#I mostly just left it out on my desk cus I was too tired to do anything anymore

[sensitivegoblin]

.....my sister read my therapy vent journal.

[mercy-burning]

Good Little Helper

Pairing: Season 5! Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: Reader gets assigned to be Spencer’s personal assistant of sorts after he gets shot in the knee. Category: SMUT(18+) Content Warnings: fingering (female receiving), blowjob, praise kink, dirty talk, blink and you’ll miss it cumplay Word Count: 4.7k

MASTERLIST

NOTE: So, remember yesterday when I posted about how I wished new ideas would stop distracting me from everything I’m currently working on? Yeah. This wouldn’t leave me alone, and I couldn’t work on anything until I got it out of my head, so here! Have a fic! (It was supposed to be a blurb, but I got a little long-winded so now it’s too long to be a blurb oops 😙✌) Also, I apologize for any editing mistakes, I just wrote this out in one go, so hopefully it’s alright!

***

Being assigned to assist Dr. Reid with practically his every need after he was shot in the knee wasn't exactly how I expected to spend the past few months.

And that's, like... a huge understatement.

In fact, when Agent Hotchner came up to me in the break room and said he'd like me to do the job, I dropped my coffee and shattered a mug. I could tell he was a little impatient with me, even through his kind reassurances that it was quite all right as he helped me clean it up and waited for an answer.

In the end I'd said yes to the job, though the more I thought about it the more I wondered how much lust and naivete had clouded my judgement when I did.

Because there was absolutely no way I was going to be able to survive weeks, possibly months, as Spencer Reid's assistant. Not only because he was intimidatingly intelligent and there was almost nothing I could offer him in decent conversation, but also—and more prominently—the fact that I was pretty sure I was in love with him.

Maybe that was a stretch. I definitely had a stupid major crush on him that felt more like we were in middle school, but I could barely look at him without going warm all over. In fact, I think we had only ever made eye contact once and I averted my gaze immediately, afraid I'd give myself away. If I'd have held it any longer, I was positive I'd have burst into flames.

He'd tried talking to me once, a few months after I started working at the Bureau, and it was only to ask if I'd send some files over to their tech analyst, Penelope Garcia, but when I tried answering, I stumbled over my words and ended up only getting out a squeaked, "Uh huh," before taking the files from him and scurrying off.

I almost cried that day.

Basically every time I was in his presence, I was a total wreck. Even more so than I was on any other given day.

Being his assistant did get fairly easy pretty early on, though. I mostly just stayed out of his way while he worked, and if he need anything that he could've gotten himself if not for the injury, it was my job to get it for him. I worked on my own paperwork most of the time, and he was always busy working on geographical profiles and whatever else, we only ever really had to talk when he asked for something. And that only required a, "Sure," on my end, so I could just get up, get what he needed, and then go back to work.

Still, it didn't help that sometimes I'd get distracted.

He was very distracting.

I usually waited until I was sure he was so busy in work that I wouldn't get caught. And that's when I'd peek over my computer or hide behind a book and stare at him. I know that sounds creepier than it is, but if you had to spend almost every hour of the day with him, you'd have done the same. Even though for months he was put on rest from the field, he always showed up looking more like a college professor than an FBI agent. Which, I suppose suited him more anyway. Regardless, it was a damn fine look. His hair was decently long and extremely pretty, and when he got the cane?

I was a goner.

It was at that point, though, when I started to realize that he probably wouldn't need my help anymore. He'd been allowed back into the filed by then, and even when I went with them on cases it still felt like I was more out of place than usual. Sure, I'd picked up on some minor skills that aided in profiling and otherwise, but at the end of the day I was still only a desk clerk. Sooner or later, I knew there would be a time where Agent Hotchner would inevitably tell me that I'd done a good job and could return to my menial day job.

So, even though Dr. Reid and I had gotten into a pretty regular, non-awkward rhythm, I was being a little more squirrely than usual.

And of course, he noticed.

"Y/N, are you doing alright?" he asked, looking up from his stack of paperwork. That was another thing we'd ended up doing— late into the night after everyone had gone home, we stayed late in the conference room and quietly filled out paperwork.

I barely looked him in the eye when I answered. "O—Oh, mhm. I'm fine."

"Oh... You just seem... a little different today."

On any other day I would have freaked out on the inside like a teenager, excited that he'd noticed me at all enough to notice a difference in my behavior. But that was his job after all.

"Actually, you seem rather... sad."

I did look up at him this time, and the soft glow of the table lamp lit up his features— features that looked me over with concern. I could feel my face grow warmer with every second I looked at him, until I quickly looked back down at my paper and shook my head.

"N—No, I'm okay. Promise. Just a little tired, that's all."

Usually he would have left it at that, given we didn't ever really have longer conversations than that that didn't pertain to whatever case the BAU was working on. But he pushed further, and I swallowed.

"Are you sure? Because... You can tell me if there's something wrong. I'm a good listener..."

Did I dare tell him what was really plaguing me? That I was scared I wasn't going to be able to spend time with him every day, thus most likely giving away my crush? That is, if he hadn't already figured it out by this point... Truthfully it wouldn't have surprised me.

The thought made me go warm again, and still, I kept my head down.

"I'm sure..."

And then I did something I probably shouldn't have. I looked back up at him, just a quick glance, but under his intense gaze I crumbled, flitting my eyes back down and playing with my hands.

"Is it... because of me?"

Afraid suddenly that I'd made him feel bad, I straightened a little. "No! No, not at all I... Um... I—I guess I'm just... A little sad that I'm probably... not going to be of any help to you anymore. You know, now that you're healing up."

A small smile flashed over his face, and I inwardly melted.

"Oh... In that case I... I guess I'm sad, too."

"Really?" I asked softly, my heart jumping.

"Mhm," he answered back in earnest. His features were softer than they'd ever been, eyes wide and kind, smile inviting... "You've been a great help. And you're fun to be around."

I couldn't help but smile shyly at his confession, completely bewildered that he'd think of me as someone he'd enjoyed being around, though I'd offered just about nothing interesting to any conversation we'd had. "Y—You don't mean that..."

"I do."

"C'mon, really? I... I—mean... coming from you that's... that's too generous."

He laughed a little. "How do you mean?"

"I... Well, y—you're you... I mean, you're... smart, and nice, and cu— uh,... n—nice..." I stumbled hard on that last one, squeezing my eyes shut at the thought of almost calling him cute to his face... And then I realized I'd called him nice two times... in a row.

I hadn't even realized he'd gotten up and walked over to me until I felt his cane gently tap my leg. I jumped, looking up at him and almost crumbled again right then and there. He stood over me, tall and clearly amused, and I wanted to just curl up and hide where no one would ever find me.

I also didn't want to be craning my neck so far up to see him, so I stood up, sending my chair rolling back a foot or two. The added height was better, but he was still fiarly taller than me, and with the way were standing so close to each other?

Maybe I'd made a mistake...

"I—I'm sorry," I stammered.

Still amused, Spencer tilted his head a small amount. "What for?"

"I... I don't know, m—making this awkward?"

"It's not awkward."

"It... It's not?"

He shook his head, quiet for a few beats before he nearly whispered. "What were you going to say?"

I paused. "I... What?"

"Before... You said I was smart. And nice... And... What else?"

It sounded like he was trying to get me to confess something, and quite honestly I couldn't tell if it was for humiliation or amusement or clarification purposes. I mean, it was probably safe to assume he wouldn't go out of his way to humiliate me, but... it still made me nervous.

"I—I didn't... I..."

"Y/N... Tell me?"

I'd been cornered. Quite literally, too, as my lower back hit the edge of the table. My hands shook anxiously at my sides as I contemplated what to say. The truth? Embarrassing for me. A lie? I was no good at telling lies, and I'd still end up embarrassed, because he'd be able to tell.

So, after a very long silence in which he waited on me to answer, I blurted out, as quietly as possible, "Cute."

The word sounded juvenile coming from my mouth. Right now, standing under Dr. Reid's intense scrutiny, it didn't even feel like the right word to describe him. Not that it wasn't true... But it just wasn't an elegant enough descriptor for him.

And that alone probably proved just how different we were. How out of my league he was...

"That's what I thought you were going to say," he mused, slightly breaking me out of my self-deprecation.

I would have asked him something then, anything to keep myself from looking like even more of a fool with a childish schoolgirl crush, but all words escaped me entirely. All I could do was look up at him, slowly growing warm under the intensity of his eyes and praying he wouldn't think of me as silly.

Though, it wouldn't have mattered, because he kept talking anyway, his body taking up even more space around me as his arms came around to well and truly trap me against the table.

"You're right, you know... I'm almost completely healed, and pretty soon I think I won't need an assistant anymore."

I was scared that maybe I was wrong before, and he'd actually humiliate me now, though the look in his eyes suggested otherwise. I wasn't sure what to make of all of it. SO I just stood there, trying to breath steadily as Spencer studied my face.

"And I meant it... That makes me sad. You know why?"

I shook my head, afraid to make a sound.

His head dipped lower, close enough that I could feel his breath on my mouth as he spoke. "I probably won't get to see you every day."

"Y—you want to see me?" I couldn't help but ask.

He scanned my eyes, amusement and something else lingering there as he did. "Yes."

And then he kissed me.

It was a short distance, but it felt like we went far. And I hadn't even registered that I whimpered into his mouth until he returned it with a low groan that boiled my insides and absolutely melted me. I was helpless against him as he pressed himself further against me and used his hands to keep my back steady.

The whole time my mind was swimming with dizziness. It felt like my body was covered in butterflies from head to toe, particularly strong where his hands pressed into me and his cane rested firmly along the inside of my thigh.

I leaned forward when he pulled away, because I was afraid that he was saying goodbye. But one of his hands came up to my face and my eyes fluttered open, immediately taking notice of how messy his hair was now that I'd had my fingers in it.

I must have looked scared, because suddenly his eyes changed, and he removed his hands away from me altogether, putting distance in between us. "I—I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you without asking..."

The relief that rushed through my body must have gotten to my head, because I breathed out a demand I'd never have had the courage to get out before.

"Do it again."

One second I was staring at him, admittedly afraid that he'd regretted all of it, and the next I was seeing stars as he came forward and kissed me again. His hands cradled my face as he did so, coming on to me with gentle care while still maintaining that hunger that surprised and excited me.

I hadn't realized how much I missed his touch until he'd given it back to me, my body once again melting into him and allowing him to do whatever it is that pleased him.

Apparently that was lifting my leg off the ground and making me sit on the table.

My body went along with it easily, and I was glad for it because my brain was nothing but mush, unable to process fully how he'd decided that I was worth kissing. All I really knew was that I wanted him. Anything he wanted from me, I was willing to give. And that must have come across very clearly, because when he pulled away and spoke to me, I whimpered at his words.

"Y/N... You've been such a good girl, helping me with whatever I needed these past few months..." Meanwhile his hand danced along the hem of my skirt, the tiny brushes of his skin against mine sending me into a mess of shivers.

"I think it's about time I've thanked you for all your help, don't you think?"

The implications in his tone made me whine again, and I pressed my forehead into his, our noses brushing as I answered. "Please."

I was so taken by the way he groaned as his lips connected with mine once more that I almost didn't realize that his hand was now fully up my skirt, his fingers drawing gentle lines over my panties and practically making me melt again. His hungry kisses contradicted the softness he took to my clothed cunt, a fact that warmed me to my core and made me want him more than ever.

When he slipped the fabric aside and ran the pad of his finger through me, I whined hard against his mouth, something that must have excited him— He nipped at my bottom lip and took a deep breath.

"How long have you wanted this, Princess?"

If not for the kissing and the finger slowly sliding up through my arousal, the nickname would have done me in. By now I was an utter wreck, but I somehow still managed to answer, even through a little stammering. "F—Forever."

It was the best I could come up with.

He breathed a laugh as his finger circled my clit. "That's a long time..."

"Uh huh," was all I could manage in response. My body and my brain were too focused on the things his finger was doing to my body, involuntarily rolling my hips forward for more. I needed more.

Thankfully he picked up on my urgency and reciprocated with slipping his middle finger inside me, one knuckle, then two...

I cried out as my head lurched forward, connecting our mouths once again. My hands clutched around his neck and my fingers tugged at his hair to keep myself from falling, because the slow, searing pace at which he fingered me made me wonder how I'd still been able to breathe.

He added another finger soon enough, picking up the pace and rendering me practically useless in his embrace. Meanwhile I registered the sound of his own little whines, still deeper than mine but little enough to tip me off that he was enjoying this just as much as I was, and that alone helped get me further along in pleasure.

I pulled my mouth from his reluctantly, squeezing my eyes shut as I allowed my forehead to rest against his. "D—Doctor, I'm c... I'm so close."

"His honorific falling breathlessly from my mouth seemed to do something sinister to him, because his fingers sped up and his breathing got heavier.

"Yeah? You gonna come for me, Princess?"

My stomach tightened and I nodded as best as I could, relishing in the sounds coming from below us, wet and downright filthy.

"Go ahead...Be a good girl and come for me... You deserve it..."

Each little sentence was punctuated with a slightly faster pace, each one bringing me closer and closer until I squeaked into his mouth and shook violently around his fingers, my vision going white. My legs had been open wide since he'd started teasing under my skirt, but now they threatened to clamp shut from the intensity. But I wanted nothing more than to be good for him, to make this as easy as possible, so I held out and kept them open as wide as I could stand as my orgasm rocked through me.

Spencer whispered praises into my skin as his hand slowed and his mouth trailed down to my neck. And even though it was more than nice feeling him lick and bite over my skin, I felt rather sad when he removed his fingers from me.

That sadness didn't last long though, not when he pulled back and studied me for a moment, eyes lust-blown and purely ravenous before he brought his glistening fingers up to my mouth.

I didn't even have to think. I brought my tongue out and let him slip his fingers over it, closing my mouth around them and sighing as I sucked them clean. This only seemed to excite him more, his features displaying all sorts of desperation until he couldn't take it anymore.

He kissed me again, bringing both his hands to rest at my waist. And with his hands so low I wondered if maybe he'd take to ridding himself of his own pants, but it never happened. Rather, he pulled away after minutes of more kissing, and sighed quite sadly as his upper body pressed firmly into mine.

Something else pressed firmly against me as well—right along the inside of my thigh—and I gasped, mind running wild through all the possible outcomes of the night.

But Spencer only stood there, occasionally nudging his nose against mine while his hands gently kneaded my sides.

"D—Do you want to stop?" I asked softly, afraid he'd regret what we did.

He proved me wrong. "God, no... It's... It's just that I'm still not cleared enough for any... strenuous activity on my leg, and I don't..."

I didn't want to push him, obviously, but I thought I could make the mood a little lighter. "O—Oh, well on the bright side... I could stay your assistant for a while longer."

The laugh that rumbled in his throat made me smile, though from the way he stood there, I knew he wouldn't risk it.

"Um... Raincheck?" he whispered.

On the one hand, that meant he definitely wanted to see me again, and I was more than happy with that. But also, that meant our fun for the night was done...

Yet... Maybe not...

"Sure," I answered, pecking his lips once more. Then I brought my hand to his chest and slid it down until I reached his belt, and I leaned back to look him in the eye, a boldness I never imagined coming from me in a million years.

"But I can still help you..."

I watched the desperation and disappointment in his features slowly dissolve into a newfound hunger—and an amusement—that grew my confidence tenfold.

"Oh?" Spencer mused. "How do you suppose you can help me this time?"

He wanted me to say it. So, without second guessing myself anymore, I grazed my finger over his erection. "I'm very good with my mouth, Dr. Reid."

He grabbed me by the hand then, dragging me along to the chair I'd kicked back before and sat himself down, one of his hands still gripping the cane. Matched with the desire in his eyes and the swollenness of his lips and the tousled strands of his hair, the sight was truly something to behold. It was something that only ever existed in my dreams, nd now it was real.

Not wanting to waste any time, I sunk to my knees and nestled myself in between his legs. He reached out and caressed my cheek before lifting my chin with his middle finger.

"You like being my good little helper?" he drawled.

I tried to nod, but he clicked his tongue and held my chin in place. "Words, Princess."

"Yes. I—I'd do anything you asked. Anything you want, it's yours..."

He hummed then, removing his hand from my face and moving to undo his belt swiftly with only one hand. The action, the sound, everything... it was enough to make me wet again, and I subtly ground down onto the heel of my foot as I watched him pull himself free from the confines of his pants.

I didn't have time to marvel at him before I was drawn forward like a magnet, my hands crawling up his legs and my eyes batting up at him, ready and eager to please him however he wanted.

"Eager, are we?" he mused once more, gently stroking himself with his hand.

"Yes, Doctor," I breathed, inching closer and kissing the outside of his hand.

His movement stopped then, and it didn't take longer than a second for him to decide to let me work on my own.

"Then have at it, Princess..."

I started by kissing my way up the length of him, taking my time to gauge his reactions as I did so, occasionally darting my tongue out to taste him. Once I reached the tip, I sucked on it gently, using my tongue to swirl around it until I could taste the saltiness of his precum.

And then I started taking him slowly into my mouth, watching above me as Spencer's eyes started to shut, obviously debating whether or not to lay back and enjoy this or watch me intently.

Either way, I was more than happy to keep it up, finally getting him to the back of my throat. I flexed my tongue and held him there as long as I could, promptly gagging over him and blinking tears from my eyes as he let out a loudest sound I'd heard from him yet. His head flew back and his tongue quivered along his bottom lip as he cursed my name.

The act made me proud, so I retreated for air, sucked at his tip again for a few seconds, and then repeated it, taking him down my throat again and watching through teary eyes as he visibly swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Fuck, Y/N, you're so... Such a good fucking girl..."

The praise caused my insides to burn hot, and I ground down onto my heel again, lifting my mouth to start bobbing up and down.

His eyes opened then, and he looked down at me, using his hand to brush stray hair from my face and the other to grip onto his cane for dear life. I looked up at him the whole time, making sure to convey through not only my actions but also my eyes that I loved this. I thrived off of his praise, I enjoyed the feel of his dick gliding over my tongue and hitting the back of my throat, and I longed to feel him coat the inside of my mouth with his release.

I was so entirely into him in every capacity, it wasn't even funny.

I was so glad he could tell, a smile grazing his features as his hand gently gripped some of my hair. "So eager to please, Princess... And so fucking good at delivering..."

I whined onto his dick as he held me down, rendering me immobile. The only thing I could do was look up at him and choke, and of course, I was more than happy to do it. In turn, I was met with a deep groan and a tug of the hair.

"Hold it, hold it... Atta girl..."

My cunt throbbed at his words, and my throat continued to burn, tears falling down my face at ten-speed until finally, he let up and pulled me off of him.

I coughed a little and blinked away tears as I caught my breath, Spencer's fingers combing hair from my face as he smiled proudly.

He didn't even need to say anything then. I wanted to give him more. So I leaned down again and took him in my mouth, quickly making work of his tip while my hand came up and stroked the rest of him.

"Fuck, Princess, just like that... Make me come just like that..."

Rather than just continuing, I offered him a high whine and a wide gaze, hoping to exceed expectations.

I guess it worked, because he came right then, his dick pulsing over my tongue and in my hand as his warm release shot down my throat and over my tongue. I hummed around him, fluttering my eyes closed at the taste and the feeling, probably enjoying the fact that I'd done this to him more than I should have.

It was worth it to see the look on his face, though, after he'd given me all he had and I purposely spit some of it out onto the tip of his dick so I could lick it up and give him just a little more stimulation after the fact. His mouth hung open, eyes heavy and unwilling to leave me, even as I finished and sat back to wipe the tears and saliva from my face with a satisfied smile.

Though, the longer he looked at me, the more shy I became. Funny when I'd just had his dick down my throat, but I'd never been good with people staring at me for long periods of time.

"Was that... Was that okay?" I asked, suddenly worried I hadn't done something to his standards. "I know I don't do this a lot, so I'm sorry if it wasn't that g—"

"Y/N..."

I blinked up at him, still on my knees and unwilling to move. Not that I wanted to, but I couldn't even if I had.

"That was fucking perfect... I meant it, you're... so good."

I knew he was capable of better words, but after having the life sucked out of you, I could imagine 'better words' were hard to come by. Still, I laughed a little, playing with the hem of my skirt. "Good. I'm... glad I could help."

He smiled at me, readjusting his pants and then moving to help me off the ground.

"Hey, uh... Even when you go back to your regular job after I get better, I... I hope you know you're always welcome to come visit me if we're not busy."

The words warmed me in a different way, my heart swelling as well. "You... You mean that?"

Spencer nodded, grabbing my hand and dragging his thumb over my wrist. "Of course. I mean, you're more than just a good helper, you know. You're also kind, and smart, and cute..."

I laughed at his emphasis on cute, heat warming my face. "Ha-ha..."

"I really mean it, though," he said softly, removing his hand from mind and bringing it up to lift my chin, so I'd meet his eyes. They were swimming with sincerity, the epitome of warmth and comfort and kindness— the kind that always drew me to him in the first place. "And... If you'd want to maybe ditch the paperwork one day and grab a coffee or something, maybe—"

"Yes," I interrupted without thinking. My heartbeat picked up upon seeing the look in his eyes when I agreed, a mixture of amusement and relief. "Y—Yes, I'd love to."

"Good. Then it's a date?"

"Definitely."

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[a-cat001]

The Coolest Lion in Daikanyama

“Huuuuuhhhh, I’ll never get through all this paperwork at this rate, aaaahhhh”, Arsalan rolled over onto his side on his desk in exhaustion as he had been hours at  work filling out paperwork for the abbey as per requested by Maria. “There has to be something to do other than this” he whined, no sooner than he had spoken, an angel came by his desk with another stack of paperwork causing Arsalan to bury his face into his arms in defeat. “I wish a certain cub would come by, I bet they could make this mundane work more exciting.” he said to himself, his face still planted in his arms. A sudden loud noise made him lift his head back up to see its source, “Come on Maria!”, “No Gabriel, you have responsibilities to attend to here, you can’t go to the party.”. It was Gabriel and Maria with Gabriel trailing behind Maria clinging to her clothes in a pleading fashion “But I got to put on a hit performance at such a party, even MC is going to be there!” Gabriel cried, this caused Arsalan’s ears to perk up at the mention of your name and a party, “What’s this about a party Maria?” the lion asked. “Shinjuku Academy is hosting a large party to celebrate their recent academic success schoolwide” replied Maria, “Yeah and the one thing that a party needs is a show and you know what's even better? A duet collab, it’s just what the people are waiting for!” Gabriel exclaimed indicating she wanted you to perform with her. “Again Gabriel, you have responsibilities to take care of on top of the fact you nearly gave them a heart attack last time you decided to randomly pull them on stage” said Maria, quickly cutting down Gabriel’s hope of performing, “Plus I believe that the party is only for Shinjuku students” she added. Gabriel continued to cling to Maria as she walked off, still whining about attending the party, leaving Arsalan to himself. He soon begin to think to himself about the party, staring at the stacks of paperwork on his desk, feeling more exhausted as he thought about the hours he would spend filling them out, “I’m sure that one break couldn’t hurt, it’ll boost my moral and I’ll be able to finish this paperwork in no time, plus I bet my young cub could use some company at such a rowdy event.” he thought to himself, stroking his chin as a smile came to his face.

It was the night of the party and you meet up with the rest of the summoners before heading down to the main reception “Ooooh I can’t wait to hit the buffet line, I heard Choji prepared all kinds of delicious stuff for the party!” Ryota said as he bounced along, “Hold your horses there bud, you may have to compete with Behemoth on that one” Kengo remarked. “Don’t take me lightly Kengo! All is fair in food and war and I don’t intend to lose, not even to Behemoth!”, Ryota said, “Woah where'd all this seriousness come from?!” Kengo replied. “Isn’t it all is fair in love and war?” Shiro quipped looking puzzled at Ryota’s earlier statement, “Same thing” Ryota replied which made you laugh, “looks like no ones changed” you remark. “Remember we are here to enjoy ourselves, my friends not to fight.” Moritaka said, “There will be plenty of food and games to enjoy for everyone, speaking of which I think I may enjoy myself in a game of frisbee toss while we’re there.” he added his tail wagging at the thought of frisbee. After you arrive at the party some of your friends break off to go enjoy different parts of the party while you go with Ryota to enjoy the buffet table, sampling the delicious array of food that is present until a sudden noise from the crowd in the distance catches your attention. You and Ryota move in to find out what the noise was about, running into Kengo in the process and asking what the was causing the commotion but Kengo simply stared forward with his mouth agape before answering “Uh, who is that?”. You turn in the direction he motions to and your jaw quickly hits the floor at the sight of a large lion transient wearing shades, white high top sneakers, shorts, an unzipped leather hoodie with the sleeves ripped off and a white t-shirt with the words “Lion Pride” written on it. “Hey yo cubs! The coolest lion in Dai- Shinjuku has arrived!” Arsalan roared as he pumped his fist into the air, “That Kengo, is a cry for attention” you sigh. Perhaps you spoke too loud as Arsalan quickly turns to your direction before his face lights up and he runs over to you picking you up off the ground into a massive hug, “greetings young cu- I mean, how’s my main cub!” he shouts, earning you more than a few stares. By the time Arsalan puts you down your face is beet red and you grab Arsalan’s paw to lead him to a less crowded area where you can talk to him, “What are you doing here?”, “What, I’m just here to enjoy the party and see my favorite cub.” he responds. You cross your arms and raise an eyebrow at him to which he breaks his facade ,”Awwww come now, don’t look at me with that face, you know I don’t do well with paperwork.” he whines, you give him a quick boop on the nose before reminding him he can’t just ditch his responsibilities. “This will be a one time instance, besides Maria will have my tail if I return now”, You give a defeated sigh and uncross your arms, “Fine, just try to blend in ok?”, you ask, “Gotcha” he replies, flashing you a smile and a pair of finger guns, “Huuh, ok, also what’s with the outfit?”, “Hmm, I thought this is what the youth of this world normally wear is it not?” he replies. Looking him up and down you chuckle before heading back to the party, you spend most of the party hanging around Arsalan, partially to keep him company and part to watch over him. You and Arsalan play mostly sports games and mingle with the crowd, meeting up with several of your friends and students from your class, with Arsalan “trying” to keep inconspicuous. HIs methods are however, drawing more attention to the two of you, “Hey yo! Nice to meet ya, how’s it hangin”, he would shout or he would shout into crowds, “Come on cubs raise your hands in the air!” and while it definitely got you some puzzled looks you couldn’t help but enjoy his enthusiasm. This continued for a while so you decided to take a break and grab a drink, but as you do a pair of students from another class come up to you with smug grins on their face. “You always tend to attract the freak show don’t you” one of them said, the other behind him chuckling, you give them a glare “What’s it to you what my friends are like” you retort. “Oh it's nothing it just makes sense that someone as weird as your friend would be following you around considering just how weird you are yourself.”, “What’s that supposed to mean?” you reply, now getting tired of the pair's attitude. “Oh come on, you may be the big talk around school but don’t think I haven’t seen the way you really are, crying to yourself, freaking out for no reason, hanging around a bunch of weird transients all the time, you're just like your friend, nothing but hot air.” he says, “I-” you begin but hang your head down at the realization that someone was calling you out on your problems. The pair laugh at your defeat and turn around to leave but are stopped as the first one collides into a large figure that had been listening in on the conversation. “Would you care to repeat yourselves little cubs?” Arsalan says, his face contorted in anger, “Who are you to judge others, especially MC. They have done nothing but devote themselves to others in need, which is why I and many others follow them. They have done more for this Arsalan and many others throughout Tokyo than you two could ever hope to as you are!”. They pairs grinning faces quickly turned to scowls “Why don’t you mind your own business you old poser geezer.” The first one says as they both unseath their sacred artifacts, Arsalan grins through his serious face as he pulls out his own sacred artifact, plunging it into the ground causing oil to spew up.

Back at the abbey, Maria had just received a phone call from the police that an incident had occurred at Shinjuku Academy involving one of their guild members. Upon arriving with Zabaniyya they are shocked to find Arsalan cuffed hand and foot, his head hung low, learning later he had been apprehended after he knocked two of the students unconscious. He was later released to the two after multiple witnesses testified that the students had instigated the fight but was still warned about starting fights especially considering the amount of oil everywhere after the fight. “I can’t believe you snuck out to go to a party Arsalan, you need to be setting an example!” Maria cried, “I know Maria, I deeply apologize for my actions and accept my punishment.”. Maria continued to huff for a minute before she left to talk with the police again about the incident and to apologize to staff, so you decided now would be your chance to talk to the lion. “H-hey thanks for standing up for me back there” you start, the lion perking up at the sight of you, “It was the least this Arsalan could do for you considering all you have done for me.”. You motion for him to lean down to your level to which you plant a quick kiss on his cheek, causing his face to blush deeply as he places his paw on his face where your lips had just been. “You know if you're getting bored at the abbey I could always drop by more often to hang out.” you say, the lion giving a wide smile before replying “Thank you my precious cub, I will be excitedly awaiting your arrival -Owowowow!”, Maria had returned and began to drag Arsalan away by his ear. As he was dragged away he waved at you still smiling wide. Zabaniyya approached you to express his thanks for watching over Arsalan before he leaned down to whisper to you, “I thank you for giving lord Arsalan the quality of time, he truly misses you back at the abbey and enjoys your company,... as do I, we both await your company”. You give Zabaniyya a smile before you decide to tease him a bit “maybe next time we can take you out with us.”, Zabaniyya begins to get flustered for a minute before he settles down to respond “Perhaps we could try something simple, I do not believe I am ready for such an occasion, and if I may request that I not be forced to wear such an attire, please?”.

[bluepluto03]

this is just the first 1/2 of the next bruised apple chap cus it aint finished yet.... don’t really need a specific tw if you’ve read the rest of the fic but if you havent check the tws on ao3 pls 

-=+=-

Evie flipped through a potion book, one of the few she’d decided to take with her from the Isle. She’d been doing so for the better half of an hour, having skipped out on her lunch knowing none of her friends shared it with her today. Again. 

The book was somewhat old, pages worn soft from use, and handmade, containing the most useful spells she’d found in all her mother’s old potion books, copied over onto paper remade from the destroyed scraps brought over on the trash barges. 

(Carlos had learned to make these sorts of almost-notebooks ages ago. They’d take old books, too wet and moldy to be read, and tear out their pages into a vat with any other scraps of paper they could find. They’d remove any sort of mold or residue, then boil the mixture into a watery-paper mush. From there, they only had to bleach it and then spread and dry it into greyish white, thick parchment. Then bind the parchment into the shelled books and, voila! They hefted a pretty price on the market, too, clean paper surprisingly rare, and useful, on the Isle.) 

It was one of her two ‘main’ potion books she kept. Mal had a similar book, refined over the years, though it contained mostly spells while Evie’s held more potions than incantations. 

But while Mal had only her one book, Evie preferred to keep two separate ones. Both had choice spells and recipes she’d chosen from her mother’s books, but there was a distinct difference between the two. One was filled with spells they could actually complete on the Isle, and one contained potions she’d never hoped of being able to create with their limited resources. 

The second she’d also brought with her, but she’d yet to open it since arriving here. Even if she should be able to actually use the spells now it felt... wrong in a way. She’d only ever opened her second book to copy down potions she was sure she’d never make, it was almost more a graveyard of ideas than a source of information. 

Because of that, she continued to flip through her first book, and left the second hidden away. 

She’d been thinking about magic a lot lately. How the people here treated it, how Mal’s eyes lit up when she discussed it with Jane, how Carlos and Jay stiffened at it’s mention. 

(She of course hadn’t forgotten about Carlos’s magic, but she encouraged others to give him space, and the matter had been tabled for now. She knew he’d come to them with it, eventually.) 

Something she’d been thinking about was how her magic was so different from the others’s. It was much more passive, like a jacket instead of a second skin 

That didn’t make it any less hers, of course, it just made it… different. It was a tool. It didn’t run rampant with her emotions like Jay’s did, didn’t bend unconsciously to her every whim like Mal’s. She didn’t know what Carlos's magic was like, but the way he’d acted when Mal called him out on having it, she’d bet it was emotional in some way as well. 

So, if her magic was a tool, it was her job to decide how to use it right? It was her choice. 

She glanced down at the spell again that she’d been reading. Hide scars, seal small blemishes without any mark. 

She stared down at it for a long moment. Eventually, she folded the side of the page, marking it for later. 

If she had a choice, then why did she feel so trapped? 

-=+=-

“Are you okay?” Doug asked her, as the two walked to their english class together, something that had become the norm over the past few weeks. 

Evie forced a smile, the almost-casual kind most people couldn't see through. “Of course? Why do you ask?” 

Doug frowned at her.  “Cause you keep looking around. And you straight up flinched when some girls laughed behind us.” He lowered his voice. “If you’re self conscious about what other people are-” 

“I’m not!” She smiled, cutting him off. 

Doug looked skeptical for a moment, then sighed. “Alright.” He said, finally, and pulled out his phone, probably to check the virtual garden game he’d shown her yesterday. 

Evie took a deep breath, and took a sort of index over how she must have looked right now. Her hair should be perfect, but what if a bit fell out? What if her makeup had smudged?

She hurried into class and to her seat, pulling out her (non magical) mirror while Doug sat beside her, still on his phone. 

Why were Auradon kids so good at emotional stuff? On the Isle the most anyone could do was tell if you were bluffing about a brag or a trade, stuff that could start a fight or something. But here everyone payed attention to everyone’s stupid emotions. The only thing they couldn't do was tell when people were obviously lying, all of them far too trusting.

Evie snapped her mirror closed, a bit harder than she really needed too. She was fine. She looked fine. Perfect. No one was saying anything about her, no one was even thinking of her.  

The thought only made her feel more ill. She needed people to think about her, she needed them to love or fear her. Hadn't her mother told her a thousand times? 

“Evie?” Someone called her name, snapping her from her spiraling thoughts. 

“Y-yes?” She blinked, realizing the lesson had started and she hadn't even noticed. 

The teacher looked at her for a moment too long, obvious suspicion in the woman’s eyes. “Ben says he needs you.” She finally said, gesturing to the door at the back of the room. Evie turned to see a nervous looking Ben standing in the doorway. 

“Oh, one sec.” She hurried to grab her stuff and step out into the hall. Ben shut the door behind her, looking concerned. 

“What happened?” She asked, eyebrows scrunched. She couldn't think of any reason Ben would come to get her, unless one of the others were hurt. (Or hurt someone else, but she honestly preferred they hurt someone else then being hurt themselves.)

“Nothing bad, don’t worry.” Ben said hurriedly, his nerves still evident. “I just- uh, Doug mentioned you were upset about something?” His arm moved to rub the back of his neck, hesitant. “And I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help?” He asked, eyes wide and expression open.

Evie blinked at him, surprised. Was that really all? From how sincerely embarrassed Ben seemed to be, face bright red, she didn’t think he was lying. 

Evie considered Ben for a moment. She never talked about anything relating to emotions with anyone besides her crew. But he seemed… sincere. And he’d helped Carlos. And as much as she loved her crew, she didn’t really want to put this on them. Not because she couldn't trust them, but because she knew they were already worried about her. 

Evie looked over her shoulder. There wasn't anyone in the hall, but they were still out in the open. Venerable. 

“Is there anywhere private we could go to talk?” She asked, voice barely above a whisper. 

Ben looked shocked for a moment, before he shook himself back to reality. “Y-yeah! There’s an empty classroom at the end of the hall. Number 17.” 

Evie nodded. The two walked to the room in silence. Evie tried to figure out how to explain what was going on without giving too many details, and staying as far away from mentioning the stress of their parent’s expectations. 

Ben held the door open for her, earning himself a slight smile. She stepped inside, sitting at a spare desk right near the door. Ben seemed to take note of that, and moved a row farther in, so he was diagonal to Evie, and she was between him and the entryway. 

Evie fiddled with her bracelets. Ben looked at her expectantly, though he seemed ready to wait for her. She was grateful for how considerate Ben was, but she didn’t really know how to respond. 

“Would it be better if I got one of the others?” Ben asked, his hesitance still hanging around him. 

Evie shook her head. “I don’t want to worry them.” 

Ben nodded slowly. “Okay… we don’t need to talk about it, if you don’t want too. I just know talking about it can help, but there's no pressure. Seriously.” 

Evie sent him a tight smile. “You really are such a gentleman, Ben.” He blushed, and her smile widened for a moment, before she sobered again. “It’s just… the people. The staring. It’s getting to me.” She admitted. 

Ben frowned. “Are people saying stuff to you? Because if they are I can have Fairy Godmother talk to them.” 

Evie shook her head again. “It’s just… whispers. Normal gossip and stuff. I should just ignore it, but it just....” She bit her lip. “It just makes me feel so ugly.” She finally admitted, voice barely above a whisper. 

Ben blinked at her, shocked confusion evident on his face. He honestly looked more like Evie’d slapped him with a fish rather than told him she was insecure. 

“Ugly? Why?” 

He sounded so baffled it practically forced a small laugh from Evie’s chest. She shook her head, another giggle passing her lips, and buried her face in her hands as dozens of emotions swirled around her mind. 

“It seems ridiculous but… well my mother is known for her obsession with beauty, isn't she?” She let out another slightly hysterical laugh.

“It’s not ridiculous.” Ben insisted. Evie gave him a look, like she did when Carlos insisted he hadn't been up all night even though he was covered in motor oil. 

“I’m serious.” Ben continued. “A lot of people have issues with how they look, and for the record, you’re one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. And even if you weren't, that wouldn't mean you are any less of a person. Hell, I look like a boiled mushroom, and i’m gonna be king soon!” He laughed, face bright red. 

Evie smiled at him, tired but genuine. “Thanks, Ben.” 

He smiled back at her. “It’s not a problem, really.” 

Evie glanced at the clock on the wall. “Should we go back to class?” 

Ben checked his watch. “If you want too?” He looked up at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Or we could keep ditching. I know that a fresh shipment of ice cream just came in, and no one should be in the kitchens right now.” 

Evie laughed. “Sure, lets go.” 

-=+=-

Mal watched Jay from the corner of her eye as she ate. The two were situated in a secluded corner of the field for lunch, and Jay had been weirdly silent the past few days. It was a bit worrying, but she knew she didn’t need to push, at least not for him, Jay was surprisingly open to discussing stuff with the other four after he had time to process it himself. 

They sat for a little while longer. Eventually, Jay broke the almost-silence around them. 

“Mal.” He said her name almost like a request. She relaxed slightly, and turned to him. 

“What’s up?” She asked, gentle in a way she could only be when she was alone with one of the others. 

Jay hesitated.  “I think there's something wrong with the bracelet.” 

“What?” Mal’s relief at the fact that Jay was ready to talk instantly dissipated. She grabbed at his arm to look at his wrist, knowing full well that if anyone besides her, Carlos, or Evie tried that Jay’d probably have fucking decked them.

“It-” Jay cut himself off with a sigh. “The other day, that window that exploded, I think that was me. I was… thinking about stuff, and all of a sudden the bracelet got super hot and the window shattered.” 

Mal frowned. “This was supposed to drain your magic but…. Well, your a Djinn.” She whispered the word, even though they were alone. ”You generate a lot of magic, much more than we do. More than the bracelet can contain.” 

Jay’s eyebrows scrunched. “I thought it like released the magic or something?” 

“In theory, yeah.” Mal huffed. “Magic is active, it’s a form of energy. It never stops moving, and it doesn't stay in a container for long. It passively leaks out on its own, that's why nothing happens unless you try to use the magic. But you generate so much, it fills up faster than it gets rid of it. So, you’re left with magic of your own.” 

Jay’s expression became stricken with fear, and his breathing hitched. Mal internally berated herself for how blunt she could be. 

“So then, what do I do?” He asked, voice strained. 

Mal grabbed his hand. “First take a breath.” She told him. He scowled for a moment, but then seemed to force himself to take a grounding breath. 

“Okay.” She breathed, interlocking their fingers. “I’ll get E to make a few more of these, okay? And I’ll curse ‘em with the same thing. I’ll try and see if we can find a more permanent solution, maybe C can find something online. But it’s gonna be fine, okay?” 

Jay took another breath, and buried his face in her shoulder, nodding into it. Her arms wrapped around his back. 

“Alright.” 

[iotaths-unrest]

Session 15/16 Interlude: Benevolent Mutiny

((Hello there! I’m back at it again with the session interlude. I ask to remind everyone that these are non-canonical, but I do make sure that they could happen as best as I can. A major plot point had to be revised a few times after figuring out about certain spells and reminding myself about how warlock spells work. However, we finally have our interlude. I hope you all enjoy reading it~)) ((Also eheheheh I may have accidentally slipped in some Pathia shenanigans,  whoops))

I underestimated the power of the unholy cult that resided in Ekrund. We can barely call the mission a success.

—

It had been a long night, and it was not even close to being safe for the crew of the Grey Rat. They found themselves running from a large eldritch beast and probably cultists as well. While they had been surprised by a demon, Paddy had ran to the ship with Vadithas, who was still unconscious. The first mate found his way back to the airship docks with ease, and he boarded the ship, hoping that the others would soon arrive.

He had expected others to approach him, but it was silent. Worried, Paddy moved below the decks and found more horrid circumstances. As he checked the rooms, he found Poth unconscious, and the other two crewmates were nowhere to be seen.

“I better make sure Poth is okay first.” Paddy thought out loud, and he went to check the ranger’s vitals. Although Paddy wasn’t as medically skilled as the captain, he could tell to his relief that Poth was still at least alive and stable. The culprit of Poth’s unconsciousness appeared to be a wound on the back of the half-elf’s head, which was relatively hidden by Poth’s coiled hair.

As to the disappearance of the other two, their items were even packed up and gone. However, that was all he could gather before he heard footsteps from above. He placed Vadithas in a safe area before rushing back up to the deck. Although it was most likely Cynthia and the rest, he knew well that it could be even more cultists.

—

Most of my crew is missing or seriously injured. Paddy and Wall are the only ones who may be able to protect us tonight. Krillis and Urker are assumed to be dead, although I cannot fully confirm that statement. Roth narrowly avoided death, Poth has a serious head injury, and I’m not doing too much better myself. The only silver lining is that Vadithas has been rescued. Wim was unfortunately killed.

—

“Oh, thank Sune.” Cynthia sighed with relief as she saw her ship. The captain let

everyone board the ship while she removed the anchors and chains keeping the ship docked. As captain, her first priority was always to have her be the last to escape, no matter how weak she was. She still felt bad about breaking the rule slightly during the fight with Scribe, but if she had stayed in that room any longer, she would have died.

After ensuring the anchors were lifted, she rejoined everyone back on the ship. Everyone seemed to be gathering close to the ship controller, and she was thankful. However, a brief moment of safety was quickly broken with Paddy explaining the situation to her.

“Cynthia, I don’t see Urker and Krillis anywhere, and Poth-”

Upon hearing the young ranger’s name, Roth and Cynthia both seemed to tense their shoulders.

“He’s unconscious.” Paddy quickly finished, and Cynthia immediately went into mom-mode, throwing a bunch of questions at him as she began the ship’s startup.

“Is he stable? Were you able to check his injuries?” Cynthia asked.

“He’s breathing, and he most likely went unconscious from being hit on the back of the head.”

“And Vadithas?”

“Still alive, but he’s also unconscious.”

“Well, darling, then there’s still some hope left.”

Cynthia smiled for a moment at Paddy, and then she began to give out her orders as the ship rose off of the ground:

“Just- get ready to fight if we need to do so, darlings. I know most of us aren’t able to handle another fight, but I have a bad feeling that we’re not in the clear. We’ll be heading east to Nurmwohr, and once I get this ship into the sky, Wall, I’ll need you to fly the ship there. Until then, Paddy, I need you to keep an eye on Poth and Vadithas.” She took a pause as she felt a wave of pain, and then continued, “Roth, you should rest, darling; you’re lucky to be alive right now.”

I can’t say I’m much better myself, but I’m tired of being so weak compared to them. Cynthia mentioned to herself, but judging by Roth and Paddy’s expressions, the captain understood that she wasn’t able to hide her injuries well underneath the armor. This stupid Plague won’t get the best of me.

—

I could feel Paddy and Roth look at me with concern as I gave them the first set of orders when we returned to the ship, but I think they knew that I couldn’t rest myself. We needed to escape, and I was the only one who can safely get the ship running. What happened tonight was something that we couldn’t solve. We were all too weak. I was too weak.

—

Paddy and Roth both went below the deck and into the Philious room as their captain, injured as she was, raised the ship from the ground. They both surrounded Poth’s unconscious body, but Roth lifted his younger brother into the ranger’s hammock.

“I can’t tell at all what happened on the ship while we were gone, but…” The first mate spoke, and he gestured to a letter on Roth’s desk before continuing, “It seems all of us have a letter to read.”

Roth turned his attention to the letter in question. Annoyed with the cult that dared to call him their leader, he made a spark with Prestidigitation, cuing to Paddy that he was tempted to burn the letter.

“No, we need to read them. They may have clues for who did this.”

“It was obviously the cultists. What else do we need?”

“Ideas on what they plan to do next.”

Roth glared intensely at the letter, and then reluctantly stowed the letter to somewhere he wouldn’t be looking at it. “Fiiiiine.” He spoke, and then made a mustache appear, putting it on his real mustache. “Speaking of plans, do you know what Cynthia’s planning next?”

“I’m unsure. She’s probably just making sure she gets us all out of here at this point.” The first mate responded with a shrug. It was hard to tell if Cynthia even had a plan, but it seemed she didn’t want to become a trail for the Plague to follow to Viandar. Maybe she was trying to buy Vadithas more time before she throws everyone into a U-turn and begins some sort of counter-offensive. Or maybe she was hoping to buy more time for herself, but Paddy knew that whatever the Plague was, it was slowly weakening Cynthia.

Actually, speaking of the captain, Paddy noted that Cynthia was acting strange when she returned to the ship. She seemed fine when they had split up after the first fight, so perhaps Cynthia had taken more damage during another fight… Everyone else seemed relatively okay. Roth and Wall did not have any more wounds, from what the Artificer noticed.

“So, what happened during the second fight?”

—

Cynthia and Wall had mostly kept in silence while the captain had been focused on getting the ship to a safer altitude. They were two armored creatures, watching the stars above and the city below them. A cool breeze brushed past them as their ascent continued, fueling the captain’s desperation to escape.

They were two creatures of vastly different origins, but they had both spent huge amounts of their lives following a strict moral code and following someone’s footsteps. Both believed in justice, but their exact methods of enforcing it was contrasting. Cynthia’s was more violent and kept in line by faith, while Wall had been mostly peaceful and set on words of a government that was now obviously corrupt.

Cynthia wanted to ask so much, and maybe it would finally be okay to tell to the truth about their status to Wall. However, now was not the time. She had more things to do that were more important to her, even more important than herself.

“We should be in the clear, unless the blockade that the bandits mentioned are on this side as well. I’ll leave Nur up here with you so you can summon me if anything happens. The command should be this phrase…” Cynthia spoke, and then spoke a phrase in Celestial that roughly translated to “go grab cynthia and bring her here”.

Wall repeated the phrase, and Nur responded in Celestial, “She’s alweady hwere?”

Cynthia chuckled a bit, and then spoke to Nur in her native language, “Yes, darling, but he’s just making sure he knows how to say that phrase. Stay here with Wall unless he tells you to get me.”

“Got it! I wuv you!” The celestial giant lizard nudged Cynthia to show his affection, but Cynthia winced when he had unknowingly pressed against a spot that was wounded. It almost made her go off balance, but she managed to stay standing. However, there was a long pause where Cynthia found herself holding back a lot of pain.

“Anyway-” Cynthia started, but her voice broke before she could quickly continue. “... I believe we are getting close to a safe altitude, so I’ll leave you with flying the ship to Nurmwohr.”

“Affirmative, captain.” He spoke, and Cynthia left him at the deck with Nur.

-

Cynthia slowly made her way below the deck, and habit tricked her for a moment to enter her room and start taking off her armor. However, as she took off her helmet, she reminded herself that she wasn’t safe to call it a night. She took deep breaths and brushed her hair away from fresh blood while her helmet was off, and she also took a moment to glance over her wounds, just to make sure she wasn’t at a threat of heavy blood loss. Thick, black thorns from Scribe had pierced through her armor and dug into Cynthia’s right arm, a fresh burn had boiled skin close to her neck, and claw marks had tore through her side.

I’ve survived worse. Cynthia thought. Just walk it off and take care of the others. If we get into more trouble, the others may get hurt more.

Taking another deep breath, she placed her helmet back on and walked to Poth’s room, where she found Roth and Paddy casually sitting on the floor and chatting. However, she ignored them for the most part, as she walked past them and looked at Poth. To her disappointment, the ranger was still unconscious, and she examined the small wound that Paddy had mentioned to her. Gently, she pushed his coiled hair away from the wound and grimaced. “I believe that you’re right, Paddy.” She spoke, but it didn’t sound like she was addressing Paddy but rather simply mentioning him as if he was somewhere else.

Poth, I’m sorry that I was harsh on you.

She found a stray blanket and threw it over the window, and the room grew darker in the absence of the moonlight. “I’ll make sure this stays on this window. He may not wake up for hours, but any light’s going to make the headache worse.” Cynthia spoke softly, and then she walked back to where Vadithas had been placed.

Since Cynthia considered Vadithas her most valuable asset, she kept him close in her own room. She felt uncomfortable about having him in her own hammock, so she laid out a bedroll and made sure he looked as comfortable as possible. “Another waiting game.” She spoke cryptically, and then noted, “I don’t know how he’ll take the news of Wim being dead, but at least Vadithas is not dead. He’s stable, but I’m still unsure of what they did to him.”

Paddy entered the room, and Cynthia turned around to address him. “Oh, good evening, Paddy. I should have been more direct when I came down here, but you are free to rest for the night.”

“What about yourself? I can keep an eye on them for you-”

“I have a lot to think about tonight. I appreciate the offer, but I have to make a lot of plans for when we arrive in Nurmwohr.” Cynthia responded. “Also, I personally want to be there when the two awake, darling, if they do.”

“You’re badly wounded, Cynthia. Please, get some rest. I can take care of whatever you need.”

“I’ve been through worse.” Cynthia responded without skipping a beat, “I can always heal myself if I need to do so, and it’s not like I will be stressing myself when I’m walking between these two rooms.” She paused for a moment, and then gently added, “I understand your concern for me, Paddy, but I can guarantee that it is unnecessary.”

Paddy realized that he wasn’t going to be able to convince her, but he wasn’t ready to give up on Cynthia. He left the room without another word, leaving Cynthia almost alone in her room. She glanced at her journal, and then she walked towards it and began to write.

—

It’s been a long few hours since I made sure Poth and Vadithas were okay. In the meantime, I read the letter that had been placed on my desk while checking in on the two seriously injured. It was all bogus, and it had assumed Roth had joined the cult. Did they really think killing someone would actually make Roth reconsider? I don’t know myself, but it just seems absolutely stupid. It was from a now-dead woman, too: Gwen. Perhaps her letter will have more reason in the morning, but it may also appear as more insane rambling.

—

Paddy walked into the room of the Philious family, feeling more frustrated than he did before he spoke to Cynthia. 

What the hell is she talking about? If she doesn’t sleep, she won’t heal, and she’ll only be worse in the morning. He nearly wanted to say back to Cynthia, but he kept his mouth shut. While Cynthia was incredibly strong, Paddy knew that there had to be a way to outsmart her. He couldn’t do it alone, but his new plan was incredibly risky. One wrong move, and Cynthia will have him on the floor, barely alive.

“How’d it go?” Roth asked when Paddy entered the room.

“She won’t listen.” Paddy responded bitterly but softly. “I’m going up to the deck, and I want you to come with me.”

“I guess I don’t have any choice?”

“Yep.”

Paddy and Roth snuck past Cynthia’s door and headed up towards the deck of the ship. The night brought frigid air, and a strong wind blew from end to end of the ship. The two noticed Wall and Nur keeping a good lookout for a chance of running into trouble, but their main problems had been left behind at Ekrund.

“She’s just determined to make sure everyone will be okay, I’m sure.” Roth started.

“Yes, but she’s putting herself at a greater risk than I think she can understand. So if words can’t change her, I have to try something else.” Paddy began, and then he looked to the moon.

Sune, I hope you won’t hate me for this. Paddy thought. He wasn’t too religious himself, but he knew that Cynthia was being watched by a goddess. Paddy carefully thought about his word choice, but he decided that no matter how he worded it, it would be just as bad.

“We have to knock Cynthia out before she knocks herself out.” The artificer explained.

“...Ah. So, you want mutiny for the sake of the captain’s health. After Ekrund, when, uh, this is what exactly happened to us.”

“It’s a benevolent mutiny. The captain’s weak; if we just knock her in the back of the back like they did to Poth, she’ll go unconscious.”

“And this is better than an all-nighter… How?”

“If she doesn’t sleep, her body can’t heal anything, and she’ll be more exhausted than she already constantly is. She may be able to recover while unconscious.”

Roth raised his hand like a kindergartner, and then asked, “Why can’t you heal her yourself?”

“Sure, I can and she’ll be recovered physically, but that doesn’t solve the exhaustion issue or being able to recover her magic. And she’s the main healer; we need her to be able to heal if something happens tomorrow.”

“If Cynthia manages to figure out what we’re doing before we knock her out, we could be in major trouble-” Roth started, but he noticed that Wall was intently listening.

“Have you all forgotten, soldiers?” Wall began, staring directly into their souls with his cold, crystal eyes.

Oh shit. Paddy began to think, and he could feel his gears inside his pocket begin to rattle. Was this what true fear felt like?

“I ask you to refer to Section 3, Order 66: If the commanding officer is not following proper directive, is endangering their personal health or the health of others in a way in which does not follow proper directive (see subsection 8A for examples), or is attempting to overthrow the military, soldiers are given permission, upon agreement of those following, to disable the leader until a proper trial is prepared.” Wall spoke.

Roth felt like he had escaped death again. Paddy nearly died on the inside, but it was a relief to hear that Wall wasn’t about to murder them with his cold, metal hands.

“Y-Yes, that’s exactly why we are trying to figure this out.” Paddy responded.

Wow, no wonder why Ekrund was corrupt if they had rules like that. Roth commented to himself.

“So, first mate Paddy, what is your plan?”

Paddy and Roth walked up to Wall, and then Paddy presented his plan that totally would not fail horribly:

“Well, we have to lower her guard just enough. Roth, you need to talk to her and have a heart-to-heart about something. Originally, I was going to just try to knock her out, but you are probably more able to do that. As for me, I suppose I should be there as backup. The ship is able to be left to itself for a bit before it will go off course, but we need something to hold it steady. I can make something that can do that, and Cynthia won’t expect you to be sneaking behind her.

She has been following a tight schedule for the past hour, so we just need to wait until she goes to check on Poth.”

“While this does sound solid as a plan, may I remind you that Cynthia wears plate armor. While my extensive training in disabling creatures will make it easier, plate armor is almost impossible to break through with a single punch.”

Paddy thought on it for a moment, and then he wondered how low he had to get for it to work.

“I have an idea that’ll convince her to at least remove her helmet.” Paddy spoke. “That should be enough, right?”

Roth felt the wording Paddy used was strange, but he realized what Paddy was thinking about.

“Wait, hold on-” Roth began, putting a hand to his face as if he was trying to make the “:3c” face. “You didn’t tell me? Ohhhh, so that’s why she promoted you~”

“We can talk about it later.” Paddy answered, his voice muffled by his own shirt. “Anyway, I suppose this is to be a unanimous decision by all of us, since we’ll all be in trouble if something goes south.”

“I see no objections. This is following protocol.” Wall answered.

“I mean, if this helps all of us, I suppose I might as well help.” Roth stated.

“Then it’s settled.”

—

When everyone felt ready, they silently cued to each other that the plan was about to begin. The humans were nervous, but they knew that this was for the better.

—

Cynthia had made multiple notes and doodles on a stray piece of parchment, but she grew uneasy with the parchment becoming too cluttered with various words and drawings. At times, she considered going to sleep, and she would lie her head on the desk and hope exhaustion made her sleep, but there were too many things keeping her awake that night. She thought that she would at least be able to recover slightly during the night, but her wounds only hurt worse. Moreover, whenever she would get lost in thought, she’d get lost in the recent memories of the night’s events. So many things could have gone worse. Roth nearly died, she nearly lost both of the alchemists, and that fucking bitch decided to show up to taunt me for it all.

Paddy was right, but she knew that even if she tried to sleep, she wouldn’t stay asleep for long. She had hoped that Paddy and Roth would get some rest, but they just wouldn’t rest. Were they trying to mock her?

She stepped into Poth and Roth’s room again to see if Poth had any sign of improvement. It was dark in the room, so she could not see anyone but Poth and Roth. The warlock seemed like he was finally trying to rest, so she made sure that she was quiet.

However, as she was about to leave the room, a voice spoke to her.

“Cynthia, wait.” Curiously, the aasimar turned around to face the voice. It was Roth, who slowly rose out of his hammock and descended to the floor. While robes covered his body, she could tell that unlike her, Roth had managed to recover a bit more. A scratch along his cheek seemed mostly healed, which was really her only indicator from a quick look. “Captain, about today… I’ve had a realization.” “Yes, darling?” “You’ve done so much for me and everyone. Fighting the Plague, keeping me and the others alive, and what-not.” Roth explained, and he chuckled a bit before continuing. “But, I’ve never seen such dedication, not even from myself. So, I guess I just wanted to let you know as long as you’re willing to fight, I’ll be right beside you.” Cynthia felt almost relieved by Roth’s comment, and it was all incredibly sweet for him to say that. She smiled warmly and then looked at the floor before giving Roth a gentle hug. Her hold would normally be stronger, but thanks to the exhaustion and weakness, Roth was not squished by the paladin’s embrace. “… Thank you, Roth.” She spoke before getting slightly embarrassed and freeing the warlock. “That really means a lot to me right now.”

And another voice spoke.

“Captain, I think there’s no reason to stay awake, assuming you have finished figuring out what to do tomorrow. You’ve done everything you can.”

Cynthia noticed the artificer come out of the darkness, his beautiful jade eyes glinting in the small amount of light left in the room.

“Oh, um, I still have one more thing to work out for when we land-” She started, but was immediately cut off by the first mate removing her helmet. She chuckled, and then quietly whispered, “Darling, Roth’s here. Does he even know-”

Paddy wouldn’t let the paladin get in another word, as he held Cynthia close and gave her a soft kiss. The artificer realized just what he had gotten himself into. He was dating a paladin of the goddess of love. Cynthia was just as much of a hopeless romantic as he was, and his plan nearly fell apart when Cynthia pulled him in closer.

Roth found himself to be an awkward third wheel for a moment while he watched his superiors and closest friends make out right in front of him. He may have also been only slightly worrying about the obvious age gap between the two.

Paddy, feeling a sickening feeling in his heart for what he knew was about to happen, he dragged himself out of the kiss and Cynthia’s grasp. He gave his secret cue to Wall, and then he spoke, “I love you, Cynthia.”

Paddy and Roth watched the rest with dread in their hearts. Like a monster of the night, Wall snuck behind her, and Cynthia was completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Red-violet crystal eyes rose above Cynthia, and within moments, Wall threw a hard punch at the back of Cynthia’s head. Cynthia’s eyes seemed to glow in some sort of shock, but they dimmed in an instant. Her eyes rolled up slightly, and it was bitterly clear that their plan had worked as Cynthia began to fall.

Paddy reached to catch her, and then confirmed that she was stable. Once he was absolutely sure of it, he looked up and glanced at Wall and Roth.

“Thank you.” Paddy spoke, but he was a little disheartened seeing Cynthia unconscious yet again. He picked up Cynthia carefully, and then he walked out of the room with the captain.

In Cynthia’s headquarters, Paddy felt an understandable sense of déjà vu as he placed Cynthia on her hammock. He felt sorry for his actions, but he walked out, knowing that it was for the best.

[p-artsypants]

320 State Street (15)- November 19, 2016

FF.net | Ao3

Previous

--

“I just want to make a return.”

Gobber’s Goods was uncharacteristically busy. Between salt, shovels, anti-freeze, rakes, and lawn bags every customer that would need to winterize their homes came in at the exact same time and there was a line from the counter and around the shelves. Hiccup and Gobber were busy helping everyone who came through the door to find exactly what they were looking for.

Meanwhile, Astrid was rushing every customer through the line as fast as possible. But as retail dictated, when patience was needed, that’s when it was least.

Astrid smiled to the man’s humble request. “I would love to do that for you, but I’m afraid you’ll have to get in line.”

“Well, that’s not fair.” The man said rudely.

The customer that she had be serving when he interrupted added in, “that isn’t fair. You can’t tell him to get in the back of the line for that.”

“I want to see a manager.”

Astrid glanced over to Hiccup who was seemingly having three different conversations with three different people.

It was amazing actually.

Behind the current customer, stood a usual. A man who worked for her uncle Finn and came in once or twice a week. He smiled at her, patiently.

“You know what, I’ll just take care of you after I finish with her.” Astrid gestured to the woman in front of her.

The man with the returned nodded in thanks, and seemed much more pleasant. Protests came from the line.

When the usual customer, a man named Bjorn, came up to the counter, he was still smiling.

“Thank you for your patience,” she sighed, exhausted.

“Oh sweetheart. People are so impatient and mean spirited. None of it is your fault, and you’re just being sweet as pie. Don’t let them poison you, and your day will get better.”

Astrid nearly cried at his kindness.

After the line got through, everything calmed down. Then it was dead again.

“Haven’t had a day like that since the spring. You’d think there was going to be a blizzard tomorrow.” Gobber said, cracking his back.

“I hope not.” Astrid said, leaning forward on the counter. “I’m got some moving to do.”

Hiccup smiled at her and took two soda’s out of the fridge. “Right, do you have everything packed?”

She winced. “Mostly. But I didn’t pack up my bathroom stuff. Is your dad helping tonight?”

“He was going to,” Hiccup explained, “but Mom decided to come a little early to miss the Thanksgiving rush, so he’s going to pick her up from O’Hare, and then they’ll stay in Chicago for the night.”

“How cute.” Astrid smiled, “I guess we’re on our own then.”

“Packing?” Asked Gobber, “why is she packing?”

Hiccup smiled broadly and Astrid looked away shyly. “I invited Astrid to come with me to Africa, and she has accepted. She’s moving into my basement suite to save up money for the plane ticket.”

“Why didn’t you offer to finance her?” Gobber asked, unashamed.

“Because I don’t want to be in debt to anyone else.” Astrid said simply. “He did offer, but I declined. It’s not fair.”

Gobber scratched the back of his neck. “You sure you two can handle this? Africa is a long way away, and living together…”

“We’re not really living together, because the basement suite is kind of it’s own thing. It has a kitchen and everything. And if you’re afraid we’ll break up, I wouldn’t worry,” provided Hiccup. “I love Astrid with all my heart, and I intend to marry her, when the time is right.”

He considered it a moment. “And the lady?”

“I want to marry him too,” said Astrid with a nod. “I had never thought of myself as the marrying kind. Most girls dream of their weddings and how many kids they’ll have…but I didn’t. Even with Scott I thought ‘this isn’t going to last forever.’” She glanced over to her boyfriend. “But with Hiccup…every second we’re away, I can feel it. Like, he’s an extension of myself, and when he’s gone, I’m incomplete.”

“Like a soulmate,” Hiccup finished.

“Yeah, exactly like a soulmate.”

They were both brought out of the moment by a loud sniffing sound. “Oh Thor and Odin above, that was beautiful.”

“Oh you!” Hiccup rolled his eyes and gave the man a nudge with his elbow. “You’re such a big softy.”

“Well, just let me know when you’re planning on tying the knot, I’ll write a lovely tambourine solo for you.”

“Please don’t.”

—

Astrid and Hiccup drove together in her jeep to her house.

“I’m home!” Astrid called out to her crazy roommate.

“You don’t need to be so loud!” screamed the reply, louder than she had.

Astrid rolled her eyes. “Hiccup’s here, just so you know.”

“Hi Eleanor,” Hiccup said politely. The roommate was usually in a better mood when he used her…other name.

Said girl walked out of her room, stark naked.

Hiccup yelped at his burning retinas and covered his face in his hands. “Oh come on! Not again!”

“Dude, I even told you he was here.” Astrid exasperated.

“I don’t understand why you make such a big deal about nudity.” Said Eleanor. “I just came out to get my phone. Then I will be getting dressed and leaving for the night. I don’t want to deal with your noise.”

Astrid shrugged. “You were the one that wanted me to move out before Thanksgiving.”

“Because my new roommate is moving in after Black Friday, and I must have ample time to cleanse the apartment before she arrives.”

“I’m going to clean up after I leave. I’m not just going to leave garbage everywhere.”

“I don’t mean physically,” said Eleanor.  

“Oh…” “Is it save to look yet?” Hiccup asked, his eyes still covered.

Eleanor turned at went back into her room.

“You’re good.”

Hiccup looked up with a sigh. “I’ve seen more of that woman then I ever wanted to.”

“Me too,” Astrid agreed. “Anyways, I’ll get started packing up my bathroom stuff, and you can start loading some boxes in my jeep.”

“Okay, but I might need some help with some of the heavier ones.”

The couple set to work, first by propping the door open with a rock for easy loading.

“So, we took most of the stuff in your room last time, what’s this time? And how are we going to get the furniture over there with just the Jeep?”

“Most of the furniture I’m just going to give to the new roommate. The suite does have a bed, right?”

“Right. It was a desk and a little bedside table.”

“Closet?”

“Yep.”

“Cool. So I don’t think I really have to take any furniture, except…” She went to her room as Hiccup followed after. It was a small room, with one window. A big suitcase sat in the corner with a lot of clothes and other accessories. Another hamper of laundry sat next to that. She had her modest library packed into a box. Then, another smaller box sat on her desk.

“This lamp was actually made by my dad, so I’d like to take it with me. I might not be able to take it to Africa though.” The lamp had a wooden body with swooping branches that came off of it, like swan necks.

“That’s fine, and you might not be able to take it on this trip, but if you end up coming back with me next time, we can bring it then.” He smiled at her.

Astrid looked over the white walls of her room, which were now stripped of all her personal items. “I feel like I’m in limbo. I don’t really know what to do with my stuff, because I’m not going to be settled in a place for very long.”

Hiccup walked up to her, and wrapped his arms around her. “I kind of feel the same way. Three years in Africa might seem like a long time, but it really isn’t.”

“You can accumulate a lot of junk in three years though.” Astrid gestured to the room around her.

“Which is why you and I are going to adopt a minimalist life style.”

She sighed, “easier said then done.”

He smiled at her, and kissed her nose. “Let’s take out that box of books together, I’m sure it’s heavy as balls.”

So as Astrid finished packing up the bathroom and other miscellaneous items, Hiccup took out the already packed boxes in her room and in the bathroom. At about 10 pm, Hiccup fell on his rump in the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” Astrid asked, seeing him on the floor.

“Nothing,” he assured with a smile. “I’m just a little tired.”

“Oh that’s fine, don’t you want to sit on the couch?”

He waved her off, “if I sit somewhere comfortable, I’m not going to be able to get up later.”

Astrid laughed, lightly. “Sorry we got started so late. We should have put this off until tomorrow.”

“Nope, I said we’d get you moved out in two days. Yesterday we packed everything up. Today is loading day. I don’t mind staying up a little late for you. Besides, we’re almost done.”

Astrid smiled sweetly. “Well, I really appreciate it. I appreciate you.”

Hiccup smiled wearily at her.

“Take all the time you need. I’m almost done. I just want to make sure the bathroom is nice and clean, like I promised for Eleanor.”

Almost as soon as she left the room, Hiccup heard the door slam.

He wondered if Eleanor had returned early, or if Astrid was just closing it for the time being, but then he heard her speak.

“What are you doing here?”

“I…I miss you, Astrid. Please take me back.” Scott’s sickening voice spoke from the living room.

“No, absolutely not.” Astrid stated, coming closer to the kitchen.

“Please Astrid, I need you.”

“No Scott,” she spoke, in the doorway to the kitchen. “I’ve moved on and I’m very happy. You should leave.”

Scott caught a glimpse of Hiccup on the floor and only saw red.

“Oh hey Cus…H-How’s it going?”

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding! I’m going to murder you, you son of a bitch!!” And Scott hurried towards him.

Astrid wrapped an arm around his shoulder and neck, putting him in a headlock. It wasn’t very effective since he was so much stronger and taller than her. “Please Scott! Stop! Leave him alone!”  

Scott was deaf to her cries and threw her off of him, knocking the wind out of her as she hit the floor.

“Astrid!” Hiccup scrambled to his feet, his prosthetic slipping a bit on the linoleum.

Scott grabbed him by his shirt collar and reeled back for a punch.

Being picked on by Scott for several years, Hiccup had learned some defense mechanisms. He threw his arms up in an X shape in front of his face to block the punch.

Scott quickly changed tactics and punched his cousin in the gut, making Hiccup double over in pain and cough. From here, Scott shoved him backward into the counter, where he painfully collided.

Recovering, Astrid leapt at Scott and tackled him to the floor and landed a few decent punches to his face. “You have the audacity to just barge back into my life, bringing pain just like you did before? You really have no concept of consequences, do you?! You cheated on your wife! Don’t be surprised that I hate you!”

At the accusations, Scott grabbed her shoulders and flipped them over, and grasped her neck. “I told you this wasn’t over until I say so! And if it has to end, it’s going to be on my terms!”

Astrid kneed him many times, but he wouldn’t relent.

Hiccup recovered, and decided to use his strengths. He kicked Scott as hard as he could in the side with his metal leg. “Get your filthy hands off of her, you creep!” He shouted, though it sounded weak in his pain.

Scott was quickly getting sick of these distractions. He could take Astrid easily, but Hiccup was much harder. So he had to get rid of him first. Scott snarled at the man, and stood quickly, then tackled him.

They wrestled, both fighting for their lives. But Scott was always stronger then Hiccup, and pinned him to the ground with his hands on his throat. “I hate you!” Scott bit vehemently. “You always made me look bad, being such a perfect child. Taming a damn tiger, and now running your own business.”

Hiccup’s face was turning red as he fought to breathe.

All the while he went on his tirade, Astrid regained her breath and scanned the room. If this continued, Scott would end up killing one of them. He had to be stopped.

That’s when she spotted the cast iron frying pan on the stove. She quickly seized it.

“You’re such a faker!” Scott roared, spit landing on Hiccup’s nearly purple face. “I’m going to kill you! I’ve always wanted to kill you!”

His words were cut short as Astrid careened the frying pan off of Scott’s skull as hard as she could.

He fell to the floor with a thud.

Astrid gripped Hiccup by the arm and pulled him out from under Scott’s limp body.

He took several gasping breathes as she clung to him. “Are you okay?” She asked, knowing the answer.

He couldn’t speak right away, as he was too busy breathing, but he managed a weak smile and searched her for wounds. Finally, he whispered, “thank you. I’ll be okay. What about you?”

“I’ll be fine in a minute or two.” She sighed too, relieved that Scott was out cold. “We’re going to have bruises.”

“Good thing it’s cold out.” He supplied, rubbing his neck. “Scarves will hide these.”

“We need to call the police.”

He nodded. “Yeah, good idea.” Slowly he got off the floor, rubbing his sore body. He took his phone out of his pocket, and dialed 911.

Astrid checked over Scott with a sense of dread hitting her stomach. “Uh, Hiccup? Honey?” She whispered.

Hiccup glanced over, a dial tone in his ear.

A small puddle of blood was forming around Scott’s head.

“He’s not breathing, and he doesn’t have a pulse.”

“911, what’s your emergency?”

Hiccup stared at her trembling form, and the now corpse that laid in front of her. He knew what the right thing to do was, but was it the smart thing?

“I’m sorry,” he told the operator, “I accidentally pressed the emergency button on my phone. No emergency here.”

“Glad to hear it! Have a nice night, sir.”

“Thanks, you too.” And he hung up.

Astrid stared at him wide eyed. “What are you thinking?!”

Hiccup coughed a little, and went to get a drink of water. “I don’t know, probably something stupid.”

“I think we need to take a moment to breathe, and then maybe you’ll change your mind about whatever crazy scheme you’re planning.”

Hiccup shook his head, swallowing the cold water. “Astrid,” he sighed, looking out the back window. “I know we should call the police, but we can’t.”

“What? Why? What else are we supposed to do? Are you just scared of your dad?”

“No, listen.” He got down and knelt in front of her. “Do you know who Scott’s dad is?”

“Some judge?” “Not just any judge, The Judge.”

“So? They wouldn’t give our case to him anyway, it would be bias.”

“Judge Soren Jorgenson is a very rich and powerful man. He has a lot of influences in the community. No offense, but you’re just an orphan girl with no family and a few friends. He would do whatever it takes to make you look guilty.”

“What about you?”

“I’m an accomplice.”

“No one has to know that,” Astrid begged. “You could just have been an innocent bystander that I was defending.”

“No one is going to buy that, Astrid. Since I’m related to him, and we have a history of not getting along.”

“What about your dad? Isn’t he considered a rich and powerful man with a lot of influence?”

Hiccup shook his head. “My dad wouldn’t be allowed to get involved in this because of his bias.”

“And Scott’s dad can?”

“Because Soren is a devious man that is a good liar and does underhanded dealings. And his son is the victim here, there’s already going to be sympathy.”

“And this guy is a judge?”

“Kinda scary isn’t it?”

Astrid didn’t say anything, just looked back at Scott. “There has to be another way.”

“Not that I can see,” Hiccup sighed.

“Alright, you and I are in this together, I guess. What’s the plan?”

Hiccup scratched his head, thinking. “Well, we’ll have to hide the body.”

Astrid got to work looking for an old rag to clean up the blood. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Do you like the sound of a lifetime in jail?”

“No, not particularly.”

Hiccup stopped and took another calming breath. “I’ll tell you what Astrid. I’ll let you decide. If you think we show call the police, I’ll call my dad right now.”

Astrid shook her head. “No, you’re right. It just seems so wrong.”

“Now I know why people cheat the system.” Hiccup finished his glass of water, quiet.

Both teens took a moment in their own little worlds to realize that they had just committed a murder, and that their lives would be changed no matter what the plan was. A lifetime of guilt is what they were signing up for.

Hiccup resolved to be guilt free. Scott was a maniac, and looked him straight in the eye and declared he was going to kill him. The guilt would be in the form of not following the rules.

He finally knelt to rifle through Scott’s pockets. “Do you think he’s the type to write a note?”

Astrid shrugged. “To make it look like a suicide? I don’t think he would…maybe a drunk text though.”

Hiccup found his keys, then his phone, and turned it on. “Great, he has a password.”

“Well, if he has all those girlfriends, he ought to.” She thought for a moment. “What’s Scott’s birth year?”

“Um…well, he’s two years older than I am, and I’m 1995. So 1993?”

“Try that.” Sure enough, 1993 opened the phone.

“What a moron.”

“Let’s wait until we hide the body to send the text.” Astrid proposed.

“Good idea. And let’s wait until at least midnight to do it, less people on the roads.”

“Where are we going to hide it?”

She had a very good point.

“Even up ’til last week, Eret and his dad were taking the boat out on the lake for finishing. I bet it’s still hooked up to the dock. I’ll take him out and dump him as far out into the lake as I can.”

“What will I do?”

“You…you drive his truck to the beach. And you should probably clean up the floor.” “Okay.” She nodded.

“Let’s get the rest of the boxes into the jeep.”

“Where is Scott going to go then?”

Hiccup walked out into the living room, and glanced out the window at the jeep. “We’ll prop him up in the front seat. We’ll make him look like he’s sleeping.”

“Good idea.”

“How long do we have until your roommate returns?”

“I think she said she’s spending the night at her friend’s.”

“Perfect.” Hiccup nodded. “Let’s get to work.

The rest of the boxes went into the jeep fairly quickly, since Astrid had paused her cleaning for the moment.

Hiccup was already feeling exhausted, and couldn’t imagine how exhausting the rest of this night was going to be.

At midnight, Hiccup and Astrid lifted Scott from his puddle. And walk/dragged him out to her car.

“Oh sick, what’s that smell? He shouldn’t be smelling already, can he?”

“When someone dies, everything relaxes…including the bowels.”

Astrid frowned hard. “I’m sickened.”

“I’ve got him, just grab a trash bag and we’ll spread it over the seat.”

Hiccup got him out to the car and let him rest against his side before Astrid came running back out. To anyone else watching, it would look like Scott was just plum drunk. Which is what Hiccup counted on. Astrid spread out the trash bag and Hiccup carefully set the body in the passenger seat, taking special care to keep the bloody rag on the back of his head.

“Sorry Astrid, there might be a little blood on your seat.”

“It’s leather, it cleans easily.”

Hiccup buckled Scott in, and closed the door. Then he leaned in to whisper. “Okay, so while I’m gone, I need you to make sure the house is spotless. Make sure the pan is cleaned, and the floor especially. Check every surface for blood, okay?”

Astrid nodded, with a swallow.

He handed her Scott’s keys and phone. “Then, put on some gloves, and drive his truck to Silver Beach. Text Heather—…”

“What should I say?” She asked quickly.

“Something about…how sorry he was about being such a terrible husband and how she’ll be rid of him soon enough?”

“Something vague?”

“And has bad spelling and grammar.”

“Right right.” Astrid agreed. “Alright, after I text Heather?”

“I want you to walk up the bluff to First Baptist Church. Wait for me by the parking lot entrance, and I’ll come and get you.”

“Promise?”

“Of course!” He leaned in and gave her a swift kiss. “No matter what happens, I love you, and I always will.”

“I didn’t mean to kill him.” She whispered, fear gripping her heart.

“I know you didn’t, sweetheart.” He smiled softly. “Is it bad if I say I’m glad you did?”

Astrid sighed in relief, glad to know that they were on the same side. “You should go.”

Hiccup nodded once, and then kissed her on the lips once again.

—

It was one of those odd moments where Hiccup realized just how far Astrid lived from him. Ten minutes felt like an hour, and he was only halfway there. Provided, driving with a corpse in the passenger seat certainly didn’t make time go any faster. More like, he was so overly aware of the body next to him and the absence of cars on the road, that he kept looking at the clock just to see. The longer it took him to hide the body, the more time he had to get caught.

It wasn’t something he wanted to do today.

Hiccup hadn’t even realized he had been holding his breath until he heard a breath next to him.

“SCOTT?” He nearly shouted.

But the body didn’t respond. Hiccup had hit a pot hole, and the air in Scott’s lungs made an escape.

“I’m just being paranoid. Rightfully so, this is so messed up.” Reaching over, Hiccup turned up the stereo and Justin Timberlake greeted him like an old friend.

It cuts right on my eye, yeah it hurt, won't lie

Still can't see, think I saw you with another guy

Fair fight, knocked down, then I got over you

Can't fight no more, you knock me out

What am I supposed to do?

Hiccup gripped the steering wheel a little too hard. His knuckles turning white.

I don't understand it

Tell me how could you be so low?

Been swinging after the bell and after all of the whistle blows.

Tried to go below the belt, through my chest, perfect hit to the dome

Dammit babe

This ain't the girl I used to know

No, not anymore, TKO

He turned off the stereo almost instantly. Maybe driving in silence would be better then that.

It was when he was on a country road, lined with trees, nearly at his house, when everything came crashing down.

Red and blue lights flashed in the mirrors.

This was it. It was all over. What did he do now? Pull over and hide the body in the back seat? Play dumb? Or gun it?

Despite his criminal actions, he still thought of himself as a good boy, and pulled over peacefully. He waited on the shoulder, his foot tapping manically. He wanted to cry.

He rolled down the window, letting the frigid November air in. He heard only heard footsteps over the frantic beating of his pulse in his ears. Finally the Officer came up to the window. “Hi, license and registration please.”

Hiccup obediently reached into his back pocket for his license. “Um, this is my girlfriends car, so the registration is in her name.”

“That’s fine, that’s fine.”

Hiccup reached over Scott’s lap and into the glove compartment to get the papers. “Uh, here. What seems to be the problem?” He asked, afraid of the answer.

The officer was quiet a moment as he was studying the license. “You’re the Chief’s son, aren’t you?”

Hiccup nodded, “yeah, that’s me.”

“Well, I guess I can’t go too hard on you.” The man smiled. “You’re rear left light is out. Make sure your girlfriend knows and have her get it fixed. I won’t give you a ticket or anything.”

Hiccup nearly cried in relief. “Yes, thank you. I will make sure that gets done.”

“You look kind of nervous.” The officer noted, leaning on the window.

“I’ve just never had a ticket before, and I was worried about my dad’s reaction.”

“Well, no need to worry.” He looked over and noticed Scott for the first time in the darkness. “What’s wrong with your friend there?”

Hiccup feels goosebumps on the back of his neck. This scenario, along with 70 others, had run through his mind on his long drive. He had just the lie.

“He’s stunk drunk, sir.” He said resolutely, refusing his voice to waver. “He texted me to pick him up from the bar. Then he got in the seat, pooped his pants, and passed out.”

“Wow, what a friend,” said the uniformed man. “You look a little beat up too. You okay?”

“He was in the middle of a fight, and I had to pull him out. The other guy didn’t appreciate it.” Yes, this was going smoothly, he might get away with it.

“Aw, bummer.” He simpered, “well, thanks for taking care of him so he didn’t drive drunk. Go home and get some rest.”

“Oh sure, of course I will! Thanks!”

“Have a nice night!” The man slapped the side of the car and walked off.

Hiccup’s hands shook as he rolled the window up.

He almost prayed to thank God, but then realized thanking God for allowing him to get away with murder was pretty sacrilegious.

—

Finally, he rolled through the familiar tunnel of his neighborhood. He was so close.

At the other end of the drive, Hiccup pulled into Eret’s driveway and turned his lights off. It was risky with all these trees, but it was riskier getting caught again with a dead body in Astrid’s car.

He parked by the dock, a hop skip and a jump away from the Eretson house. No lights were on, as he had been undetected.

He opened the passenger side door and yanked Scott out of his seat, and let hm flop on the ground. He wasn’t going to have more contact with him then necessary.

Down at the dock, sure enough, the little fishing boat sat tied up. It would likely remain out here all year, since the Eret Eretson Sr. loved to fish. Hiccup turned on the little light at the end of the dock that acted like a marker for land. It wasn’t too bright, but he still had to move quickly, not to be spotted. The boat had a small motor, but for sake of silence, Hiccup decided against it. Oars sat on the floor, in case of emergency.

He supposed this would be an emergency.

He dragged his cousin’s limp body down the dock and dropped him into the boat. Then he stepped in, preparing himself for the wobbly floor, and took to rowing.  

It was a clear night, but no moon out. The stars were his only companions.

Finally, when the light on shore was but a speck in the distance, and his arms felt heavy, he stopped.

It was a calm night, despite the storm brewing inside him. Gentle waves lapped against the metal hull.

Then he looked at Scott. He supposed he should say a few words. But he had nothing nice to say.

“I’m sorry,” he finally managed. “You were a jerk, and an asshole, and a liar…you hurt everyone around you. But…” he wasn’t so sure if Scott didn’t deserve to die. “I’m sorry that you’re not getting a proper burial.” He finished.

With a heave, Hiccup eased the body over the edge of the boat, almost going in with him too.

The body landed face up, and Hiccup pressed down on his chest with an oar. His lungs filled with water, and then sank away into the dark.

The dark deed was done.

Then he was alone.

Tears welled up in his eyes. He was disgusting. He was evil and vile and a murderer. This was all wrong and the guilt would tear him apart. So he bowed his head. “God…I…I know I messed up. This is all…messed up. It was never supposed to be like this. I was never…this isn’t me. You know everything, so you know why I did it…”

He was aware he was rambling, but a confession was sorely deserved. “But I’m so scared. I’ve never been this scared in my life. Just please…forgive me for…for the lies I’m going to have to say. My punishment will come, I know…but please…have mercy on me. Have mercy on her. She doesn’t deserve her lot in life, God…I just want her to be happy.” And with that, Hiccup finally broke down completely into sobs.

But out on the lake, no one could hear his agony.

—

When Astrid had finished mopping the floor for the tenth time, she got down on her hands and knees and inspected it, just to make sure. She had done the same thing each time she mopped, just to make sure. The floor was probably cleaner than it had ever been.

Her knees were sopping wet, and she needed to move on.

The frying pan had soaked, and been scrubbed, and soaked again. She knew Eleanor would yell at her for cleaning it with water, since it was cast iron. But Astrid could handle it.

She found the rubber kitchen gloves her roommate kept, and slipped them on. For now, it would work. She carefully wiped off the keys and phone, and did a final sweep over the house, making sure she didn’t leave any of her belongings around. All looked clear.

She locked the door behind her and hid her house keys under the doormat, like she had told Eleanor she’d do. Acting normal, she climbed into the truck and drove off.

The seat was far back, and she had to sit up to reach the peddles, but she didn’t dare adjust the seat.

The radio turned on loud with the car, because he couldn’t listen to music at a decent decibel.

You don't have to say what you did

I already know, I found out from him

Now there's just no chance

With you and me

There'll never be

Don't it make you sad about it?

Astrid blocked out the sound, pretending it didn’t bother her. But it did.

You told me you love me

Why did you leave me all alone?

Now you tell me you need me

When you call me on the phone

Girl, I refuse

You must have me confused

With some other guy

The bridges were burned

Now it's your turn, to cry

Cry me a river

Cry me a river

She pulled into the beach parking lot without incident. No one was out at this time of night, and those who were, didn’t care.

Finally, she took out Scott’s phone, and went to the messenger between him and Heather. The last few conversations had been short and not very friendly. She added one more, her guts twisting with each little clack of the keyboard.

Heather i know you’ll probably never forgive me and i understand. Just wanted you to know that im sorry for being the worst. ill be out of your way soon.

Astrid turned the phone off before she could reply. Then she dropped the phone in the cupholder, with the keys, and then got out of the car.

Then she ran.

Ran down the parking lot, up the stairs of the bluff, and town. She darted around buildings, into alleys, and hid in doorways for only seconds at a time. It felt like someone was watching, silently judging, and pulling her spirit down into hell.

Finally, she made it to the church Hiccup had planned to meet her at. There were no cars in the parking lot waiting for her.

She collapsed in the back entranceway, falling to her rear. She scooted across the cement until her back hit cold bricks, and she let her head fall back against them.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry.” She whispered, screwing her eyes shut. Fat, hot tears rolled down her cheeks, biting in the cold air. “I didn’t mean to do it. I hated him, but I would never…he’s dead because of me!”

She believed that there was a God, and that there were things considered right and wrong. And learned more and more about that once she started going to Church with Hiccup on Sunday’s. Still, the afterlife was not really high on the list of priorities.

Until now. Death was in her hands, staining them actually.

“God…I’m ruined. I’ve done the unspeakable. You are the only one who can help me now…maybe I don’t have the right to call on you, but I’m so lost. Please, Father…I am yours, save me.”

As she uttered these words, a pair of headlights shown on her.

—

Well, it’s not one of my stories until Astrid kills somebody, huh?

[kuhnertjournal]

Week 8 : Industrial Design

Indian Motorcycle (Image)

My Indian is one of my favorite designs that I have in my life. This bike is mostly produced on an assembly line as a mass-produced object. The paint is one of a kind though! The design aspects of this bike are a largely sized headlight so the rider can see, lower covers over the tires to avoid rock kicks, and even a higher set of handlebars for the rider to have control. The seat has a larger base for both small and large riders. The engine is one of the largest made for riders of higher experience if they want, and the exhaust system is made so that it will not make the rider go deaf! Many points of universal and industrial design are present in this object.

 Lenovo Yoga (Image)

This is my laptop that I am currently using to write this journal entry. It was designed and manufactured with many other just like it, so nothing unique. It is a silver Lenovo Yoga with a i7 core, Windows 10 OS. The screen is large enough with magnification capabilities for those hard of seeing if necessary. The OS is fast enough that it can keep up with most anything that the user may throw at it application or program wise. The keyboard is large enough that even those of us with the largest of hands can type!

Cologne (Sketch)

The design that was put into my cologne bottle is also a great example of design. The bottle is designed with a larger body so that any size of hand could grip it. The spray top is located just close enough to the top of the bottle that it can be operated with either hand by itself without using another. The body has curves embedded so that it is also easier to grab. The top has a grip of some kind engraved in it for easier holding purposes as well.

 iPhone XR (Sketch)

This is the queen bee of designs for some people, they absolutely cannot live without these things because of how convenient designer teams have made them! My particular phone is a red iPhone XR with a black, rubbery otter box case around it. There is a power button on the right and volume on the left. The speaker box that allows you to hear the sounds when on a call is at the top along with the camera, while the actual speakers are at the bottom for all other sounds. Inside the phone is what makes the design so unique. There are so many programs embedded in here that is extremely user friendly. You can basically do anything you would like on this piece of technology like making a call, sending an email, search the web, taking pictures, and so much more.

 Broom (Sketch)

This is a design that has been around for a while! Obviously mass-produced, this is an example of a corncob broom like in Frosty the Snowman! The wooden handle is long enough that a person can stand up straight and properly sweep yet. The hay-bristles on the end seem to work so much better than the fiber they put on the new ones. The metal bracket that attaches the broom to the handle is embedded deep enough in the wood to properly keep the item together.

 Soap Wand (Sketch)

The soap wand that we have in our sink is a phenomenal design for any household. It has a screw on cap where you can dump the soap in and keep an eye on the level. The handle is long enough that a person with nearly any sized hand can properly grip the wand. The plastic that attaches the grip to the brush is strong enough that it keeps the system together while washing. The brush is a rough texture designed to take off any food particles without too much scrubbing on the users behalf. I still don’t know what the button in the middle is for though because it never seems to do anything!

 Flat Head Screwdriver (Sketch)

A screwdriver is a design application that I’m sure nearly every person has used in their life at some point. This particular screwdriver is a flat head type and also works pretty neat as a prybar! The grip has grooves in it so that the user can turn more stubborn screws and not let loose. The bottom of the actual screwdriver has a hard, plastic piece that may not be designed for it, but works for hitting things too! The silver piece on the end that is shaped with the flat head is made out of tool steel and is specially hardened for these types of applications.

 Motorola Two-way Radio (Image and Notes)

“Mountain to Valley: Up to 35 miles Open Water: Up to 6 miles Neighborhood: Up to 2 miles *How far can I expect my radios to communicate? The communication range quoted is calculated under optimum conditions, with an unobstructed line of sight. Actual range will vary depending on terrain and conditions and is often less than maximum possible. Your actual range will be limited to terrain, weather conditions, electromagnetic interference, and obstructions” (Motorola Two-Way, 2019).

Here are a few notes on the two-way radio shown above. This is a particular one that we use at work for communicating back and forth. It has a port on the side that you can attach a headset to when moving on the job. There is also a button on the right side where you press to talk. There is a rotating button on the top that allows you to switch channels for more accessibility and security. The display on the front will allow you to also alter the volume and channels.

 Chair (Image)

This is a chair design that that we have at work with all our office desks. It has four legs with wheels on it to allow the user to roll with ease. The arms are made of plastic instead of metal for a little extra comfort. The back is made out of a mesh material and the bottom of a cotton material for comfort. You can sit in these for an extended period of time and not get sore!

 Computer Mouse (Image and notes)

“The IOGEAR 3-Button Optical USB Wired Mouse offers smooth, precise cursor movement for your everyday computing needs. Equipped with left, right and center buttons, a scroll-wheel, and an optical tracking sensor, the 3-Button Optical USB mouse is ready to be connected to your favorite docking station, desktop or KVM” (3-Button Optical USB Wired Mouse, 2020).

This is a computer mouse design that works nicely with our chromebooks at work. The particular one in the picture has a red and white design with the black toggle switch in the middle. Although it is not able to be seen, it has the left and right switches as well. The tracking system on the bottom will keep the user’s mouse icon exactly where it should be on the screen. It is a corded system that leads to a USB adapter for the computer.

 Light Sensor (Image)

This is a light sensor that we have outside our break room that catches motion and turns the light on and off. It is a great design that allows for the light switch to always be turned on, but the lights not actually be on without someone around. The white plastic portion at the top of the body is the actual motion sensor. It registers any movement and flips the circuit on to the light switch. It attaches to a round plate that anchors in the wall. This way, it can be mounted in just the right spot so that it can catch any possible movement coming in the doorway.

  Refrigerator (Notes)

“The Frigidaire 20.4 cu. ft. Top Freezer Refrigerator features 3 full-width glass shelves and humidity-controlled crisper drawers for storing fruits and vegetables. Equipped with bright lighting to keep contents clearly visible, the refrigerator is easy to control with a single temperature knob inside. On top, the freezer offers a full-width shelf for flexible storage options as well as two full-width door racks to house additional frozen food” (Frigidaire, 2020).

A refrigerator is a brilliant design that we should talk about as well. Again, nearly everyone has one! We all use it for keeping things cool in our house. Usually they have a top shelf which is used for a freezer portion, and a lower portion which is used to keep things above freezing. This is how mine is designed at home. There is a handle on both sections that allows for easier opening. Inside, there are numerous shelves and compartments that are used for stacking and storing things. The bottom will have the machinery parts, and an electrical cord that runs to the power source. There are many different designs for this object, but this one is the usual kind that we find.

      References

 3-Button Optical USB Wired Mouse. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.iogear.com/product/GME423/

Frigidaire. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frigidaire-20-4-cu-ft-Top-Freezer-Refrigerator-in-Stainless-Steel-FFTR2021TS/302007875

Motorola Two-Way. (n.d.). Retrieved 2019, from https://shop.motorolasolutions.com/t800-two-way-radios/product/B8F22204LBHAAW