he struggled against the confines, it wouldn’t be Gavin if he hadn’t. He simply held him, heating up and brushing slightly over the thrashing hands until he felt the man calm down and the tension in his body subside.

‘Gavin, I don’t regret having a human for a partner’, he whispered in his ear. They had caused enough chaos already; the rest of the precinct didn’t have to know what this was about. ‘I wouldn’t even think about leaving you for someone else. I know you lack the ability of an interface. And sometimes I really regret that.’ He pressed a light kiss next to Gavin’s ear. ‘For example, right now. If you knew how I felt about you exactly, you would laugh at yourself for even thinking like that. I have feelings for you I could only truly share with you in an interface. But without it I only can tell you that I love you with everything that I have, and try to act accordingly.’ He felt the shiver that ran along Gavin’s body and rubbed over the goose bumps he felt on his arms. ‘I want you to know that you are giving me so much more than an android could. Not having an interface forces me to learn to truly understand, to find out what language you are so I can finally read you. I know you love me, you said that over and over again. But to what extend only becomes visible in our interaction. And I think that’s so much more treasurable than an interface that just gives you everything instantly. You stay a mystery for me to uncover and understand. And that’s just why I choose you, why I am so fascinated of you. Don’t get jealous over some “small-talk-feelings” I share with my brother, if you want to call it that. You are giving me so much more. Okay?’

Gavin let his shoulders fall in defeat and snuggled a bit into the embrace, maybe even unconsciously. ‘Phck, toaster, you are something…’

[snidgetsafan]

The Curse of the Black Roger: Prologue

Rating: G

Summary: 

“You should start believing in ghost stories, Miss Swan – because you’re in one.”

When young Princess Emma found a pirate necklace on the baby rescued from the sea, she never expected years later to be swept into an adventure worthy of her favorite novels.

And she certainly never expected someone like the legendary Captain Hook.A 

“Pirates of the Carribean” AU

Notes: Here is my offering for the CSSNS! Thanks to @amorecolorfulmoniker​, whose pic set inspired this fic. Thanks to my betas, @gingerchangeling​ and @shireness-says​ who acted as a sounding board, a crying shoulder and grammar enforcers where needed. Thanks also to @slow-smiles​, who created amazing art for this fic! Wonderful banner by @wingedlioness.

On AO3

“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me…”

Emma leant on the railing at the bow of the Pride of Amphitrite, her gaze lost in the dense mist surrounding the ship while she hummed dreamily. This was her first trip abroad, and she had enjoyed it immensely, despite the circumstances in which she had taken the journey. She had spent her time on the ship observing the men working, exploring the deck and hold, and trying to spot dolphins in the water below. Now, on the last day of their return trip, she was trying to take advantage of their last hours at sea to feel the spray on her face and smell the salt in the breeze.

Her mother, Queen Ruth of Misthaven, and she were making their way back from her uncle and aunt’s memorial, which had taken place the week before. Her mother had been sad, because Aunt Gerda had been her sister, but Emma hadn’t known her very well. She had only met Aunt Gerda once, when they had gone to Arendelle to see her cousin Anna, who had just been born. However, she had tried to help her mother, by being well-behaved and entertaining her cousins, even if Elsa had refused to come out of her room. The young princess had missed her brother and father while she was gone, but David had come down with chickenpox three days before leaving, and he’d had to stay in bed, with their father taking care of him.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind her. “You shouldn’t be singing that song, your Highness, that’s bad luck,” Manley, one of the sailors, gruffly told her when she turned around. “That sort of song is calling for trouble, is what it is. Almost as bad as whistling, that damn song is.”

“I would thank you, Mister Manley, to watch your language around the Princess,” a disapproving voice told Emma’s interlocutor before she could answer. Grumbling into his red neck scarf about not needing any bad luck in this pea soup, the stocky sailor walked away as she looked behind her, seeing her mother and the Pride’s captain approaching. When they had come to within a few feet of her, the captain bowed to her, and continued, “While his language was quite inappropriate, he was right, your Highness. That song makes sailors nervous, and pirates are not to be admired.”

Clasping her hands tightly, Emma told him, “I think it would be quite exciting to meet a pirate.”

Her mother frowned while the captain smiled briefly. “Think again, your Highness. They are vile and vicious creatures, who thrive on the misery of others, and who have never worked a day of honest work in their lives. I’ll make sure any man or woman found convicted of piracy gets what they deserve: a short drop and a sudden stop.”

Emma gasped when she understood his meaning, as her mother hurried to her side and held her shoulders. “I’m not sure this is appropriate talk for a ten year old girl, Captain Cassidy.”

The man lowered his eyes, and then bowed to his Queen. “You are right, your Majesty. Please accept my apologies, it won’t happen again.” He turned to look at Emma. “I am sorry if I have shocked you, Princess, it was not my intention.” And with another bow, he was gone, making his way towards the stern.

Emma turned towards her mother, dislodging the Queen’s hands from her shoulders. “Actually I find all of this fascinating.”

“Yes, that’s what concerns me,” the Queen told her drily, raising her eyebrows. “A young lady should not find pirates fascinating or exciting. And she definitely should not know pirate shanties, nor should she sing them in public. Now, try to behave, sweetheart, we are almost home.”

“Yes, Mama,” Emma answered quietly, as Ruth turned to follow Captain Cassidy. She didn’t understand why her mother was so adamant she stop being interested in pirates. She knew, objectively, that they were dangerous outlaws. But they also lived a life full of adventure, sailing the Seven Seas and going where they wanted. What was not to like about that way of life? She had read every book on pirates she could find in the castle’s library, dreaming between her lessons of boarding enemy ships, taking their cargo and sailing towards the horizon with her crew, or battling legendary creatures to seize their treasures.

Emma had loved traveling on the Pride, feeling the wind and the sun on her skin and getting used to the gentle sway of the deck below her feet. Briggs, the ship’s quartermaster, had even taught her a few things, such as the difference between port and starboard and what the different parts of a ship were called. The princess had even learned how to knot what was called a “bowline” this very morning. The young girl also knew that the ship she was sailing on was called a ship of the line, and that it was the flagship of her father’s Navy.

Emma pondered all of this as she silently resumed her place at the railing, fiddling with the cord she had been practicing with all day and looking down at the mist hanging over the ocean, which looked black in the dim light. The monotony of the sight, however, was soon broken when an object came floating out of the fog. Emma squinted, trying to discern what it could be. She was surprised to find it was an umbrella, floating on its back. She looked at it, smiling slightly as it passed her, wondering how such an ordinary object had found its way here. Had it fallen off a passenger ship, a sudden gust of wind having ripped it off a lady’s hand? Or had it come all the way from the land? They were not far from Misthaven, after all…

Movement in the periphery of her vision made her turn her head, as another object floated towards her. A wicker basket bobbed on the waves not far from the ship, and came to within a few yards of where Emma stood, allowing her to see the basket was not empty, that some sort of fabric filled it. Her smile faded, as she wondered at the probability of two objects floating near the Pride, when there hadn’t been anything for days.

The young princess frowned suddenly, as she thought she heard a faint sound coming from the sea. Listening carefully, she leant over the railing, and heard it again, clearer this time. It sounded like an infant crying. Where was it coming from? Emma heard it a third time, and saw at the same time the fabric inside the basket move, as it began to sway harder on the waves. Her eyes widening in horror, she turned frantically as she shouted at the sailors surrounding her, “Help! There’s a baby in the water!”

At first, the men looked at her curiously, sure they had misheard. But once she repeated herself, yelling even louder, Manley, who hadn’t wandered far from her, hurried to the railing, and looked at where Emma was pointing. Thankfully, the baby cried again at that exact moment, and, with no hesitation, he started removing his jacket while calling out “Man overboard!... Well, a miniature one!” before diving off the side of the ship. The deck erupted into chaos as men burst into action, running towards where he had jumped, some readying ropes to haul them back on deck. Emma clutched the railing, leaning over to see better. Manley swam to the basket, clutching it to his chest after he had checked what was inside. Swimming one handedly back to the ship, he grabbed one of the ropes that had been thrown to him, and tied the basket by its handles. As men started to carefully haul the basket on board, making sure not to jostle it and drop its precious cargo, Manley gripped the other rope and began to climb the side of the ship, keeping level with his charge.

When she saw they both were about to reach the deck, she tried to get closer, but the men were so tightly packed around the sailors lifting it that she could not even get a glimpse of the basket. Her mother and Cassidy’s arrival granted her an opportunity to get closer, as the crew parted to let their captain and their Queen approach, but before she could follow them, she heard a nearby sailor swear profusely under his breath. Following his gaze, she saw the burning remains of a large ship emerging from the fog, the flames rising from its broken hull coloring the surrounding mist in red at it slowly sunk under the waves. Black smoke mixed with white mist, creating a crimson halo around the wreck that seemed to have a life of its own. A change in the wind brought the smell of burning wood to Emma’s nose. The smell also attracted the attention of the group surrounding the basket, and activity once again erupted on the deck.

Emma’s mother walked quickly towards her, and guided her with a hand on her back towards the basket, which she could now see clearly. “Emma, the baby’s in your charge, take it to the Captain’s cabin. I will join you in a few minutes.” Her mother looked quickly behind her, eyeing the gathered group of muttering sailors, before forcing a smile on her face. “Take care of him, sweetheart.” She gestured urgently to a cabin boy, holding a short conversation with him, before allowing him to lift the basket. In a louder voice, she finished giving her instructions to Emma, turning her towards the rear of the ship and giving her a small push to propel her forward, “Make sure the baby is warm and dry, and stay with it.”

Emma followed the cabin boy, opening the door for him and watching him put the basket down on a bench before leaving the room. She closed the door behind him, turning to approach the now silent basket. She peeked over the edge, where two curious brown eyes were gazing at her. The fabric she had spotted while on deck was a woollen blanket, embroidered with little swans on its edges. There appeared to be nothing else in the basket, which was slowly dripping on the bench.

Remembering her mother’s instructions, she carefully slipped her hands between the wickerwork and the blanket, feeling for any wetness. When she found none, she lifted the baby gingerly, making sure to support its head like she had seen midwives do at the castle. Once the baby was secured in her arms, she moved the blanket away from its face. “Don’t worry, you’re safe now,” she said in a soothing voice. A little fist was clutching a corner or the blanket, and Emma gently pried it away, seeing that a word was embroidered there. “Henry”, she read aloud, looking down into the little face. “Hello Henry, my name is Emma, and you’re on the Pride of Amphitrite, the best ship on the Seven Seas. You’re safe now.” She lightly bounced him as she walked around the cabin, stopping in front of a window. As she raised her eyes, she saw something glinting in the light. Tugging, she saw it was a golden chain with a heavy pendant at its end. She gasped when she saw the grinning skull engraved in the center. Looking back at Henry, she whispered “You’re a pirate!” She stared in wonder at the necklace. How did a baby end up on a pirate ship? Was he the son of one of the crew? Her wonder turned to worry as she remembered the Captain’s words. Surely he would not harm a baby?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door handle turning. Not thinking, Emma shoved the necklace down the bodice of her dress, hoping the thick cotton would hide the strange bump in the middle of her flat chest, before turning and plastering an innocent smile on her face. Her mother stepped through the threshold, blocking the view of the deck. “How’s the baby?”

“He’s fine, Mom.”, Emma answered hurriedly.

“He? Is it a boy then?”

“Yes, his name is Henry, it’s embroidered on his blanket. Here, look.”

The Queen approached and leaned over Emma and the baby. “You’re right, and what a beautiful blanket it is,” she said, fingering the fabric. “Hello, little Henry, it looks like you were the only one lucky enough to survive.”

Emma looked at her mother, digesting her words. No one had survived the shipwreck? A shiver went down her spine. “What happened, Mom? Why did the ship explode?”

Raising her eyes from where she was stroking Henry’s face with her finger, Ruth looked at her gravely, pondering her words. “It seems the ship’s powder reserves exploded. We don’t know why yet.”

Emma looked intently at her mother. The princess had always been able to detect when someone was lying, and while her mother was not telling Emma an outright lie, the queen was not being entirely truthful. What was her mother hiding? Emma could see however she would not be able to get a straight answer from the woman if she pressed the issue now, and decided to drop the subject for the moment. Looking down at Henry, she wondered aloud, “Then what is going to happen to him? If he has no family, who is going to take care of him? Don’t we have a responsibility towards him?”

Ruth looked at her daughter, a fond smile on her lips. “You’re right, darling, we can’t abandon him. You found him; he is our family’s responsibility now. We will take him in at the castle as a royal ward, and we will place him with one of the nurses.” Tucking Emma’s hair behind her shoulder, the Queen continued, as she prepared to leave. “And as his savior, your first mission will be to find your charge a last name. Do you feel up to this task?”

Emma nodded, glad Henry would be taken care of. She would make sure he got everything he needed. The princess had barely known him for an hour, but she already felt an attachment to the little boy she could not explain. Looking down at him, the girl again approached the window, wondering what name to give the infant. Emma had to be careful in her choice - it would follow him his whole life. Henry chose that moment to wave his arms, making the blanket fall away from his torso. As Emma tucked him back in it, she rubbed one of the embroidered swans thoughtfully. Could it be this simple? Looking back into his eyes, the young girl tried it aloud: “Henry Swan,” she said. If the fact that it felt right to call him that had not convinced her, Henry’s shriek of delight would have done the job. Smiling, Emma told him “Welcome to Misthaven, Henry Swan.”

However, her joy was short-lived, as she remembered the medallion hidden in her bodice, which had been slowly slipping down her dress all this time, only being stopped on its descent by Henry’s body being pressed close to her own. Should she tell her mother what she had found out? Would her mother be as benevolent towards Henry if she knew his true heritage? Emma was afraid she would send the little boy to a family outside the castle, where she would not be able to see him. It made her decision easy: she would protect Henry and his secret from her mother and the Captain by hiding the medallion, so they would never know his true heritage, and he wouldn’t be taken from her. All the pirates on that ship were gone, no one would be the wiser. Taking out the medallion, she raised it in the light, looking at the symbols engraved on it. Before she could try to decipher them, or at least understand in what language they were, movement outside the window caught her eye, and she looked up.

She gasped, clutching Henry to her. The mist had parted for a moment, and Emma could see a dark shape sailing away from the Pride. It was a ship, or at least it looked like the ghostly remains of a ship. Its black sails were ripped in several places, and a large hole on the starboard side of its hull gaped just above the water line. Its skeletal appearance should have made it impossible for the specter to float, even less sail as fast as it did, but it swiftly cut through the water as if pulled by the god of the seas himself. It looked as if it were out of this world, and a shiver went down Emma’s spine. The last thing she saw before the fog swallowed the vision was its flag, a white grinning skull on a black background. Pirates! Emma thought wildly, pressing herself to the window, making sure not to crush Henry. But the ship had already disappeared, as if it had never existed.

Chapter 1

[johnnys-silky-hair]

"Something of mine to last for your ever.”

Vampire!AU | Non-Idol! AU | Female Reader

Genre: Angst

Member: Jung Jaehyun

Warnings: Character death, anorexy, blood mention.

P.O.V: Second person.

A/N: I spent my whole afternoon on this and i thought it would be a lot longer than this, maybe i just think it is sad because i just wrote it and maybe i will regret posting? yell heah. But i hope you will cry??? also i want to make this vampire au a series thing, like, i have a lot of ideas to go on this same au so it’s really important to me that you would send me a message and tell me what you think other than just give an heart. Pretty please <3.  English is not my first language so let me know if there is any spelling mistakes.

*NOT MY GIF*

AU INTRODUCTION: The vampire shall only drink the blood from the same human from the day the vampire born to the day the human die.

Different from a human, a vampire already born with fangs, and when they born they are taken to an area with humans so the baby can choose someone, and when the human is chosen, they are taken to live with the family of vampires. Normally the humans are bought, or, have their whole family killed. Depends on the vampire family.

So the human is created with the vampire, who will be drinking the blood of the human whenever they please. After certain years, the vampire finally cannot age or die from sickness, becoming an "immortal" to human causes. The human however, won't become a vampire as everyone thinks so, it will just have a weaker body and die a lot sooner, so having a baby is the only way of keeping the vampires still alive.

After the human die, the vampire still cannot drink the blood of anyone else. Not because it would be bad to them, is just a matter of morals between vampires. They can sense when another vampire drinks the blood of more than one person, and consider them impure.

When you were just a small kid you were taken away from you family, actually, you were sold from you parents to live inside a castle away from everything with a bunch blood-sucking creatures. They put a baby on your arms to suck your blood whenever it wanted and you were told "You're gonna marry this kid and won't ever leave here to the day you die" So of course your wasn't exactly a very smiley-happy person to start with.

But you weren't exaclty a very angry or sad person either, because as a kid, you could still see the good side of it: You were living in a castle, having everything you wanted in your hand as if you were a princess, and were going to marry your best and only friend.

When the baby grew to an age were you too were similar enough, you two got along more than well. You two were always playing and finding out things together, even without leaving the castle. There were a lot of people working on the castle, including kids your age that you two got along with but you two were the greatest match.

Even trough he grew up by you side and he has a lot stronger than you would ever be, he saw you as a goddess.

It's very uncommon for vampires to be in love with the person they were married to. They are already married before they know what love is, so it's not like they were told why love and marriage are something that goes together like humans do.

But Jaehyun were already in love with you before he knew what marriage was. Everyone in the castle thought it was a very unusual sight to see. The people who served the castle that has served Jaehyun's parents when they were kids, and some of the ones that served Jaehyun's grandparents too never saw nobody like you two.

Normally it would be the vampire treating the human as a piece of meal that they were tired of, but Jaehyun were never tired of you, and never ever looked at you as something inferior to him.

And you, different from the humans of the generation that lived on the castle, weren't a shy, scared little thing that seemed like wanted to run away. You were always confident, strong and lost in your own thoughts. You were the one who were kinda of scary, honestly.

You obviously didn't attend to any school, you didn't have the right to ever leave, but you loved to study. You were always searching  on the big library of the castle, and sometimes writing your own books. 

You struggled a lot to learn how to read, Jaehyun had personal classes that you didn't had the right to attend to, because the family always thought that their son needed to be better than his wife. But you asked Jaehyun to teach you how to read hiding from everyone, and he gladly taught. He always got way too distracted with the amount of attention you gave him in the hiding dates, and ended up messing his words in giggles every time your face changed the slightest to a happy face indicating that you understood something, or to confusion.

It normally were always Jaehyun smiling in your direction and following you while you didn't notice him, which was really really weird because what you normally studied was anatomy of humans and vampires.

"Vampires... fascinating... i wonder how this is" "Y/N i am right here, i can explain you how...-" you just keep walking and mumbling about vampires. While you were passionate about the body, Jaehyun was passionate about besides you sing.

There weren't music on the castle, besides of course the instruments he learned how to play, and Jaehyun never leave the castle either. So the first contact he had with singing was literally from himself, the smart young boy invented singing himself.

If someone looked at the scene, would have said that Jaehyun were bored. You were looking at the big book that you wrote, mumbling about the differences between humans and vampires, asking questions that you wouldn't hear if he answered. And he was sitting without the straight posture that normally they want him to have, legs open on the sofa and his right cheek on his right hand, looking at you with serene eyes.

He looked at you without hurry, smiling to himself while taking in all your details once again, without that fear that one day you wouldn't be there and before he could even think or formulate any beautiful words he already were humming a melody.

Your anxious expression from all your worries about your studies vanished from your face and you looked at him with soft eyes.

"This melody is beautiful, what is it called?" 

Jaehyun thought a lot about the sounds he just made, trying to assimilate it to any of the songs he has played, but it didn't sound similar to anything.

"You".

Every time he sang that same melody, first it was only so he wouldn't forget it. Then he noticed that every time he sang it, he would get your attention out of the books for at least a few seconds. You didn't look at him when he called your name, but whenever he started that melody your eyes that would be running through  the pages would stop and you would blush. It soon became his favorite melody. When he saw that he got your attention with the melody rather than talking to you, he decided to add words to it when he wanted to do talk to you. But when he thought in lyrics to add in "You"... he always ended up being too romantic to the point were he couldn't sing in front of anyone.

But singing instead of talking were his habit when he were alone.  

Everyone in the castle thought he was crazy and  probably got it from you. (cue to you in the background writting furiously after you had gotten into an conclusion on you book while saying "vampires.... what the fuck")

As the years pass by and you two get older, your book gets heavier and you get weaker.

Jaehyun notices that your skin that once had color now is almost as pale as his, and you're getting more and more skinny. When is time to eat, he doesn't drink your blood unless he sees you eating a lot. If he thinks you didn't eat enough he doesn't drink at all.

And this start to concern his dad. His dad tell him to talk in private and tell him that is important to him to drink a lot, now that he is almost all grown up. He just ignores it and tell his dad that he is worried about you, that you are older than him but you look a lot weaker than, he doesn't think you can even carry your book or walk around, he starts talking so much that his dad lose his patience and say "Of course she is, she's dying."

Jaehyun at first didn't believe him, it couldn't be, that's the craziest non-sense his father has ever said, and it made him angry that he could say something like that.

His father, with an absurd calm face said "You're going to get stronger and you should give me a grandson quickly before she dies. But of course you won't make it up to it if you don't drink well right now, so don't come with this human-fairy-tale of wanting her to eat first. Your mom didn't die for this." And he just left, letting Jaehyun with and incredulous face and hands spasming. He never associated that it could happen to you the same that happened to his mother, she died when he born, and he never ever imagined that one day you wouldn't be there.

He asked everyone in the castle about it, and everyone had the same answer to him: Vampire gets stronger, human gets weaker, they have a kid, human die and vampire becomes immortal. Everyone seemed to know about this except him.

You were in the same place you were when he created great memories with you, including when he sang to you. Seeing you there in the same place, doing exaclty the same thing you've been doing for years, he just couldn't believe one day you wouldn't be there. He wouldn't accept this to happen even if it were true.

So instead of sitting by your side in the same place and just watching you in silence with a happy face, he sat on the floor in front of you, he put his hands in front of the book to stop you from writing. You said a weak "get out, Jaehyun" that you regret instantly when you saw his sad face. He got even more sad when he felt that you didn't even had the strength enough to brush his hands away.

Once he got your attention, he hugged your legs with his face on the book and asked "After all these years studying, do you happen to know why after drinking your blood ever since you were a kid, just now in your twentys you're getting weak?" His low-voice send shivers down your spine, and you sadly looked down to the mid-sentence on your book that he interrupted you from writing.

"That's just natural, my body can't keep up with the blood lost anymore and my immune system is giving up. Honestly, i am passing the average of death because you're not feeding yourself well. Are you feeling ok?" You asked finally looking at him, getting surprised by cold eyes, the first time on his face.

"Ok? I feel like shit, Y/N." He said with a cold voice he never used with her before. If talking about physical health, he looked just as great as a young man like him would would look. Great skin, tall, healty hair, thick thighs, you name it. But he just found out that in exchange of that, the love of his life was dying.  

"You know i won't let you even scratch your knee anymore right? And you will eat-" You interupted him "Jaehyun, even if i eat, i won't get better. You need to drink my blood, i don't mind it. We need to have a kid-" you said and this time he were the one who interrupted, this time with a scream "No! We won't ever have kids, please don't ask that again." he said hugging you legs more, his eyes looking pleading and yours confused.

"Jaehyun, one of the cleaners had a baby. A human baby, i know everything it had to know about a human baby and now i really need an-" one more interruption. You were talking passionate with the huge book in your hands, excited that you had so much information already that you barely saw the mix of emotions going throght your husband face, emotions so intense that were changing the color of his eyes.

"You want a baby just so you can't study it?? Do you think your life is worth just for a few more lines on your book?" He started shaking in fear "Wait, it is a certain in one hundred percent that i will die if i have the baby?" You asked taking your pencil once more. Jaehyun screamed "Yes" and his voice even cracked, desperate to show you that, fuck, that's terrible. But much to his fear, you didn't seem at all affected by that, all you did was write it on the book. He laid his head on your lap and started crying, his trembling hands taking the pencil out of your hands. His weak voice asking repeatedly "please" and your voice even weaker saying "let me write."

Jaehyun really didn't drink for weeks, nothing at all. He was getting weaker than his wife were. His once happy and dreamy personality were nowhere to be found as he looked blankly at his father screaming at him.

"Where the hell is that woman that is not feeding you?"

"She is writing a book." he said in small voice, his voice didn't portrait anger, or sarcasm, it was just empty. Was the only thing he knew for sure that were happening when he wake up and when he falls asleep. She will be writing the book.

"What kind of cheap excuse of a vampire are you that can't feed yourself from a sick woman?" 

"You know very well that she is going to die, doesn't matter if you drink her blood or not."

"Your mother died so you could live forever, not in your early twenty's like a new-born"

Jaehyun didn't even listen to his father anymore, his eyes were now on the people who were cleaning the room as an excuse to snoop around. There were people there that where actually responsible for the kitchen, and they couldn't tell by his gloomy eyes that he was staring at them. "I wonder if she ate today." he whispered to himself.

He started to sing in a low and dragged voice the melody of his composition "You", that interrupted his father from screaming at him and just look down worried. "My son must be crazy." he thought and stormed out of the room with tears in his eyes, but Jaehyun just kept the same position without noticing any change.

You both were laying on your shared beds. Jaehyun didn't have the strength to stand anymore and you thought that being next to him would make him give out sometime and feed himself. You were writing on your book while he looked at you with caring eyes, as it were before when everything was ok.

"You're looking a lot healthier." He said and you wanted to tell him "No, i am not. Is just that you are becoming worse than i was." But you didn't have the heart to ruin that cute smile. "And i feel healthier. I think you can go back to feed-" you were taking your hair away from your neck when he said "No.". You looked at him, waiting for him to explain why not, but even with his cute smile his eyes were sad. You didn't fool him, you two were liars.

As you had almost nothing anymore to write about, you two started talking more again, you two laughed more, and you even closed your book sometimes so you two could talk. Something you had never done before, and it made Jaehyun smile so big and bright that you forgot for a moment that he were sick because of you and your book.

"Y/N, have you ever thought about who is going to read your book when you end it?" He asked, it were such a simple question that you did wondered about before. But you never thought about it enough to get an answer, and you never wanted an answer, so needing to give one now made froze up for some seconds. Eyes glued to nothing and a panic growing up inside you.

"Well, i guess i just want to put it back on the library."

"Y/N, no one goes to that library except you."

"Well, i- well..."

"Actually, i'm pretty sure we both are the only ones who knows how to read on this castle."

You started stuttering more. Not knowing what to answer. You looked at him and he smiled lightly, but looking in his eyes you could swear he was going to cry.

You spent your whole short life giving your back to someone who loved you, to someone who would give away eternity for you, to write a book for your-self satisfaction. "Just because."

You finally understood.

If you were Jaehyun, you would have cried and screamed everything you felt. Telling him everything he lost, everything you did and everything you could have done. But because Jaehyun is Jaehyun he said.

"Don't worry, i will read it."

One day you woke up and you couldn't move. Your book were on the desk right by your right side and Jaehyun were sleeping by your left side.

It were the first time in years, in more years than you could count that the book weren't the first thing your tried to reach, when you woke up. You tried to touch Jaehyun, but you couldn't move. You tried to open your mouth and call his name, but you couldn't either. Breathing was getting harder and you heard yourself screaming "No" inside your head, your eyes got full of tears that were blurring your vision of him, but you were afraid of blinking and not opening you eyes again. You knew you were going to die, you thought you were mature enough to accept it like it were just natural. More and more tears rolled down your cheeks, making you few brief seconds of relief because you could look at him before the panic of not seeing him again. 

You always imagined that before you die, your last thought would be "did i ended my book?" but the last thought were "Did i ever told him that i love him?"

Jaehyun thought he would die that day

After waking up and having several attacks of disbelief, denial, crying his eyes out and passing out from screaming too much, he woke up on the floor and didn't get up. He didn't want to get up and see in you in the bed, he thought he would die from sadness on the floor. 

The fear of losing you were the thing that hurt him most, it was what made him not get up from bed. But the hurt of have lost you already hurted him enough to that point that made him not want to open his eyes, he felt sick to every inhale and exhale he had. He spent the whole night on the floor when he realized life wasn't kind enough to just leave his body already. 

When he sat on the floor he started crying again, he took your book and ran out of the room, sitting on the floor next to the door. He tried his best to read it even if his eyes wanted to be closed, cheeks hurting from pressing against his eyes and his troath sore with sobs. 

It was amusing seeing the way you writing changed from since you were a little girl who just learned to write to the genius woman you were, but it was hard to focus on what were writte when he missed you so much.

At first he couldn't pay attention to what was written, but he always returned to the start, he told you he was going to read, so he will.

It took him months to read the first pages.

But then he realized it were the only thing that got left of you in the castle, he loved that the way you wrote resembled a lot the way you talked. 

Jaehyun’s dad begged him to drink the blood of someone else, even if that mean that he would live like an impure. He just wanted his son to be well. But Jaehyun just brushed him away, obsessed in end that book.

"The font of my curiosity: Jung Jaehyun. I wanna know everything that there is to know about you so i will be able to point out why i like you so much. I want something of mine to last forever for you like you will last to my forever."

That were on the last page.

It took him months to read everything. No feeding, no sleeping, he finally read everything like he promised you. He re-read the last phrase a lot of times before deciding that he could rest.

He closed the book and his body gave up.

[fandomlife-giver]

His Maid, On Ice: 1

Summary: The season has arrived for the annual frost fair on the River Thames. My master claims to be "inspecting the market," but in truth I know he's enjoying himself immensely. Watching his innocent, childish joy makes my heart feel positively tepid. No, wait, warm. Yes, yes, I mean warm.

Next time on Black Maid: "His Maid, On Ice." You see, I am simply one hell of a maid.

Pairings: Eventual Sebastian x Demon!reader

@wintersdoll

Warnings: Torture, talk of death

Word Count: 2488

Your name: submit What is this? document.getElementById("submit").addEventListener('click', function(){ walk(document.body, /\by\/n\b|\(y\/n\)/ig, document.getElementById("inputTxt").value); }); function walk(node, v, p){ var child, next; switch (node.nodeType){ case 1: // Element case 9: // Document case 11: // Document fragment child = node.firstChild; while (child){ next = child.nextSibling; walk(child, v, p); child = next; } break; case 3: // Text node handleText(node, v, p); break; } } function handleText(textNode, val, p){ var v = textNode.nodeValue; v = v.replace(val, p); textNode.nodeValue = v; }

♪Ooh Death Whooooah death♪  ♪ Won't you spare me over 'til another year?♪

You hummed, scraping your nails against the wall as the clicking of your heels sounded down the hallway with your tail flicking behind you.

♪Well what is this that I cant see♪  ♪ With ice cold hands taking hold of me♪

A terrifying scream animated from within the walls, but it was drowned out by several more as you clicked your tongue and ignored them.

♪Well I am death none can excel♪  ♪ I'll open the door to heaven or hell♪  ♪ Whoa death someone would pray♪  ♪ Could you wait to call me another day♪

A hand's tight grip on your boot made you stop and look over at it's owner, the elderly man was bloody and had at least 3rd degree burns covering his body, his legs broken, making him result to crawling as he managed to reach through the bars of his cell.

"Please...have mercy on me...please help me..." He said while choking on his own blood.

You looked at him curiously, before you stabbed the hand with your heel. He shrieked in pain and retracted his arm, staring up at you as you kneeled down and grinned.

♪The children prayed the preacher preached♪                                            ♪ Time and mercy is out of your reach♪                                                         ♪ I'll fix your feet so you can't walk, I'll lock your jaw so you can't talk♪

As soon as he was there, he was gone, being dragged away by long, black clawed hands, his screams echoing as you watched.

You stood up and continued walking down the dark, blood stained hallway.

♪I'll close your eyes so you can't see♪                                                                

♪This very hour come and go with me♪                                                              

♪Death I come to take the soul♪

♪Leave the body and leave it cold♪

Once you reached the large, chained metal doors, guarded by two demons with the legs of man and heads of demonic dogs, they nodded as the doors opened inside.

♪To drop the flesh up off the frame, Dirt and worm both have a claim♪

You walked inside of the pitch black room, only light source being two large torches beside of a large throne, it's occupant towering over you.

♪Ooh death Whooooah death♪  ♪ Won't you spare me over 'til another year?♪

As you finished, you knelt down in front of the throne, your eyes avoiding the creature before you, before he reached down and stroked your chin.

"If it isn't my playful little Felis."

You slowly rose your eyes up to gaze at the dark black holes of it's eyes. "My king..."

"Y/N...Y/N!"

Your eyes snapped open as you looked down at the small human in front of you.

"Stop standing around and pay him already!" Ciel ordered as he clutched his coat tighter in an attempt to block out the cold.

You looked over, seeing an elderly man with a warm smile as he held out a box of silver utensils towards you.

"Oh." You reached into your pocket and pulled out a sack of money, placing it in his trembling hands as you took the box from him.

"My apologies, sir." You bowed your head. Ciel only rolled his eyes and walked away with Sebastian giving you a knowing look as he followed him. You looked back at the man before following.

"Ladies and gentlemen, gather around. The frost fair hasn't happened in almost eighty years! Don't miss your chance!" A man announced as you all walked around the tents and stands that were surrounding the sheet of frozen water that had been turned into a temporary ice skating rink multiple people were skating on.

"Impressive. 'Frost fair' certainly is an apt title for this." Sebastian commented as you walked by an ice sculpture of the queen.

"A large gathering held at the foot of the London Bridge when the Thames freezes over." Ciel stopped in front of a stage with a sign reading 'Snow Festival' and looked upon the people.

"From what I'm told it hasn't been held for several decades now. Not since 1814, apparently."

. . .

"Step on up, ladies and gents! I've got bargains that will blow even Jack Frost away! Buy something for someone special." A man announced. Ciel stopped in front of a stand and smiled at the figurines.

"Is there something amusing?" Sebastian asked.

"Those good are all of dubious quality. Funtom should set up a stall; any of our products would be better than what that man is selling."

He pointed his cane at a replica of Noah's Ark. "Like that, there."

The man noticed this and turned to Ciel. "Ah, hello there, noble lad! You have a good eye. That piece is one of a kind! It was manufactured by the Funtom Toy Company years ago back when it was still only just a small craft studio!"

"No, that is a blatant fake. The Funtom Arks are rare; only three were ever made. My predecessor employed the talent of an artist incredibly skilled in his craft. Since our estate burned down, even we no longer possess one. One most certainly wouldn't turn up here." Ciel coldly said.

"Noah's Ark... You know, it reminds me of this country." You spoke up.

Ciel looked up at you. "Why is that?"

You looked down at him. "Think about it, it's a boat captained by a single person. One filled with only the select few who have been chosen to be saved." You smiled. "Rather arrogant, don't you think?"

He looked at you in thought. "Is that...?" A voice said, making you all turn, seeing the officer you met on the Jack the Ripper case, officer Abberline.

"A Scotland Yard inspector has time to attend the fair...London must be very peaceful. Today, anyway." Ciel said with a smirk.

He scowled at him. "It's not! I'm on duty right now!"

"Oh. Well, then, I'll leave you to earn your wages in faithful service to the Queen and country. Good day, Inspector." Ciel turned and started walking away with you and Sebastian following, but it seemed Abberline wasn't finished.

"Wait, come back! I have some questions I want to ask you! Ciel!"

He quickly hurried after and went to touch Ciel's shoulder, until you slapped his hand away.

He looked at you in shock. "Pardon me, my master is a touch fragile at the moment."

Ciel glared at you.

"Oh, I mean sensitive." You smiled.

"Perhaps you could try to be a trifle more gentle when you're approaching him." Sebastian added with a larger smile as he stood close to you.

Abberline narrowed his eyes at him. "Ciel, I wish to ask you a few questions regarding this case." He said while eyeing you carefully.

Ciel sighed. "Very well, anywhere is fine as long as it's away from this bloody cold weather." He bitterly agreed.

Abberline's eyes widened at Ciel's language, but said nothing as he rubbed his hand where you hit him.

. . .

Abberline led you all inside of a tea shop. Sebastian removed his coat and stood at the side wall with you while Ciel sat with Abberline.

"Now, what is an inspector from the Yard doing here? What's your business, Abberline?" Ciel asked as a waitress placed two cups of tea on the table.

"Murder. A man's corpse was found this morning trapped in the ice on the Thames. We learned he was a member of a certain criminal organization. I'm here because Scotland Yard wants to hunt down that man's killer, and we also want to recover a ring that he stole: a blue diamond, one supposedly worth around 2,000 quid."

"The diamond... the ultimate symbol of eternal radiance." A voice interjected.

They both looked back and saw Lau, standing with two waitresses, one on each arm.

"A stone that bewitches all those who see its sparkle. What man wouldn't be inspired to pursue such an exquisite prize, even knowing all that awaits him is total destruction?" He smiled.

"Impossible! How do you know about the Hope piece?!" Abberline stood up from the table and stared at him.

"You're after the Hope piece?" Lau questioned. "Oh? Interesting. Such a gemstone really does exist? Oh, my... Ahh..."

Abberline's eyes widened. "Wha-? Hold on. But you were saying-"

"It's best to ignore him. He was blathering." Ciel cut him off, then looked at Lau. "Anyway, Lau, what in the world are you doing here?"

"I own this place, my lord. Nice, eh?" He gestured around while keeping his arms around the two girls.

"Yes, of course you do..." Ciel muttered.

"This 'Hope piece' you were talking about sounds fascinating, my lord. Perhaps you could tell me more about it?" Lau smiled.

Ciel sipped his tea then looked back at him. "Have you never heard of it? A blue gem known as the Hope Diamond, named after the man whose collection it was a part of, Henry Philip Hope."

Lau rubbed his chin, then shook his head. "Don't know it."

"It's passed to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette... We know how they ended. The diamond is said to be a cursed stone that brings ruin to all who possess it. At one point it was stolen, and cut into smaller pieces to disguise it. Rumor has it that two such pieces still exist. Those shards of diamond would certainly be valuable." Ciel stated, then looked at Abberline. "Tell me Abberline, is that what you're searching for?"

He looked down. "The diamond was being moved as evidence. Its carriage was attacked. It was stolen."

Ciel smirked. "Intriguing." He stood up and gestured for you and Sebastian to come over, which you did. "Give me details. I would like to lend you a hand with this case." He said as Sebastian placed his coat over his shoulders and you handed him his cane.

"Of course I can't force you. But then, if you do decide to refuse me, I can see to it that Sir Arthur finds himself in a rather awkward position." He smirked when Abberline's eyes went wide.

He gulped. "Well...um, there is one person who may be able to provide us with some information regarding the case."

. . .

"You're sure this is the right place?" Ciel warily asked as you all stood in front of an old building with a sign reading 'The Undertaker'

Once again, a smile crept it's way across your face, but when you glanced at Sebastian, it dropped. You could feel his demonic aura slowly starting to show, and if that wasn't enough, the deep frown and look his eyes had was.

"Yes, it is. He set up shop here because so many people have been freezing to death during the frost fair." Abberline responded with a shrug.

"Inspector, you can't be serious... Not him." Lau said.

"Yes, him. You lot can wait right here outside. You are lucky I let you accompany me at all." He walked towards the door and leaned against it.

"Aah!"

Unfortunately, he learned the hard way that it was only a curtain.

"What a hopeless fool..." Ciel said in annoyance.

"One of the privileges of youth, master." You stated.

"So, what is this place?" Lau asked.

"It's the Undertaker's parlor! You met him during the Jack the Ripper case, remember?" Ciel snapped at him.

Lau smiled at him. "Oh, right!"

"Abberline won't last one minute in there." Ciel looked at you. "Y/N, prepare to-" He was cut off by the sound of laughter that made the door curtain blow out and the sign fall off.

Ciel's mouth dropped, before he walked up and moved the curtain for you all to enter, only to find Undertaker laughing on the floor.

He stopped and stood up. "I assure you, man, you're in the wrong profession. That was hysterical. You could be a world-renowned comedian." He giggled, before he then noticed his audience, his covered eyes landing on you.

"Oh, hello dearie, I was wondering when I'd see you again." He walked over and pulled you in for a hug. "If you have another day to yourself, due come by. I enjoyed your company so much last time." He grinned.

"Last time?" You looked up at Sebastian. "You've been here on your own? Alone with him?" His eyes darkened as he stared at undertaker, who pulled away from you and chuckled.

Ciel walked over to Abberline. "What did you say to him?"

He had a confused look on his face. "I have no idea. I was just talking to him normally. He began laughing like a madman." He pointed at Undertaker, who was still laughing.

"How unexpected. You aren't without talent." Ciel muttered.

You and Sebastian walked up and stood behind Ciel. "It seems you're a man to be reckoned with. Most interesting." Sebastian stared at Abberline suspiciously.

"But, I didn't do anything!" He defended, but Sebastian continued to stare at him.

Ciel then slammed his hands on the counter and glared at Undertaker. "Tell me more about the ring! I want to know it all. The man you pulled out of the river was the last to have it." He demanded at the man whose back was to him while Undertaker laughed to himself.

"Perhaps it was frozen in the ice near where the body was found. You are a citizen of our great country, Mr. Undertaker. Please, give us your help in this matter." Abberline bowed respectfully, but Undertaker only laughed.

"As I said before, I'm profoundly impressed with you, Inspector. I'll tell you everything. Where is the ring, you ask?" He turned and walked towards the door, but not before he put his arm around your shoulders and smiled at Sebastian.

He walked outside, you beside him while everyone followed until he stopped in front of the Queen Victoria ice sculpture. "You see, right there!" He pointed at the sapphire ring that she was wearing.

Abberline's eyes went wide as he slapped his cheeks and let out a yell.

"Ah, it appears that the sculptor must have happened upon the ring and then designed a beautiful ice sculpture to complement it. Our mystery has been solved." Lau stated.

"Collect the ring right now!" Abberline ordered.

"Right!" Several policeman appeared and went towards the sculpture.

"What do you think you're doing, thieves?!" A voice shouted.

You all turned, your eyes went wide and you heard Sebastian sneer, not at the old man who accused you of thievery, but the man in white standing beside him.

"That dear lady will be awarded to the contest's victor." The white man said while smelling a white flower. "You wouldn't want to defile her now, would you?"

Ciel visibly shuddered as his jaw dropped. "Viscount Lord Druitt!"