#Same species of person who needs the waiter to like them

[itjazzbicch]

Falling

Pairing:  Timeskip!Taiju Shiba x Fem Reader 

First time writing for Taiju so I hope I did well! 

Summary: Taking extreme measures as a beginning attempt to leave a corrupted Toman, the reader runs into an old friend who knows of that life, falling into deep, suppressed emotions when that friend, Taiju, learns what the reader has gone through…

Warnings:  SMUT! (18+ ONLY! MINORS & AGELESS BLOGS DNI! YOU WILL BE BLOCKED!) implied/mentions of violence, swearing, smoking, reader is dealing with lots of emotions, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it) Taiju is a soft for the reader, morning sex

Word Count: 2.5k 

I knew that sooner or later that the lifestyle I chose would catch up with me. After what I had to do and knew that no one was on my trail, I treated myself to dinner.

This restaurant was beautiful, getting a table beside an enormous aquarium, filled with admirable fish species. The food was excellent, and the aged wine was to die for. I took my time to savor every bite and sip. Much so that I was the last person there as they were soon closing.

"I hate to sound rude, but we'll be closing shortly."

The waiter was only doing his job, nodding but asking, "Let me finish the rest of this wine?"

He was pending on how to respond, till a man twice his size stood beside him:

"She can stay."

"Thank you," Gazing to Taiju in the corner of my eye, I didn't leave the waiter empty handed, pulling a stack out of my purse, handing it to him, "Your service was excellent. Here's your tip."

"W-Why thank you, ma'am," He expressed, astonished by my generous tip.

Taking the dishes, then pacing to the back, I sipped my wine as Taiju sat across from me:

"Haven't seen your face in a long time."

"Same to you," I hummed, complimenting, "What a wonderful establishment you own, Taiju. Too bad I probably won't come back."

"What? Toman have you moving around?" He mumbled with a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it, looking confused as I whispered with a chuckle:

"Oh no. After tonight, I'm sure they'll send their top dogs to kill me."

"Kill you?" Being one of Toman's upper echelon for over a decade made my words confuse him, wanting to learn more as he hit his cigarette, "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"They pushed my buttons for the last time," Reliving the violence I went through tonight, gripping the wine glass and staring at a bruised knuckle, I explained, "I want out, but I'm sure you know that's easier said than done."

"What did you do?" Wanting a more direct answer, leaning over to me as he puffed out smoke, I stared into his eyes, heart hurting despite the coldness in my eyes and voice:

"I've committed unspeakable sins, Taiju."

I didn't need to say more for him to understand, watching him sigh and shake his head, sighing myself as I took my purse:

"I can only hope my soul will be spared when my time comes."

"Wait just a minute," Putting out his leg to prevent me from standing, he had ideas in his mind, "I may not be into gang activities anymore, but you can probably answer a question that I have."

"That is?" Crossing my legs, I knew exactly what this was leading to:

"Hakkai."

"You have my deepest condolences," I whispered, guilty as I knew Toman was the reason why Hakkai was gone, "I have an answer that you're not going to like."

"Tell me anyway,” He demanded and since I understood, I gave him the bit of knowledge I had regarding his death:

"Mikey and Izana. The things Mikey did regarding old members were only between them. Mikey's dead, but Izana, he's a slippery bastard."

"I imagine he's leader now," He guessed, nodding to confirm, only able to watch with sympathy as he took a deeper hit of his cigarette, a scowl on his face from the thought of Izana, "A bastard he is."

"Believe me, I want him six feet under," I whispered, Taiju noticing my bruised hand and slight shaking from the anger the thought of Izana brought me, "He's the reason Toman is the way it is now, why my life is a living hell."

"Hey," His hand found my knee under the table, catching my gaze, "You're just going to give up so easily?"

"What else can I do?" That was the one thought that had filled me with terrifying anxiousness, "What else can I do besides run and continue to sin?"

"They sure have changed you," He exhaled with disappointment, "The Y/N I knew never crumbled under pressure so easily."

"We were teenagers, Taiju," My eye twitched as his words sparked anger in me, trying to get my point across, "I'm in a whole different league, now. I've seen things that you can't even imagine."

"Gives me a better reason to find Izana and finish him myself," He kept reminding me of how close we were once upon a time, making me rethink my entire life, wishing I made it out of this hellish life like he did whenever I had the opportunity.

"I wish it could be that easy," I sniffled, going to leave again as my emotions began to get the better of me, "It was nice to see you again, Taiju."

Standing at the same time, I didn't expect him to pull me into a hug, his massive arms embracing me powerfully, tears leaking as he whispered:

"Don't say it like it's the last time, Y/N."

"What am I supposed to do?" I shook, hiding my face in his chest, "There's no hope for me."

"You're not dead, are you?" Instinctively looking up to him, I finally felt some hope from his words, "As long as you're alive, there is hope."

All I could do was cry in his arms, listening as he offered his handkerchief to dry my tears:

"I've never thought of you differently since the Black Dragon was defeated. I know that you're not like them."

"I never intended for things to go this far," I heaved, still doubtful that our relationship in this past was still present, "I was in the upper ranks before I knew it then Mikey-; He completely lost it and now, here I am, just a shell of a person. You don't have to pretend to like me, Taiju. Hell, I hate myself."

"My grudge is with Izana. Not you," He said sternly, confident in his feelings, "I despise him not only because of my brother, but also for what he's done to you."

All the guilt that lived in the back of mind rummaged through me, barely able to speak from the cries taking over me:

"I'm sorry, Taiju. I'm so sorry."

Practically crumbling in his arms, I officially hit the lowest pit there was to fall into, but he stayed composed, leaning to take my purse, keeping his arm around me:

"Come with me."

"I-I can't," I said quickly out of fear, only caring for him, "I'm too dangerous to keep around. I don't-"

I'd never been so confused whenever he started to laugh at me, seeing that he hadn't change much as he smirked with confidence:

"Don't act like I'm easy prey."

That was true, but still scared as I asked, "Are you sure? They do know my past."

"Hmph," He scoffed, not at me, but the thought, starting to lead me out, "I dare them to step up to me."

Going out to his car, I was drowning in paranoia, but whenever he got into the front seat, driving off with a hand on my thigh, I felt safe. Something I haven't felt in a long time.

Taking his hand, I didn't want to ever let go, so zoned out that I almost panicked when he got out of the car, realizing that we were in a garage, coming over to get the door for me. My legs were shaking when I stepped out, but his hand in mine was comforting me again.

"Don't worry. No one's stepped foot in this place besides me," He assured, leading me into a what could qualify as a penthouse, trying to get out of my dark thoughts as I looked around:

"The restaurant industry has done you well, I see."

"Very much so," He nodded, taking me to the bedroom, guiding me to sit on the bed, "I can tell you don't sleep much."

"It's that obvious, huh?" I sighed, looking into a mirror on the wall, seeing the dark circles under my eyes.

"Here," In the bathroom, he left one of his shirts for me, "Take care of yourself."

Only nodding, I went in, shutting the door behind me, stepping out of my flats and leaning into the sink, splashing warm water on my face. This wasn't how I expected my night to end, thinking deeply about all the things Taiju told me.

I didn't want to give up or run for the rest of my life, but I was so scared, staring into the mirror, eyes burning from not blinking while searching for even the slightest amount of fight or confidence inside.

Staring for so long made rings flash over my sight, head aching, attempting to shake it off as I changed into Taiju's shirt that was a nightgown on me.

After folding my clothes, I returned to his dim room, lit by a nightlight, seeing him already relaxed in his bed, his hand patting the empty side to call for me.

Climbing under the blankets, I laid back, staring at the ceiling, almost getting lost in thought before he pulled me to his side, humbly latching to him, an arm around his torso as I rested my head on his chest.

"Sleep. You need it."

"If I could go back in time," I whispered, listening to his heartbeat and expressing what my heart wanted, "I would've stuck by your side, live a some-what normal life, be truly successful like you.",

"It's too late for what ifs," He was always brutally honest, but encouraging. "But it's not too late to be forgiven."

Stuck to him like glue, I closed my eyes, praying that my life would get better somehow. The warmth of his body helped me ease up a little, exhaustion finally catching me, drifting off as he whispered:

"Just sleep, love."

-----

Blinking, light burned my tired eyes. It was the sun shining against the window, trying to see straight and find a clock or something because it felt like I slept for ages, but was brought back to the bed, shifting to the side as Taiju murmured half awake:

"Better?"

His stature blocked the light, the soft sting in my eyes disappearing as I nodded:

"Mhm, thanks."

Our legs intertwined and as I began to wake up more, seeing his ruffled hair, I brushed it behind his ear, a soft rub of his scalp making him smirk.

It felt so good to smile, yawning and becoming flustered when his hand trailed down my hip and cupped my butt, still snoring a little.

"Really have to give me butterflies the second I wake up?" I chuckled under my breath, not knowing he was awake:

"Only fair since you used me as a pillow all night."

"I'm-" I was only kidding, but felt as if I needed to apologize, till a laugh rumbled in his chest:

"Still always apologizing for the tiniest things."

"I can't help it, alright?" I huffed, explaining, "It's the first time I've slept peacefully in years."

"I could tell," He yawned, opening his eyes to find me smiling tiredly.

"Thank you, Taiju," Kissing his cheek, his nose caught mine before I laid my head back down, kissing my lips instead.

I sucked in a deep breath, radiating in the warmth of his lips, shaking with a hollow gasp as our lips parted:

"You're welcome, love."

I hated how emotional I was, tearing up as he gave me one more kiss, looking at me when he noticed how it made me shake.

"What?" It was early and my mood swing confused him, but quickly understood as I thought:

"I guess you could say that I'm not used to being treated so nicely."

"Lord have mercy," His head shook, "They really fucked you up."

"No kidding," Ready to hide under the blanket from embarrassment, he shifted my hip so that I was on my back, crawling on top of me, staring deeply into my eyes as if he were searching for something, "Taiju?"

He had my heart racing just by staring, thinking till he whispered:

"You're still the same old you. Come to me."

There was only one way I could think of how to respond, picking up my head to kiss him, pressing my lips hard and trying to do as he said, searching for myself. The longer I pressed, blocking all thoughts, my body acted on its own, running a hand through his hair and gluing his body back to mine.

I could feel his smirk against my lips, teeth nipping at my lower lips softly, "Now, that's my girl; going after what you want."

"And I'm going to get it," I wasn't paying attention to my words, spreading my legs so our hips could meet, nails tracing the muscles in his back as his nips found my neck, moaning at how it made my nerves tingle, wiggling to take off my panties, "Just take me."

"Oh, I will," He chuckled, shuffling to take off his bottoms, a hand between us as he hovered above me, "But can you take me? That's the real question."

I smiled at old memories of how we used to flirt, but should've taken his question seriously as I felt his tip stretching me, looking between our gap to see how big he was, gasping hard:

"Fuck, Taiju."

"I warned you," Finding my neck again with his hands running under my shirt, cupping and squeezing my breasts, his hips rolled and worked his cock deeper and deeper into me, making such lewd moans fill the room.

"I wasn't complaining," I gasped, nails sinking into his biceps as his arms wrapped around me, bottoming out and my back arched hard at the slight pinch in my stomach, "Taiju!"

"Damn you're tight," His breath blew past my ear, breath stuck in my chest as his arms squeezed me, bucking his hips faster, that pinch turning into a pound, hearing his dirty intentions in his coo, "I love it."

He was so heavy, the pressure even heavier and the friction around his slicked cock making the tingles I felt turn into sparks, loving it too, a pleasure I never imagined.

"I-I," I wanted to praise him with meaningful words, but I was falling so hard, instead spitting out when he moved faster, "Shit! You're so good! Ah! Ah!”

Palming the arch of my back and pulling my hips into his thrusts some, I fell into a swirling world, hips jerking and the friction growing stronger when this swarming heat dropped from my core.

“Taijuuu-“ I began to whine, only his name repeatedly, trying to make out, “I-Ngh!”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Holding my hips still, his deep tone sent me off, “Just cum for me.”

“Ngh-Ahh!” My walls pulsated so hard, blood pumping through me like a steam engine and I could barely breath, feeling the gush around his cock, trembling as he was unfazed and still fucking me through it, whining to him, “I-I need a second, Taiju.”

Slowing to a still, arms embracing me, he teased me with kisses, “Just know, I can handle more than one round.”

“Oh I know,” I chuckled breathlessly, teasing as I kissed back, “You damn beast.”

2023 © itjazzbicch — do not repost or translate my work. Likes, reblogs, and comments are always welcome 

[otemporanerys]

WIP Whenever

I am very bad at remembering to do these, I know I was recently tagged by @kalliesa and @cr-noble-writes, apologies if anyone else did that as well I will tag @misseffect @dwarrowdams and (because it's been nearly a week since the last tag, lol) @cr-noble-writes Anyway I have had species swap Vakarian parents brainworms for nearly two years and it is finally, finally, time to make this everyone else's problem!!

---

After work, Tegan slipped back to her flat to change for dinner. An extranet search on “the Wardroom, Arcturus” had given her a big fat goose egg, so there was no way to gauge how fancy it was. Fine, she pulled out the little black dress from the back of the closet – her mother had made her buy it, she’d really overestimated how many cocktail parties Tegan would be invited to. She could take a thin cardigan if she needed to dress down, and her grandmother’s old pearls in case she needed to dress up. Bit of eyeshadow, bit of lippy, and she was back out the door again.

It was only when she got to the location Castor had sent her that she realized there was no way she was going to blend: as she walked in the door, she saw that each and every other person in there was wearing a uniform. The nice ones, with sharp shoulders and gold stripes.

And then the door swooshed open behind her, and Castor stepped in, wearing exactly the same getup.

“Hello,” he said. The long clean lines of the uniform suited him – better than the leather jacket, anyway. “Did you find your way here all right?”

“Yeah, no problem.” She jerked her head towards the other diners. “Except you didn’t tell me there was a dress code.”

“Oh.” Castor nodded at a… waiter? Cadet? Whoever was running around taking orders. “Don’t worry, you look nice.”

She looked like he’d ordered a date off the extranet, but she wasn’t going to let that bother her. “Sorry, I thought this was a restaurant.”

“No, it’s the… I suppose you could call it an officer’s club?”

It was a nice enough space, and the overhead lighting wasn’t as harsh as the lighthouse-blare of the rest of the station. The food didn’t even look too bad. Their cadet-waiter took them to a corner booth. “So you’re an officer?” Tegan asked.

“No, I’m an NCO. Was an NCO.”

Sheesh, always with the abbreviations. It was a bad as joining a new department. “Pardon?”

“A non-commissioned officer.”

Tegan chuckled. “And that’s different from an officer-officer?”

Castor sighed gently. “Yes.”

“How?”

“An NCO is promoted from the ranks of enlisted men,” he said, “and officers are formally appointed, usually after going to college. Would you like some wine?”

Tegan nodded. “So you joined right out of school? You didn’t go to university?”

“I did join right out of school – red or white?”

“Uh, white.”

“But I do have a degree.” He lifted his hand, and the waiter-cadet-slave came running right over. “Correspondence course, mechanical engineering.”

This all felt like a silly riddle. “So… are you going to be an officer?”

He wasn’t an expressive man, was Castor Vakarian, but she was beginning to understand the signs. A little puff of air through his nose, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth: she’d asked a stupid question. “They’re different roles. An officer makes the big-picture strategic decisions. An NCO provides specialist technical expertise, works with the marines, makes sure that the operation goes as well as possible.”

“Oh, when you put it like that.” Tegan leaned back against the booth – surprisingly comfy. “It’s like working in a lab. The professor has the bright ideas that gets the funding, and the postdocs and the lab techs are the ones who actually run the experiments.” Castor nodded. “Do you ever have to go back to the officer and tell him that the numbers don’t add up?”

Another, slightly different twitch. “All the time.” The wine arrived, and Castor poured them two glasses.

Tegan lifted hers. “Lechyd da.”

“Yakky da,” he replied. Close enough.

[orienteddreamerrr]

You Meet Din Dijarin, aka, The Mandalorian…

❤️YAS! I'M BAAAACK!!!!❤️

(T.V SHOW: THE MANDALORIAN!)

(Din Dijarin/The Mandalorian X Fem Reader!)

(LONG!)

Rating: PG for…some action and fluff!

(Note: This does NOT follow the tv show—it’s totally random!)

Working at the cantina was not your forte. You work as a waiter/waitress there. And of course, lots of humans and alien species alike like to enter here—not wanting to do anything but hang out and drink. Your life is technically at a standstill…but not until this happened. One day, the cantina was usually busy, with chattering and laughter filling up the air. You were waiting for the bartender to set drinks on your tray when you noticed two men coming in. One wearing regular clothes, but the other wearing silver plated armor topped with a silvery helmet…he looked like a bounty hunter. They both sat at the corner of the bar, looking like they didn’t want anything—just to sit there and chat. Once you had delivered those drinks, you carried your empty tray up to the bartender and had placed it onto the counter. “Hey, go see if they need anything, will yah?”, The bartender asked you. You sighed at this. Personally, you didn’t want to bother them, since they were both in deep conversation. But you gathered yourself up and went over their table. The man who had a dark-skinned complexion took notice of you and smiled. You smiled back and asked, “Do you guys need anything?”, The man shook his head. “We’re alright…”, “Yeah…thanks…”, The silver-armored man spoke out. You take notice of his voice being modulated by his helmet—but you gave both of them a nod and treaded back up to the counter, feeling regret on what just happened.

Once your shift was up, and the bar was getting ready to close, surprisingly to your belief, the silver armored man stayed behind while everyone else was leaving, his friend was nowhere to be seen. He was sitting in the same seat as before. You wonder why he was waiting. For you? For someone else? You ignored that feeling as you were about to open the door to leave, when the Silver armored man spoke out, “Hey…wait…”, Guess he was waiting for you! You turned and walked over towards him. “Yeah?”, He stands to his feet. “Sorry for intruding you…but you look like you could use some help…”, You gave a confused look at him. “I know what you’re thinking…it’s weird but true…”, You could only nod as you get closer to him. He had stepped back a little in response. “Well meet me here tomorrow…in the morning, so we can talk more…okay?”, He could only nod in response as he got near the door to leave but you stopped him. “Wait, what’s your name?”, He turned to face you. “Mando’—but my real name is Din…you?”, “Y/n…”, Din nodded firmly, acknowledging your name as he left out the door. You smiled to yourself at the thought of his real name. This might not be so bad…but something is telling you your life is about to take a turn.

The next day, in the morning, you were thinking that this day was going to be totally normal, and nothing should really happen…you were thinking completely wrong. You went inside the cantina to find broken furniture, broken cups and glasses and the bartender laying on the floor, with blood splotches on his shirt. You can tell he was dead already. You gasped slightly into seeing all this as you quickly run outside, and to your luck, Din was just coming around the corner. He probably saw how concerned you were as he changed his pace. “Mando’! Something happened! Come quick!”, He gave off a nod as he followed you inside. He investigated the cantina, slowly looking around, taking in the clues. He couched near the bartender, looking at his wounds. “Looks like knife wounds…it’s deliberate...”, He stands to face you. You sigh in annoyance. You were really wanting to know who did this. There was a sudden bang in the back of the bar—the storage room. Din quickly got in front of you and took out his blaster. “Stay behind me…”, He lowly says to you as you both crept slowly to the room.

Once close enough, Din went up to the door and kicked it down. Once he did, two robbers dressed in black clothing rushed out, but one tried to grab onto you, making you trip to the floor as they drag you across it…and the floor was littered with glass. You shout in pain as some glass gets caught in your arm. Din comes to your rescue as he unhooks his staff and had hit the robber on the head with it very heard. He drops to the ground, not moving an inch. Din comes over to you and extends his hand for you to take. You winced, not wanting to move. Din sighs as he goes behind you. “Don’t worry—I’ll be gentle…”, He mentions before slowly lifting you up from the ground. Once you were standing, you take a moment to look at the place and the robber laying on the ground. Apparently, the other one had gotten away. You looked to your arm, with it almost looking mangled with glass stuck into it. “Let me help you with that…”, Din had pointed out your arm. You look to him, not trying to shed tears in front of this man. “I got a ship here…full of medical supplies…if you’re willing to trust me, I can help you…”, He added, with a bit of concern in his modulated voice.

You could only nod at his offer as he took you by your clean arm by the hand as he leads you outside the cantina. It was a good walk to his ship, probably 2 miles. During the walk, you noticed a big ship was up ahead. “Wow! That’s your ship?”, You look over to him as you both pause, being near the ship now. He shifts his head over to you, acknowledging your question. “Yeah…don’t get used to it…”, He was trying to help you release some tension. Yet, it was working as you couldn’t help but chuckle and be amused by his words. You look to see the ramp lowering from the ship. Before you could even step foot onto the ship, the wound on your arm was beginning to get to your head as you blacked out without yourself knowing. Felt like 30 minutes passed as you wake up with blurry vision. But the blurriness was starting to subside as you check your surroundings. You’re lying in a colt-like bed and a blanket was covering you. And you were on a ship. Din’s ship. There was a ladder that you guessed led up to the cockpit. You felt there was something wrapped around your arm as you looked to see gauze was wrapped securely around your wound as it was already treated.

It was for a moment when you heard someone coming down from the ladder. You pretended to go back to sleep, quickly pulling the covers over your head as you felt their presence was near you. “Hey—I know your awake…”, It was Din himself. You groaned and opened your eyes, throwing the sheets off of you as you sit up. “Aw man! I though you wouldn’t notice!”, You can hear Din chuckling slightly as he sits himself in a seat across from you. “How’s your wound?”, You chuckle back and gestured to it. “It’s fine…thanks for helping me…”, He nods, acknowledging your gratitude. “You’re welcome…I tracked that other robber who fled…he traveled two parsecs away to this desert-like planet I never came across…you up for it?”, You slowly nod to him. “Yeah! Yeah…I just need a moment…”, Din nods as he stands, slowly going over to the ladder that led up to the cockpit. He stops short and cranes his head over to you. “When you’re willing, you can come up here if you want…I got an extra seat…”, You looked over to him to flash him a smile. “Yeah…sure…”, He acknowledges you and goes up to the cockpit.

Once you took your moment, you slowly ascend the ladder to find Din in his cockpit chair, piloting his ship, watching him randomly flip these switches as if he knows what he’s doing. You noticed the ship was still in hyperspace as well. He was probably aware of your presence as he swiftly turned in his chair to face you. It catches you off guard as you jumped a little. “Glad you could join…sit…”, he turned his chair back around as you quickly took your seat next to his. Din’s ship comes out of hyperspace with a planet coming in view—it looked really sandy. But it wasn’t Tatooine! “Why would he come here?”, You asked, looking over to Din. You see him shrug. “Not sure—I just hope he’s not leading us into a trap…”, He flicked some more switches, prepping the ship for landing. From the looks of it, he did not show any ounce of fear! “You’ve done this before…haven’t you?”, You lowly asked, looking over to him again. You hear him sigh. “Yeah…enough times to know that some people can just be bastards…”, That got you chuckling a little as the ship was making its decent. Once you’ve landed, you got up and out of the ship to find yourselves in the middle of nowhere.

You felt Din had come up next to you as he points ahead of him. “Look…a settlement’s up ahead…maybe he’s hiding out there…”, You gave a nod to him as you both walked to the settlement. Once you got there, it was a ghost town. Apparently, everyone must be in hiding. “Where is everybody?”, You thought out loud. You both were trying to explore the town when out of nowhere, blaster bolts came out at every direction. You felt Din grab your arm as you both took cover. He took out his own and shot at some of the men that were firing. You looked out from behind your hiding spot to find the robber guy going inside this building that was nearby. You turn to Din. “Hey! I saw him! He went inside that building!”, He gives a nod to you as you both got up to rush inside, laser fire still coming in hot. Both of you made it in time as Din shuts the big door behind. Hiding behind a pillar, Din takes a moment, looking to see the coast was clear. “Alright…come on...”, He mutters to you, wanting to continue. You both slowly walk around, trying to pinpoint where the robber was hiding.

That’s when you looked over to him to see a shadow appear behind him. “Behind you!”, You yelp to him. It was of course the robber. Din quickly turns around as he gets tackled to the ground. The robber proceeds to choke him and attempts to take his helmet off. You quickly grab his blaster that he dropped and aimed it at the robber, trying to get a good shot. When you did shoot him, the robber screeches, along with flinching from the pain he was feeling, but he forced Din’s helmet off completely. Since you know the law of bounty hunters, you quickly turn around upon seeing Din’s bare face. You heard shuffling of feet. You were thinking Din was scrambling to get is helmet back on. “Are you okay?”, You ask him, still having your back turned. “Yeah…I’m fine…”, His voice…it was clear…not modulated! Why doesn’t he have his helmet on? You wonder.

After a moment you hear him say, “You can turn around now…”, His voice was back to being modulated. You slowly turned around to see Din standing there, his helmet back on his head and the robber laying near his feet. Yoi look to Din. “Just so you know…I know the law of bounty hunters—can’t let your face be seen by others…”, He walks slowly towards you. “How did you know that?”, You eyed to the ground, trying to think of what to tell him. “Some of my family members were…Mandalorians…and I’ve learned the ways of the rules you all follow…one of them of being not to take your helmet off for people to see…”, Din gave a nod acknowledgement as he turns his head to the ground. There was a good silence between the two of you…Din broke it. “I’ll let you in something…”,

You look to Din with your interest peeking, nodding for him to continue. “I have never shown anyone my identity….never…since we Mandalorians follow a creed…like you mentioned…but it wouldn’t be right if I broke it…”, You notice Din stepping even closer to you. “You can’t tell anyone I did this…do you swear to keep this to yourself?”, You quickly nod in affirmation. “I do…wait, what? What are…?”, Before you could finish, you watch as Din slowly lifts his arms to take off his helmet. His face was revealed as you were mesmerized by it. Brown curly locks of hair, brown-fudge like eyes…and he looks like he’s in his late 20s. And he’s human! You stepped closer this time as you slowly placed a hand on his cheek to rest it there. He melts into it. “I definitely won’t tell anyone…you have my word…I’ll pretend I never saw it!”, For the first time, you see Din smile to your words. He chuckles too. You smile back at him as you retract his hand.

“I think I have what it takes…do you think we should be partners? Y’know, work together?”, Din’s smile disappears into a more serious look. “That would be helpful, but…your place is the cantina…”, “Well…my place WAS the cantina…I want something more in my life…you would understand, right?”, Din gave a firm nod. “Yeah…I think this might work…but you have to become a Mandalorian like me…it’s a big process to go through…are you up for it?”, You nod back at him as Din places his Helmet back on, his voice being back to being modulated again. “Alright…I guess you can consider yourself my partner then…”, You smile and rushed towards the doors of the building you both were still in. “Well—let’s start by taking out these guys!”, You see Din give off a nod of affirmation as he pushes past the doors, with you following after. This turn in your life will be something you won’t blow for you get to work with the fearsome Mandalorian himself! You’re just hoping you both can make a good cause for the Galaxy, together!

The End!

Leave a like if you enjoyed!❤️🤭

[dyxtd21]

The Ancient Attainment:

(Chapter 5) (Monday 1st, June, 20XX, 7:00pm)

Pyrope, with his cane in his right hand, finally arrived at Bruce Wayne's manor, famously known as the Wayne Manor. A magnificent and large estate which was owned by the Wayne family since, well...who knows how long ago.

Pyrope heard the motor commotion of the black limousines driving in front of the Wayne Manor gates and heard as the dashing men exit them alongside with their elegant and beautiful dates and wives.

Pyrope gave a small shrug since he's not really the limousine gemstone and being said gemstone, he didn't feel exhaustion, no matter what. He honestly could walk for forever without breaking a sweat.

Pyrope walked through the main manor gates and entered the front doors of the manor.

Inside, Pyrope sensed, through taste, the glamorous interior of the manor and the well-kept and rich furniture. However, since it was a gala, Pyrope sensed, through smell, the round buffet tables, filled with the most exquisite and delicate delicacies, which Pyrope had no need of. In addition, he also took notice of the balloons, the ribbons along the walls and finally the giant chocolate fountain.

Pyrope had to hand it to Bruce. He seemed to outdone himself extremely well.

However, the tall Grandfather's clock seemed to hold something...unique behind it. Pyrope knew immediately that something...secretive was hiding behind the tall Grandfather's clock, like a cellar, leading down to somewhere, like a basement.

However, Pyrope moved on, avoiding guests, effectively as he made his way towards a waiter but before he could could speak with them, someone moved in front of Pyrope's way.

Despite being blind and wearing a blindfold, Pyrope could hear and use his 6th sense (Righteous Guessing), to pinpoint this individual's appearance and personality.

The individual in front of him was a late-middle aged man, probably in his late 40s and early 50s. He had a British accent and as Pyrope guessed correctly, which he never was wrong, the individual was a...butler.

"Good evening, Sir. May I take your coat and cane?" The individual greeted Pyrope and then asked him in a British accent, politely.

Pyrope took a moment to think. He then replied in a stoic and calm voice: "No, thank you, sir. However, I wish to know your name, if that's possible, of course."

The butler looked surprised for a moment but then composed himself. "Why but of course. My name is Alfred Pennyworth and I'm the residential butler of Wayne Manor. I have served Master Bruce's parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, before his time and before their...unfortunate passing." Alfred spoke but with a hint of sadness at the latter part.

"I'm truly sorry to hear about that. I hope Mr. Bruce is coping with their loss." Pyrope replied, sensing the somber feeling around Alfred.

"He's trying his best, do trust me on that. Now, may I ask for your name as well, Sir?" Alfred inquired, clearly interested in this bright red colored individual of a lawyer.

"My name is Pyrope and I'm a lawyer. Mr. Bruce has invited me and my colleague, Kevin Smith to this...splendorous gala of his." Pyrope replied, moving his head from right to left as if he sensed that someone, who was the same gemstone species like himself, was in the manor but where?

Alfred noticed this but didn't press the matter any further. Instead, Alfred said: "Ah, that's correct. Pyrope, just like the name of the rare and precious gemstone. Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Pyrope?"

"I'm afraid not at this moment but thank you." Pyrope responded, politely, while he walked away from Alfred, making his way towards an empty chair with the lingering sensation of someone like him being in the manor but unable to pinpoint where.

After he took his seat, Pyrope snapped his fingers and a wine glass with crystal clear water appeared before him. He concentrated and with a single touch into the water, it turned into red wine, the perfect drink for someone like Pyrope. He took a sip of it and...nothing. No taste nor flavor. Just plainness air and nothingness.

"Such an annoyance." Pyrope mumbled to himself, in disappointment.

Pyrope looked up from his glass of red wine and saw him. The handsome and most dashing man he has ever seen, but not really his type. The host none other than himself:

Bruce Wayne, who was currently, talking to two other men.

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke up next to Pyrope.

"Good evening, Mr. Pyrope. I'm glad to see you here."

Pyrope nodded his head in greeting. "It's good to see you too, Mr. Smith."

From behind his blindfold, Pyrope could sense that Kevin was smiling in glee, as if Pyrope was Kevin's secret crush. Pyrope mentally laughed at the thought. There would be no way for that to happen. Pyrope knew that Kevin was married and had a 6 year old son called Jimmy.

"Say, have you officially met Mr. Wayne, in person?" Kevin asked, hoping for Pyrope to reply with a no.

"I have not." Pyrope replied, a bit unamused.

"Well, let's go and introduce ourselves to him." Kevin exclaimed while pulling Pyrope to his feet and interlocking elbows. Pyrope remained stoic while he and Kevin walked towards Bruce who was still talking to the two men.

The three stopped discussing with each other and they all looked at Pyrope first. Bruce didn't flinch or get surprised by Pyrope's appearance. He seemed...intrigued about Pyrope's appearance.

Kevin spoke first.

"Good evening, Mr. Wayne. My name is Kevin Smith and this here, is Pyrope. We're both lawyers."

Bruce acknowledged Kevin's words with a nod.

"Lawyers, you say? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both." Bruce held out his hand and shook Kevin's hand first. When it came Pyrope's turn, Bruce felt like...his hand was on fire. Pyrope's hand was warm, too warm, in fact. The type of temperature when you're near a fire, about 800 Celsius (Or Fahrenheit).

Bruce, simply smiled while he shook Pyrope's hand and quickly let go of his hand. Bruce looked down and saw...burnt marks on his palm but they weren't that severe. He then looked back at Pyrope and Kevin.

"You know, Mr. Pyrope? You remind me of someone. An old...friend, shall we say." Bruce said in a smooth and gentle tone.

Pyrope nodded but he already knew who Bruce was talking and thinking about. Two-Face aka Harvey Dent.

The lingering sensation of someone like Pyrope's gemstone kind was still in manor but as stated before, Pyrope didn't know where they could be in this manor. He needed to find them sooner then later before something goes wrong.

While Pyrope was thinking, one of the men, standing behind Bruce, gave out a small cough.

"Forgive me for the interruption but I forgot to tell you something utterly important, Mr. Wayne. It shall benefit me and my colleague that you should know about our...large and...ancient problem."

Meanwhile:

Ametrine knew that he should follow Zebra Jasper's command of leaving Two-Face alone but he couldn't help it and currently, he was vandalizing the supposed territory of Two-Face. He loved to mess with Harvey, simply because Ametrine, as many citizens said, was a better version of Harvey. That and Ametrine's sadistic side was in the control. He had, no, needed to destroy something.

"Oi! You there! Stop!" A goon of Two-Face's spotted Ametrine vandalizing a building of theirs. Ametrine saw the goon running towards him but simply, Ametrine stayed put. He had a plan, a notorious one that will lead Harvey into spilling some beans.

The goon made it in front of Ametrine and took his gun out.

"Just what do you think you were doing?" The goon asked Ametrine, with high suspicion.

"Why, just trying to get your boss's attention, that's all." Ametrine said in a low and innocent voice.

"Huh? Why?" The goon asked, a bit taken a back by Ametrine's reply and appearance.

"Why? Don't you know who I am?" Ametrine inquired, with a mighty and strict voice.

Before the goon could reply, a black car pulled up in front of the goon and Ametrine. A familiar individual stepped out of it. It was none other then Two-Face aka Harvey Dent and he looked stoically at his goon but when he turned his half-scarred gaze towards Ametrine, his facial features darkened, almost in annoyance.

He began to play and flip his silver one-sided scarred coin between his fingers and knuckles, continuously. Finally, he spoke up in his hoarse and gruff voice at Ametrine:

"What are you doing in my territory, Ametrine? Speak now or I'll flip my coin and let chance decide your unfortunate fate."

[wooahiexist]

Gonna drop some of my Boobuster stuff here…

LONG PARAGRAPHS AHEAD!!!

How The Team Was Formed(WRITING MAY NOT BE GOOD I APOLOGIZE…)

So General and Anti met somewhere inside Bowsers Castle they had the same love for ghosts and conspiracies(Anti also loves tinkering and building weird stuff that the higher-ups didn’t approve! Sort of he walks in with it and they call it crazy.) Anyways they both get kicked out because of one of Anti’s experiments going horribly wrong and they just so happen to have enough money for something? BUT WHAT? So they think and General gets an idea goes to his buddy and says “Anti, let’s start a ghost hunting business.” Anti just approves of it and replies with “Okay!” And they start it !! So they buy this sorta run down toy-box (Not very spacious like in the game.)

And how it was going? Well… not very good they aren’t really doing well until one day they head to an arcade place to just eat really and as they’re in their booth, miserable about how it’s going and their waiter is a Bandit. Now Anti and General aren’t dumb! They know Bandits are very sneaky and greedy species who could easily be driven mad. That’s why they weren’t seen with jobs a lot so it was odd for this particular dude to even have one!

But what’s weirder is that he’s super nice to them kind of sketchy you’d think but, after a while the two fellows got used to him and actually started more then one conversation. They seemed to enjoy him perhaps? Well that was until Anti noticed he was swiping up citizens money like the sneaky dude he was meant to be and keeping it for himself. Then he tells General who checks his purse(HE GETS A PURSE BECAUSE I THINK IT’S FUNNY.) and nothing but a fly and a penny… Well Bandit notices that they realized he stole it and basically books it. Anti then chases after him and in the end gets the upper hand on him. Instead of actually dealing with him Anti gets the craziest idea due to how sneaky and skilled he was he tells General he should be on the team to which he declines quickly. Bandit also denies taking any part in such a silly joke of a business and with this lemon candy lovers good way of convincing Shy Guy’s says that he would get paid and right then and there Bandit joined.

NOW the trio is formed and just as they’re about to start they realize they needed someone who knew mostly everyone in the city just in case of emergencies and things start to go wrong Bandit then goes “HEY, LET ME PHONE A FRIEND! He knows everyone in this city(and I mean everybody.) So they call him up they meet up and he’s just a lazy tired guy with a more chill personality(Usually the reason the ghost gets away) Sarge gets in by doing absolutely nothing but knowing people because of that! He did start off as a receptionist but due to him falling asleep so much WHEN THINGS WERE GOING WRONG! He was forced to come on missions with them, his lazy nature still remains… Then the ACTUAL team is formed and that’s where it concludes.

[ellin-messenger]

Interest's log

[Loading the data..]

[Information saved!]

[Would you like to see your past progress, miss host?]

You clicked 'Yes'.

It appears the system window infront of your face, then showed the characters' informations that you were already encountered during your expedition's tasks ongoing.

Notes about the characters have been colored:

Honkai Star Rail (various!)

Genshin Impact (various!)

Obey Me!

Twisted Wonderland

Jujutsu Kaisen

[Info important!]

[You'll earn a lot of intimacy points from the status of relationship between the characters!]

[Depending how much you earn through the level interactions with the characters. The more you earn exp lvl for the character that you developed with, the more points you will earn them.]

[Of course, the intimacy points that you earned allowed yourself to spend items and abilities/talents, and also your spells for your own benefits~]

[By the way, if the intimacy level is at the max, you're lucky, it can exchange into amount of intimacy points, yahoo!]

[Be careful from how you interact them, ....they can be little bit obssessed over you.]

[Anyway, these men are called as interest! It's a sign that they have been liking you. Now you unlocked them and increase their intimacy point!]

Villa of Vitiosus, Coromppo

Characters info !

Dan Heng

Age: Despite his age being unknown, his appearance might match the same as yours (18-24 y/o)

Relationship: Childhood friend

Occupation: Assistant / Files keeper (Archivist)

Species: Vidyadhara (Dragon) but formed as a human

Awakened: Imbibitor Lunae

Dainsleif

Age: 21-28 y/o (he has been cursed into becoming young again)

Relationship: Personal escort (formerly a childhood friend)

Occupation: Bodyguard

Species: ??? (Likely a human, maybe)

Caelus

Age: ??? (Consider his appearance would likely share the same age as you and Dan Heng's)

Relationship: An expedition partner

Occupation: Expeditor (Adventurer)

Species: Homoculus (Human creation)

Welt Yang (Platonic)

Age: Old man

Relationship: Relatives / Uncle

Occupation: A caretaker and investigator, secret writer (temporily replacement of Mistres Vinc)

Species: Human but extraordinary

Solomon

Age: over 400 y/o (?)

Relationship: Partner

Occupation: Sorcerer

Species: Human (accidental immortal)

Institution of Night Raven

Characters info !

Heartslabyul

Ace Trappola

Age: 16-21 y/o

Relationship: Kouhai

Occupation: Student

Species: Human

Deuce Spade

Age: 16-21 y/o

Relationship: Kouhai

Occupation: Student

Species: Human

Cater Diamond

Age: 18-23 y/o

Relationship: Talkative friend who needs your company

Occupation: Student / Trend-spreading guy

Species: Human

Trey Clover

Age: 18-23 y/o

Relationship: A brother figure, totally your local comfort man

Occupation: Student / A baker / Vice Dorm

Species: Human

Riddle Rosehearts

Age: 17-22 y/o

Relationship: Acquaintance (secretly a kouhai)

Occupation: Student / soon-to-be ruler of Queendoom / Head Dorm

Species: Human

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar

Age: 20-25 y/o

Relationship: Acquaintance (you won't escape from his grasp since you were his sleeping partner you want to decline but instead got dragged)

Occupation: Student / the second prince of Sunset Savanna / Head Dorm

Species: Beastmen

Ruggie Bucchi

Age: 17-22 y/o

Relationship: a helper can rely on (chance to get your attention and imitate reward from you)

Occupation: Student / Vice dorm

Species: Beastmen

Jack Howl

Age: 16-21 y/o

Relationship: Kouhai, a very protective one

Occupation: Student

Species: Beastmen

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto

Age: 17-22 y/o

Relationship: Acquaintance (who attempt to trick you into an engagement contract but failed drastically)

Occupation: Student / Head Dorm / Manager of Octa Cafe

Species: Merfolk

Jade Leech

Age: 17-22 y/o

Relationship: A weird man out of sudden appoarched you by his interest (acquaintance?)

Occupation: Student / Vice Dorm / Waiter of Octa Cafe

Species: Merfolk

Floyd Leech

Age: 17-22 y/o

Relationship: pls run if you see him

Occupation: Student / Waiter of Octa Cafe

Species: Merfolk

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim

Age: 17-22 y/o

Relationship: your local mental supportive bestie

Occupation: Student / the next throne of Al-Asim / Head Dorm

Species: Human

Jamil Viper

Age: 17-22 y/o

Relationship: Friend

Occupation: Student / Servant of Al-Asim's family / Vice Dorm

Species: Human

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit

Age: 18-23 y/o

Relationship: Acquaintance (literally look after your skincare like, everytime)

Occupation: Student / a known actor / Head Dorm

Species: Human

Rook Hunt

Age: 18-23 y/o

Relationship: a simp (better run before he will complain you just how you look so admirable unless vil isnt around)

Occupation: Student / Hunter / Vice Dorm

Species: Human

Epel Felmier

Age: 16-21 y/o

Relationship: Kouhai

Occupation: Student

Species: Human

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud

Age: 18-23 y/o

Relationship: Acquaintance (share his interest a lot shyly since you also had a same interest as him)

Occupation: Student / Head Dorm / Soon-to-be Head of S.T.Y.X (researcher of the blot ink of curse*)

Species: (cursed) human?

Ortho Shroud (platonic)

Age: idk since he's robot-

Relationship: lil bro will call u big sista (he will ship u with idia-)

Occupation: Helper of Idia

Species:  Technomantic humanoid

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia

Age: ???

Relationship: Acquaintance (he wanna be ur friend now he's asking you for a marriage???)

Occupation: Student / Head Dorm / soon-to-be next throne of Briar Valley

Species: A fae

Lilia Vanrouge (neither it's platonic or not)

Age: HE'S AN OLD MAN???

Relationship: Acquaintance (mr steal yo daughter)

Occupation: Student / A caretaker / Vice Dorm / formerly a knight

Species: A Fae

Silver (Vanrouge)

Age: 17-22 y/o

Relationship: A knight for you

Occupation: Student / Bodyguard of Malleus / the future owner Sword of Dawn

Species: Human

Sebek Zigvolt

Age: 16-21 y/o

Relationship: Kouhai that never admits he purposely follows you when you're around

Occupation: Student / Bodyguard of Malleus

Species: Fae

The Doomed

Character info !

The Palace of Doom

Diavolo

Age: ???

Relationship: Acquaintance (the type obsessed over you until asking you to be his bride-)

Authority: The Daemon Lord, the ruler of The Doomed

Species: Daemon

Barbatos

Age: ???

Relationship: Gentleman's service (you don't like this man's intention)

Occupation: The butler of Diavolo

Species: Daemon

The dark temple of the seven sins

Lucifer

Age: ???

Relationship: Acquaintance (a possessive one-)

Authority: The Sin of Pride

Species: The fallen (half-daemon)

Mammon

Age: ???

Relationship: Friend (babysit / will follow you whenever you around he is not admiting that)

Authority: The Sin of Greed

Species: The fallen (half-daemon)

Leviathan

Age: ???

Relationship: Friend (shyly follow you too #2 not admit it / babysit)

Authority: The Sin of Envy

Species: The fallen (half-daemon)

Satan

Age: ???

Relationship: Friend (knowledge partner / babysit)

Authority: The Sin of Wrath

Species: The fallen (half-daemon)

Asmodeus

Age: ???

Relationship: Friend (will cling on you dearly / babysit)

Authority: The Sin of Lust

Species: The fallen (half-daemon)

Beelzebub

Age: ???

Relationship: Food partner (will share you a food / babysit)

Authority: The Sin of Gluttony

Species: The fallen (half-daemon)

Belphegor

Age: ???

Relationship: Sleeping partner (forced bc he's being clingy around you / babysit)

Authority: The Sin of Sloth

Species: The fallen (half-daemon)

St. Puragatory (Cottage)

Simeon

Age: ???

Relationship: Acquaintance

Authority: Arch-saint / supervisor of Luke

Species: Divine being

Intimacy level: Lvl 46 (recorded)

Luke (platonic)

Age: ???

Relationship: lil bestie ! (you adore him sm)

Occupation: Lil saint just got learn from his supervisor

Species: Divine being

"M'lady, since you have been demoted as a mistress, I'll let you know that you'll be holding amount of responsibilities despite your duty as a expeditor and a mind solver. I have to admit, you seemed to be following your father's footstep after you were in that position of authority. You grown older now, so it's time for you to set your journey by facing a lot of crisis ahead of you"

"Mind your clients atleast, especially to the elites. You're being too picky when it comes to the simple requests. Don't expect for the rewards, m'lady. And please be wary while you are meeting them, doubt the trust is must in your first impression."

"Don't forget, your mental and illness of your health come first. Your expedition's journey would be such a long trip. You might easily get exhauted despite you were currently in fragile condition in your health. You had a lot of countries to visit by following their requests. What must, you need someone to accompany you every single time during your trip."

"Oh, rest assure. There are many men that you must encounter. I hope you must endure yourself."

City of Monstadt

Diluc Ragnvindr

Age: 22-26 y/o

Relationship: Acquaintance

Occupation: Master of Ragnvindr's household

Species: Human

Venti

Age: ???

Relationship: Wind guidance

Occupation: Drunkard bard, Former Guardian of Freedom

Species: Semi-Deity

Albedo

Age: ???

Relationship: Investigation partner

Occupation: Known Alchemist of Favonius, Private investigator

Species: Homoculus

Kaeya Ragnvindr (Alberich)

Age: 22-26 y/o

Relationship: Acquaintaince (Investigation partner)

Occupation: Sheriff of Favonius

Species: Human...?

Land of Shou Heyue

Empire of Liyue (Dynasty Zho)

Zhongli

Age: ???

Relationship: Acquaintance (tour guide, tea partner)

Occuption: Former of Guardian of Contract, Wandering Gentleman, Consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor

Species: Semi-deity, adeptus

Xiao

Age: 2000+

Relationship: a Night Guard watcher will protect you every single night

Occupation: Yaksha, a demonic spirit hunter

Species: Adeptus

Baizhu

Age: 25-27 y/o

Relationship: Acquaintance

Occupation: An owner of Bubu Pharmacy, a traditional doctor

Species: Human

Empire of Xianzhou (Dynasty Luofu)

Jing Yuan

Age: ???

Relationship: Acquaintance

Occupation/Authority: Arbiter General

Species: Long life species (???)

Yanqing (platonic)

Age: A young teen but ????

Relationship: Training partner (you were his guide)

Occupation: Lieutenant of the Xianzhou Alliance's, General's retainer

Species: ???

Luocha

Age: ??? (not record yet)

Relationship: Somewhat a stranger (will approach you like you were in his trap, villain's vibe)

Occupation: Somewhat a merchant from the certain guild, really suspicious

Species: ??? (not record yet)

*Addition!

Blade formerly used to have an origin in Xianzhou despite he had a past life who he had a life as a Yingxing, his former self before he strikes into a mara-struck. He will record as a Stellaron Hunter in the current.

While Luocha, only a mere merchant took a pay of 'visit' in Xianzhou during unsetting situation. We wouldn't know where he is from originally, so considering him as an outsider of the Xianzhou. But he may involved here fully since his faction was unchange, it will update later on if we knew his true identity by his origin.

And please note that most or few of characters' age only a prediction for the story progress. It was likely not a canon for the certain fandoms.

Section 2 (will link later)

[timeandspacenovelist]

Dinner at Criri XEE8

Rating: G

Chapters: 1/1

Summary: Feeling guilty for the events of Into the Dalek, the Doctor decides to take Clara out for dinner. It doesn't go quite as planned....

Notes : This was an idea I had in mind to do for a good few months and I'm especially happy to see it finally come to fruition.

Read this story on another platform:

Archive of Our Own

“See you tomorrow!” was what Clara told the teacher passing her on her way out of the classroom.

Another day, another attempt to get the children to learn. Today wasn’t so bad though, actually. She actually had a bit of fun. The students were attentive. Courtney wasn’t that annoying, and she finished her lesson ahead of time. It was pretty nice. She breezed past a few students as she made her way to her favorite spot after school, at least on Wednesdays. But before she reached there, she remembered she promised Danny she’d sort out something for a field trip. No problem, she’d just meet the Doctor and tell him she’ll be back in a minute. She opened the door to the supply cupboard and, just like the week before, met the Doctor standing right in front of her, looking… a bit nervous if she was honest.

“Hi.”

“Hi. Ready to go?” the Doctor asked, shuffling awkwardly.

“In a minute. I just need to sort out something with Danny first.”

“Who’s that?”

“Co worker. You don’t know him… yet.”

Sounds boring. I need you now. Come on, come on, come on.”

“Alright. Alright. What’s gotten into you? Whatever you have planned for us, can wait. I just need to-“

“I’m taking you out for dinner!”

A sly smile appeared on Clara’s face. “Oh... Oh, this I have to hear.”

“Well, come inside then.”

The Doctor quickly moved inside, with Clara following closely behind. The Tardis was set into flight and he stood at the console, hands in his pockets. Clara, meanwhile, sat on a chair, arms folded, hoping that whatever this was, was worth it.

“The restaurant is kinda fancy so it’s better if you dress more appropriately.” He advised her.

“Ah, ah, ah. I’m not going anywhere until I get an explanation for the sudden desire for taking me out for dinner. Explanation now please.”

“You maybe want to do your hair as well. It’s been looking kinda weird lately.”

“Doctor? Explanation.”

“Fine. I... I know I messed up with the Dalek stuff last week. I should have been more mindful of you. I don’t think I deserved the slap but-“

“I beg to differ.”

“But.... I deserved the telling off.”

“You got there in the end though, which was good.” Clara told him with a smile.

“So....in order to make up for that, I felt that we could maybe head out for dinner at a restaurant.“

“And what is this restaurant you’re so keen to take me to?”

“Well...it’s not particularly a restaurant in itself. More a restaurant planet. Criri XEE8, the best of its kind in the entire universe, at least that I know of.”

“Hmmm... that sounds awfully like you want to take me out on a date....” Clara teased, with a smirk.

“No, no! This is not a date!”

“Haha! What is it then?”

“It’s.... an outing to a restaurant to make up for the mistake I made last week.”

“So you’re trying to make me feel better about last week...by taking me on a date?....”

“I told you it’s not a date...” he said, a red hue appearing on his cheeks, which only promptly made Clara giggle when seeing it.

“Some things never change. The Doctor and his snog box taking girls to fancy restaurants after he nearly gets them trapped inside a Dalek.”

“It is not a snog box! Look, do you want to come on not?”

“What happens if I say no?”

“Then I..I... we’ll go to a Nando's instead.”

“Hmm, I do like a good Nando's chicken though...”

“Clara.."

“Fine. We’ll go to your restaurant planet. You best give me a good time there after what happened with the Dalek.”

“I had no intention to do anything less.”

Clara gave him one more sly smile before heading inside the Tardis halls to head to her room to change. The Doctor went to the Tardis’ scanner screen and just cleaned up his suit a bit (He wasn’t going to change; he looked perfect already in his mind.) He sighed as he finished, pondering Clara’s assertions earlier.

“Hmmm... that sounds awfully like you want to take me out on a date....”

Was it a date? He was taking her out to dinner. In all his lives, that usually involved taking the person out on a date. But he was sure he didn’t want to take her on a date. It was just a nice outing between friends, right? Right? But what if he wanted it to be a date?…. No. It can’t be that. He made a promise. He made a vow to himself and to Clara, and he was going to stick to it.

“Clara, I’m not your boyfriend.”

As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t be…. that for her. Not anymore, not how he is now. Maybe one day? Maybe when the next change comes. Hopefully, she’d still be there by that point. Maybe then he can be the man she deserves…

His thoughts were interrupted by Clara’s voice as she came out of the halls, attired for the location they were going to. She appeared in a stunningly beautiful dress, her makeup light but on point and her hair done up nicely. She even had a shawl to complete the look.

“Right. I thought this was a good choice, but I’m due for some second opinions on it. The Tardis wasn’t much help in that department. So, how do I look?”

The Doctor wanted to use several adjectives that he used for only the most attractive things he knew. But he bit his tongue, and remembered his promise and vow, as much as hurt.

“Fine.”

“That’s the best I’m gonna get, so I’ll take it. Come on, let’s go.”

_____________________________________________________________

The Doctor offered his arm to join and Clara did so, and with a smile (and a tiny blush), the two left the Tardis and made their way towards the restaurant. The restaurant wasn't that much different from any ones on Earth, but it was when they got inside, did Clara realize its alien nature. The patrons and the staff were a mixture of several different species and shapes and sizes and colours. They met up with the waiter at the front, a blue skinned alien himself.

“Good evening. How may I help you?”

“Ah, hello. Good evening. I made a reservation, under the name, John Smith.” The Doctor said, as Clara rolled his eyes with a smile at him using his human name.

“Let me check... Ah, here we are. John Smith, party of two.”

“That’s us.” Clara said, excitedly, ready for the dinner.

“Right this way, please.” The waiter told them, as he took them to their seats, a nice window table at the further end of the restaurant, away from a lot of the crowds, much to Clara’s surprise.

“Wow, these seats are great. How did you get them?”

“Benefit of time travel. I went back in time and made the reservation months ago.”

“Well, I must say, it was worth it.”

“So you like it?” he asked, as his eyes widened in hope.

“Oh yeah. This place is pretty swanky and cool. I’ve been in places like this before, but you know, it usually wasn’t full of aliens.”

“I just wanted to do something nice, like I said, to make up for what happened last week.”

“Honestly, I forgave you for that almost instantly. I just was a bit angry at that moment, and a bit worried.”

“…. Why worried?” the Doctor’s eyes narrowed onto Clara’s, as his head tilted.

“Sigh.. I just... wasn’t sure if you’d be able to get us out of that situation. That’s all.”

“It’s not like we’ve not encountered worse before.”

“I know... but... I’m just a bit wary, you know? After what happened with that half face man.”

The Doctor’s countenance dropped as Clara reminded him of that, the blood slightly drawing away from his face. If she was honest, that moment kept Clara awake that whole week. Constantly worrying, wondering if that moment was a sign of things to come. What if it wasn’t just a plan next time? What if he really did leave her in danger to save himself? She didn’t know what he was capable of in this regeneration. Deep down in her gut, she felt, or hoped, that he was still the same bowtie lover he always was and that he’d always be there for her. But she… couldn’t rely on her gut now. Not with how he was these days.

“Oh.... I...” was all he could muster, knowing he had no argument against it.

“Look. I know that you did what you had to do, and you did save me. But I just wished you had just told me what the plan was. I was so scared. So terrified that you’d never come back for me.”

Not knowing what else to really do, the Doctor put her hand on Clara’s. It wasn’t instant or immediate; he eased it onto her. He knew that they weren’t at the level they used to be, but he could still comfort and be there for her, in whatever way he could.

“… I can’t apologize enough for that. I just... might have expected that you’d just know, know that I was coming back… I thou-”

“Well, you thought wrong. We’re not at that level right now, ok?” she said, slightly angered as her voice rose.

There was a brief silence between them. She sighed. She was a bit rude there, and she knew it. She took his hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

“Sorry. Just… don’t do it again, please. From now on, we tell each other everything when we’re on our travels. That way, we can keep tabs on each other and not have the other worrying.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He said, with a faux salute and a smile.

“Hopefully you listen to your teacher for once, haha. The Tardis showed me your grades.“

The Doctor silently swore under his breath, vowing to give the ship a good talking to, while Clara continued laughing, the two of them settling in. The two sat in silence again briefly, just enjoying the atmosphere, before the waiter from before brought them their menus.

_____________________________________________________________

“I suppose you can give me some advice on what to order. You’re the one with the diverse palette.” She said, confused at the meals on the menu.

“I mean there should be human food available too if you like.”

“Nope. You were kind enough to bring me here, so I will try something different. Something new.” She said, with a longing glance at him that went unseen.

“Right then. Ummm, for a starter we can try Pasteurized Gurlites sparkles. Not too heavy, and tastes really nice. Don’t let the sparkles name confuse you, they’re not that sweet.”

“Uh-huh. Main course then?” she said, eyes still perusing the menu.

“Well, there’s the Steamed Volcers lattuces. River and I had them once, and they were delicious. That’s a good choice.”

“Yep. Dessert then?”

“I mean, can’t go wrong with ice cream.”

“Right....”

“Found anything else you’d like to try instead?”

“That’s the thing. Outside of ice cream, I’ve not seen any of the dishes you mentioned.”

“What?! Let me see.” The Doctor said, taking the menu from her, “That’s... strange. You’re right.”

“I usually am...”

“The waiter must have given you the wrong menu. Let me get you a different one. “

“No, no. I’ll do it.” She told him as she called the waiter over to their table.

“Yes, Ms?”

“I’m afraid you may have brought me the wrong menu. If you’d be so kindly as to just change it, please.” She informed him with a smile.

The Doctor handed over the menu to the waiter who took it and went to walk away, but as he took a brief look at it, he returned to the table, which slightly perplexed the Doctor and Clara.

“No, this is the right menu, Ms.“

“No, it’s not. It’s not got any of the foods on his menu, bar a few exceptions.”

“Well, yes, because it’s a children’s menu.”

The Doctor snickered upon hearing that, knowing exactly why the waiter may have given her that menu, but Clara gave him a mean look which got him to quiet down. He wasn’t wanting another slap in consecutive weeks. She began to breathe in and out deeply, getting angry, but calmed herself down. It was just a mistake; she had to remind herself. That’s all it was.

“Ok...so you made a mistake. No big deal. We all do. It happens. Now, take it back and get me a different menu. I am not a child, so I would need the adult menu.”

“Oh....” the waiter said, his eyes widening.

“Oh.... what?”

“It’s just that on my planet, only children are as short or shorter than you. Ms.”

After already having her nightmares of being left by the Doctor dredged up and that fear and worry returning to the surface, needless to say, Clara did not take that well.

“How dare you? How dare you? My friend and I, out of the goodness of our hearts, decide to give this restaurant a chance. Out of all the ones we’ve could have gone to. We chose this one, and this is how you treat me.”

“Well, Ms-“

“You decided without any kind of interest or care in anything that you’d make an assumption, a guess about me, purely because of my height. Not even because of customs on my planet, but because of prejudices based on your own.”

“But Ms...”

“What?!”

“... You are still short.”

The Doctor’s involuntary wince upon hearing the waiter’s last statement showed he knew what was coming next. Now the entire restaurant’s eyes were on Clara and the waiter, having gotten their attention a few minutes ago. Clara smiled strangely and giggled. The Waiter smiled back, thinking that the worst was over, but boy, was he wrong.

Clara simply rose out of her chair, took a deep breath and.... jumped onto him, grabbing his lapels, and forcing him to the ground. Before she could do any further damage, the Doctor pulled her away.

By that point, the head of staff arrived on the scene. He surveyed the situation quickly and without hesitation threw out the Doctor and Clara. The two found themselves back in the Tardis, with their stomachs grumbling, kicked out of the restaurant, and hopefully without an assault charge in Clara’s name. When they arrived inside, Clara simply sat down, put her hands on face and sulked, sighing. _____________________________________________________________

“I messed up, big time.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“I should have acted much better.”

“You should have.”

“I’m really sorry.. For ruining your perfect night.” She said, putting her head down in shame.

The Doctor walked over to her, and in a rare show of confidence, put his arm around her in a small hug, before releasing it immediately. “It’s alright. I forgive you. Besides...I’m kinda glad you did that.”

“What....? Seriously?”

“Yeah! Honestly, that place really wasn’t my style. Too fancy. I only did it because I thought it would make you happy.”

“Thanks. That was really sweet of you. But surely, you weren’t happy with my little... uproar.” Clara said, unconsciously leaning into the Doctor’s shoulder, which he didn’t seem to take notice of.

“On the contrary, I loved it. It’s only through instinct that I pulled you off.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m serious. I wanted to see you deck him honestly. Only I get to make assumptions about your height.” He said with a big grin.

“Watch out, or you might get a right hook yourself.” Clara said, pretending to box as the two had a good laugh at the experience overall. Nevertheless, it did leave one question unanswered.

“So, what now, then? We can’t go back there, obviously.”

“True. I’m also still a bit hungry myself. Nandos?”

“Ha-ha. Nah. Not this time at least.... Actually, I may have an idea.”

Turned out, Clara’s idea was a lot more palatable to them than going to any restaurant. The two of them sat on the edge of the Tardis as they watched the night sky, The Doctor’s shirt was undone and his jacket off, while Clara’s heels were strewn aside and her shawl with it, as she let her hair back out. Their five star meal was a plate of jammie dodgers in between them.

“Hey, there’s a shooting star. Did you make a wish?” the Doctor said, pointing it out as it crossed the sky.

“I thought that’s something you didn't believe in?”

“Well, scientifically, there’s no way to prove that wishing on a shooting star grants wishes. There’s no real power that I know of that....” he said before stopping himself, as Clara gave him a knowing look, “Actually, yes, it grants wishes.”

“There you go.”

The two went for another jammie dodger, but their hands touched as they both reached for it, both blushing at the unexpectedness of it. Clara then moved over to lean on the Doctor’s shoulder. Not expecting it this time, he stiffened a bit, but eased into it after a few seconds.

“To answer your question, yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I did make a wish.”

“And?”

Clara could only smile warmly, as she looked up at him, his attention diverted because of the sky.

“It’s already come true...”.

[mythgirlimagines]

Well, now that Tuesday is here, it’s time for a brand new talentswap! Give a soft hello to Myth, the Former Ultimate Essayist!

——————————————————-

BACKSTORY AND TALENT

Because of a combination of a weak body and her already existing scoliosis, this Myth spent most of her childhood bedridden and isolated from the world. With her frail body, Myth turned to reading and studying as her only two modes of entertainment. Myth was practically homeschooled, and from there Myth found her talent in writing. Although she is an expert in writing short stories, her true expertise lies in her essays that span a bunch of topics, ranging from science to history to even pop culture. Once her family raised enough money to get her scoliosis surgery, Myth was ready to attend Hope’s Peak and won’t let back pain stop her. When she graduated, Myth then was given the option to chaperone the Ultimates and Jr. Ultimates, and that is how our story begins!

——————————————————-

RELATIONSHIPS

Wyre Anon, Former Ultimate Romantic

A high-school celebrity thanks to their boyish charm and their lovable rogue personality, Wyre is well-known for being able to charm anyone, male or female, and Myth is most definitely is no exception to this rule. In fact, Myth has been Wyre‘s favorite flirting and teasing target ever since they first met in Hope‘s Peak, and Wyre has been Myth’s first-ever friend since. This hopeless bisexual just couldn’t handle the rugged muscles or the bad boy attitude of her  tomboyish charmer of a BFF. Myth is currently working on an essay to confess her feelings for Wyre. 

Outfit: Neatly-combed pixie cut, black blazer over a messily buttoned white shirt, tan pants, black loafers, glasses, necklace, and bracelet from original design.

Anon Scar, Ultimate Voice Actress

Famous for her wide range of voices and her typecasting into villainous or demonic characters, Anon Scar chose to embrace the archetype of her usual characters and put on her classic “Demon of Tounges” act that roped her tons of fans in the seiyuu fan community. When Myth first met Scar, she was scared off by the voice actress‘s deep voice and hammy performances. From there, Scar knew to tone down her theatrics around Myth and soon Myth saw Scar for who she truly is: a kindhearted and almost maternal teenager. 

Outfit: Shoulder-length hair, a black ski cap with a skull on the front, black headphones with a microphone on the right ear, a black and white striped sweater, black fingerless gloves, scarf, skirt, stockings, and boots from original design. 

Fusion Anon, Ultimate Personal Assistant

In order to support both his parents and his little brother, Fusion had to take several odd jobs, ranging from a waiter to a cashier to even a court stenographer, resulting in him gathering an entire arsenal of skills and the title of Ultimate Personal Assistant. Despite his frightening height, Fusion’s kindhearted, reliable, and paternal nature made Myth warm up to him very easily. If Myth is ever in pain and needs her medication and comfort items, Fusion always has what she needs stashed somewhere on his body. Myth is still wondering to this day, where exactly does Fusion keep those things?

Outfit: Afro tied into a long and puffy ponytail with a red hair tie, blue and yellow vest over a red dress shirt and a yellow bow tie, white gloves, glasses, pants, and shoes from original design. 

Fusion Anon II, Ultimate Procrastinator

Getting picked on at school for her bookish, nerdy personality and her natural genius, Fusion II reinvented herself with a flippant, bad-girl personality, who couldn’t care less about her studies. Despite not caring about academics, Fusion II’s grades are still the top of her school. While originally scared of Fusion II, due to her punk fashion and delinquent personality, Myth’s fear of Fusion II diminished when Myth caught her reading one of her essays in the library, proving that she is still a massive bookworm and a nerd, much to the procrastinator’s dismay.

Outfit: Blue streaks in her ruffled up hair, black spiked headband, dark blue denim jacket with golden spikes on the shoulder, black fingerless gloves, dark blue skirt with a tattered edge, tall spiky metal boots that add 4 inches onto her height, sunglasses, t-shirt and choker from original design.

Just Anon, Ultimate Poet

Despite what his adorable pastel fashion sense, innocent talent, and his calming hypnotic poetry would suggest, in reality, Janon has a foul mouth and an equally foul attitude and wants nothing more than to lie in bed all day without people bothering him. Myth can relate to that big time, alongside having a talent relating to writing, which makes Myth one of the few people who Janon is able to open up to. Sometimes, Myth and Janon organise ”nap nests“ (aka. piles and piles of blankets and pillows) and exchange what they have written together. 

Outfit: An oversized pink turtleneck sweater with a bunny on the front that covers his mouth and hands, formal wear from original design.

Sparkle Anon, Former Ultimate Speedreader

Despite Sparkle’s loud and dramatic personality being more suited towards a performance themed talent, Sparkle’s true expertise lies in reading at extremely high speeds. Sparkle and Myth’s shared interest in reading made them very close friends, despite their contrasting personalities. At some time in their friendship, Myth has been christened ”THE SPECTACULAR AND SPEEDY SPARKLE’S SIMULTANEOUSLY SPECTACULAR STOPWATCHKEEPER!”, for Myth regularly times Sparkle and gives Sparkle brand new material to read. 

Outfit: A blue vest over a white dress shirt, a red and orange tarten skirt, glasses, paldrons, cape, stockings, and boots from original design.

Egg Anon, Former Ultimate Conspiracy Theorist, and Wet Sock Anon, Former Ultimate Ornithologist

Two great, but cursed, scientific minds, this freakish duo have took the world by storm with their “Future Avian Overlords” conspiracy theories. No matter how improbable the theory, Egg manages to point out real life aspects about the world around us, thanks to their twin, that supports the theory. But ever since Egg spread the theory that birds were just drones to Wet Sock, their relationship hasn’t been the same since. The twins scare the ever-living stuffing out of Myth, every time one of them decides to open their mouth, and Wyre regularly has to discipline them with violence for scaring her friend. 

Outfits: Dark brown sleeveless parkas over tan t-shirts, brown pants and brown boots, Egg has an alien pin and Wet Sock has a feather pin, glasses from original design. 

Curious Anon, Jr. Ultimate Surgeon

Hailed by the medical world as a child prodigy, Curious’s steady and disciplined attitude made him a natural at surgery, despite their age and height. Having interacted with surgeons ever since she was little, Myth always felt at ease when around Curious. As a matter of fact, Myth met Curious before just before they attended Hope’s Peak Junior High, at one of the hospitals they volunteered at. Curious’s polite and charitable nature makes them a perfect companion for the timid Myth. In their off time, Myth likes to give Curious some of her short stories to read. 

Outfit: Hair in a small ponytail, mint green surgery scrubs and facemask, black pants, blue and white loafers.

Anon Nerd, Former Ultimate Ice Skater

Myth actually saw Nerd’s performances on TV a couple of times and he was absolutely graceful and stunning on the ice. She may have a bit of a celebrity crush on him. But when she attended the Kibo-Con along with him, Myth caught wind of Nerd’s true personality: vulgar, surly, and loud-mouthed. But ever since Nerd met this tiny and timid essayist, his protective instincts have just flared up. Wyre knows about Myth’s little celebrity crush and Nerd’s little thing for Myth and is constantly coming up with schemes to choose her over the rude ice skater. 

Outfit: Hair combed over his right eye, a black, white, red and blue hoodie, black pants and red and white sneakers.

Eldritch Anon, Ultimate VS Debater

Myth thought that she was the timidest person in the Kibo-Con roster. But ever since she met Eldritch, Myth may have some competition in the timidity category. Despite his confidence and boldness on the debate podium, when put in any other situation, Eldritch starts shaking in his boots and thinking up the worst possible scenario for every occasion. Despite Myth’s kindhearted and honest nature, Eldritch seems to think that Myth’s timidity is just a facade and that she will pull out a weapon from underneath her hoodie and assassinate him. 

Outfit: Neatly combed shoulder-length hair, red suit with a maroon tie, orange pants and black boots.

Dream Anon, Ultimate Astronomer

Despite her athletic, energetic, and childish demeanor, Dream is regarded as a veritable scientific genius in the study of the vast vacuum of space, to the point of having a star cluster named after her volleyball team. Needless to say, someone like Dream wasn’t what Myth had in mind when she heard she was going to be chaperoning the Ultimate Astronomer. At first, Myth wasn’t able to keep up with Dream’s energetic and outgoing attitude. But as time went on, Myth now looks forward to her relaxing weekly stargazing with Dream. 

Outfit: Star barettes, a galaxy-printed version of her original shirt, skirt, shorts and shoes from original design.

Iris Anon, Jr. Ultimate Paleontologist

Despite Iris’s klutziness and almost stupidly optimistic outlook on life, Iris is a verified genius when it comes to paleontology, often being cited in academic journals and discovering a couple of new paleontologic species. Iris claims that she studies paleontology because she wants to show people that the world is just awesome, no matter the time period. Myth admires Iris’s optimistic outlook on life, and wishes to learn all about Iris’s philosophy and way of life, and Iris is happy to teach Myth the ways of the Iris. Maybe Iris’s philosophy could be just the confidence boost that she needs. 

Outfit: Cracked glasses, a green dinosaur hoodie over a brown dress with fossil designs all over, brown steel-toed boots, bandages all over her body from various freak accidents at digs. 

Purple Anon, Ultimate Puzzle Solver

Ever since Purple solved a highly-difficult puzzle as a toddler, Purple managed to dominate every single puzzle that the high-tech research lab threw at her. With an unparalleled aptitude for solving all sorts of puzzles, Purple specializes in ciphers and word puzzles. Because of their intellectual yet timid natures, Purple and Myth get along very well. Because of Myth’s talent, she has no problem at all, when it comes to understanding Purple’s cryptic speech patterns and vocabulary. They regularly exchange mental stimulation with each other in the forms of scientific essays and puzzles. 

Outfit: A white sweater with a cipher puzzle of her name on the front, a skirt colored like a Rubix cube, stockings and shoes from original design.

This series will be a bisexual harem series centering around five Anons fighting for the affections of the timid essayist who just wants them all to get along.

———————————————–

PERSONALITY

Because of her socially-isolated backstory, Essayist!Myth is supremely timid and often lets Wyre do the talking for her. Her time at Hope’s Peak raised her self-esteem and made her a bit more confident, but she is still painfully shy and socially-anxious. That being said, Essayist!Myth is really intelligent thanks to her hobby of reading and studying, and often finds solace with other intellectually minded Anons. Essayist!Myth isn’t at all skilled in the prospect of romance, which makes her a disaster bi, as opposed to the confident bi-ness of Romantic!Myth.

———————————————–

APPEARANCE

Essayist!Myth has long brown hair with two pink barettes that goes over her right eye and reading glasses. She wears a pink hoodie with a bisexual pride badge yellow zipper and flowers on each pocket. Myth wears the purple skirt, black stockings and pink Mary Janes from her original design. 

———————————————–

Let me know what you think of this series and this talentswap! If any of you have any headcanons for this AU, feel free to let me know!

-Fusion Anon

---

I have been known to write an essay or two, especially one on Strawberry Shortcake lol

[exofilialovercat]

Azrael (Draconian boy) x Gabriela (human girl) Ch 2!

Enjoy ch 2!

Gaby spent a good part of the next day choosing what to wear. All seemed too much or too less. What to wear when you want to forget your ex… and try to not crush on someone at the same time?

She messaged the draconian: ‘Hi! See you in the shopping? We can shop and drink coffee! You like cake? :3 ‘

‘See you there Gaby! I can’t wait! Coffee and cake sounds wonderful.’

Ozzie was a nervous wreck the following morning. After going through his entire wardrobe half a dozen times, he settled on a pair of black slacks and a nice shirt with a vest. The layers helped hide where he had to cut holes for his wings. “Well, Casanova you may not be, but you pass muster.” He tried to reassure himself as he left, picking up a single rose from the flower shop on the corner as he left to meet Gaby.

Gaby picked a cute long shirt and some good leggings. Enough to don’t feel she was trying too hard. She brought a bag with the shirt he borrowed from him and a sticky note with a cartoon of her saying ‘thank you ‘ . This is not a date, Gabrielle. Hold your horses. She found him easily in the shopping , he looked very handsome. Damm... Why is this not a date-date? “Ozzie! I’m here! “

Azrael jumped slightly at the sudden call of his name, but brightened when he turned to see Gaby. “Hey Ga-oh wow, you look great! This is for you...” He offered her the rose, heart pounding.

“You look good too. Even if the waiter uniform has its charm. Aw, you shouldn’t have “ she grabbed the rose and gave him the bag “ This is yours “ she smelled the faint perfume of the flower

“Thank you.” He smiled, taking a moment to enjoy Gabriela’s company before offering her his arm. “shall we?”

“ Of course “ she accepted his arm and started walking. Well, it looks like a date.

“Did you want to stop for coffee first, or to look for some cute clothes and get coffee after? “ He asked, practically floating as they walked.

“ Well, i could use some fuel . What about you? “

Ozzie chuckled and nodded. “I’ve been surviving on caffeine lately. Do you have a place you could show me with good bakery as well?”

“ We are the same... Freelance artists are 90% coffee and 10% genius “ she patted his arm “ Lets go to a small bar I know, it’s not usually super crowded and the cake is extremely good. “  She guided him .

“You’re an artist?  I’m a little jealous. I can sew a bit, but that’s about the extent of my artistic ability.” He admitted sheepishly, happily letting Gaby take him where she wanted.

“ Haha , I play the cards I got . I always liked art and make comics and illustrations. I can survive doing it so I consider myself lucky . I bet you have your own talents “ she takes him to a bar that was indeed a little small. It had a menu with a nice selection of cakes . “The  Triple chocolate one is to die for, it’s my favorite, ” she pointed to the menu.

“What comics do you make? Anything I might have seen?” He asked, genuinely curious. As they made their way to the little cafe, Ozzie couldn’t help but smile at how Gaby’s face lit up with excitement. She really was adorable.

“Should we share a piece then with our drinks, or would that be too forward?”

“ Oh, i don’t think so... I took part in some compilations. When I do comics, it’s always a small portion of the job. The rest it’s mostly children’s books. “ She said “ It wouldn’t be too forward , but I warn you we will need to order more “ she grinned “ This body doesn’t maintain with salad “ she joked .

“That sounds like a lovely line of work. You like children, then?” He asked while searching the menu. “Let’s each get some and share then. Variety is the spice of life, after all!”

Ozzie took her joke about her body as a chance to let his eyes sweep down across Gaby’s figure. To him she might as well have been a goddess. perfect curves and a gorgeous face that he had to stop himself from leaning in to kiss. ‘Slow down, Romeo’ he scolded himself.

“ I do, maybe one day I will have one myself... If i found the right person. Not like Mister Perfect “ she made a face .

Gaby ordered some coffee and some pieces of cakes “Strawberry cheese and triple chocolate please. Any preference Ozzie? “

Azrael made a face at the mention of her ex. “He couldn’t be very perfect if he couldn’t see a true treasure right in front of him. You and your hypothetical future child deserve nothing less than a devoted husband and father.” He said without thinking what his words might be interpreted to mean.

Looking through the menu, Ozzie noted a few of his favorite flavors. “I think I’ll go with the Italian lemon cake and red velvet.”

The waiter took the order and walked away.

“ You are an adulator!” She patted his shoulder. She was visibly blushing . “ Yeah... I actually feel better now I’m not with him anymore. The things were pretty bad already between us. I guess the faster I can move from him, the  better” she winked “ At least I have a coffee with a handsome man “ ‘What the hell Gaby... Stop your mouth’.

Azrael couldn’t blush through his scales, but his tail wagged happily when Gaby’s adorable freckled cheeks blushed pink after her compliment. “Is not flattery if it is true.” He laughed, “Just enjoy yourself, Gaby dear. No pressure.”

The order finally came, the coffee was in generous cups and the cake seemed fresh . “ Please, don’t mind me , take from mine if you want, “ Gaby offered and went for a piece of the strawberry one humming pleased “ So good “.

“Only if you do the same.” Ozzie smiled, taking a long sip of his coffee before taking a bite of his lemon cake.

“ I really wanted to ask you... I hope it’s okay. Can you really spit fire? Or is it a full dragon thing? “ She hoped it was okay to ask  about draconian nature .

“Fire? Ah, right… I was smoking last night, wasn’t I?” He ran a hand back through his horns, a little embarrassed. “It is harder for a half-breed like me to breathe flames than a full dragon. Normally it can only happen when I am very angry or upset.” He explained with an apologetic smile. “Hopefully that is not too much a disappointment?”

“ Oh , no! I just was curious... Like how much human or dragon you are... I don’t really know a big deal about real dragons. Like if you need to warm in the sun? Or if you have a reptile tongue? Or do you have dietary restrictions like some reptiles? Oh! I  hope I’m not being rude... “ she covered her mouth suddenly.

Ozzie couldn’t help but laugh. So many people were too afraid to ask these kinds of questions, so Gaby’s curiosity was refreshing. “No rudeness at all. I am happy to sate your curiosity. Full dragons come in three varieties, depending on if they are from Europe, like my mom, Asia, or South America. In my case I am warm-blooded like humans, no dietary restrictions (though a preference for spicy and savory flavors outside of desserts) and...” he looked around to make sure they weren’t being watched before letting his 30cm long forked tongue slide out between his lips for a moment before pulling it back in with a grin.

“ Holly -! “ She felt her mind going to some non very innocent places “ Thats.... Wow “ she sipped her coffee and tried to clear her head . “ Humans feel a little boring in comparison. Would you let me draw you one day? “ She tried to change the subject a little .

“Oh, don’t sell humans short. Human passion and creativity are a marvel compared to just about any other species. That is a great gift indeed.” He said with a reassuring smile. Gaby’s request to draw him was a surprise, though a welcome one. “I would love to pose for you!” He said happily before stealing a bite of her chocolate cake and letting a purr resonate in his chest. “That IS good!”

“ Told ya’ “ she smiled. “And if you need a personalized draw, you can always call me . Like a present for a loved one, your significant other, you just ask “

“Oh, no girlfriend.” Azrael said, before taking a sip of his coffee. Was she trying to see if he was single? “Dragons and most draconians partner for life, so dating is an important matter once it becomes serious.” Hopefully that wasn’t reading too far into Gaby’s words.

“ Oh “ Gavi did a mental happy dance , maybe Ozzy liked her a little? And he was single. That was a relief, at least I can crush in someone that I can have a chance with. ”And how do you scare ladies away? You have the whole package, “ she said playfully .

Azrael’s tail began to happily thump against the cafe floor when Gabi flirted with him. His heart never had fluttered this way for someone before. “Normally the scales and tail do the scaring for me. You are about the first woman to talk to me like a normal person outside of work or family.” He admitted, trying to hide his embarrassment at his own inexperience behind another few bites of cake.

“ No way! “ She said offended “ They obviously never gave you a chance, you are a total sweetie. And everybody it’s different! My mom always told me to not judge people for the way they look , she is latina, my dad is white. That always gets nasty looks . People are just stupid. “ she stole a piece of his lemon cake .

“It is a shame more people can’t be as open-minded as you are, Gaby. The world would be a better place.” Azrael said with a wistful smile, taking her hand without really thinking and kissing the back.

“They deal with bigotry even as a human-human couple. I worry what it will be like when the one who decides she wants me has to go through the same nastiness.”

She felt her cheeks warm “ Any girl would be lucky to have you Ozzie. If people cannot see that, it’s their problem. Hey, let’s better move to a desert island and fund our own country.” She tried to light up a bit.

Ozzie nearly choked on his coffee when Gaby’s surprise joke made him laugh. “Careful, mi amor. That sounds suspiciously like a proposal. Doesn’t that usually require at least three dates?” He teased, trying not to get too lost in the idea of the two of them relaxing on a tropical beach together.

“And thank you for the compliment, Gabriela. You truly are a treasure.”

“ Well... If you need a couple of actual dates, I will not say no. They tell me I make a pretty decent spicy chicken , if you give me the chance to treat you, “ she said, almost purring . Please say yes...

“I would be delighted, so long as I can take you out in return.” Ozzie swore that he could fly at that very moment. Gaby had asked him out!

“ Then it’s settled! “ She asked for the bill and payed “ And i can wear the replacement shirt you will buy me “ she winked “ I hope the cake was at your level Ozzie “

“I was hoping you would let me get you a few outfits, to be honest.” He said with a shy smile, not daring to admit he would prefer to see her in much less clothing rather than more. “And the cake was excellent. Definitely worth using for the wedding.” He added with what he hoped was a joking tone. ‘Don’t get too carried away. You’ll scare her off.’

“ Oh, you are impossible! “ she playfully pushed him “ No need to shower me in presents, mister smooth “ she said and started walking “ I like to give them back “

“What can I say? It is my nature to want to treat my girlfriend well. I’m sure we can find a way to reciprocate.” He laughed, playing like she had pushed him much harder than she had before joining her, his arm draping around her waist as they walked together.

Gaby felt herself too into the draconian man. Her stomach twisted and her heart pounded in her chest. She tried to distract herself by looking at the cloth stores . The mission was to end the day with a smile... And maybe steal a kiss from Ozzie .

“Let me know if you see a store you want to shop in.” It was nice, this little shopping date, but Azrael had to keep reminding himself to not push too fast. He was falling hard for Gabriela, but she had just gotten out of a bad relationship and it would be wrong to pressure her into too much.

Gaby entered in one store and tried a couple of tops, she ignored the white and pink ones for obvious reasons . She even asked Ozzies opinion on the ones she tried . Let’s just go slow Gabriela , let’s enjoy some time together. Yep, just that.

Ozzie couldn’t help but enjoy himself while Gaby modeled her outfits for him. There were several tops that looked very good on her, but one in particular, sapphire blue with a somewhat lower-cut neckline than the others really caught his attention. “It is hard to say, since you are gorgeous in all of them, but the last one is my personal favorite. It shows you off in just the right way.”

“Then I take it! You know how to sell to a lady, ” she happily said and saved the new top for her .

Now the date was almost over and she needed a bit of courage to give one small last step . If she could really do it, a proper date will be a success.

After he had paid the shop clerk for their purchase, Azrael hesitated for a moment. “I know this was supposed to be just a casual thing today, but I really don’t want for our date to end.” He admitted sheepishly, his tail curling around Gaby as they took a moment to rest before continuing on to the end of their date. He had been having such a good time that he dreaded it being over.

She fell on the tail surrounding her. “ Me too, Azrael . It has been too much fun. But I have to go.  Will you call me ? “ She caressed his cheek.

“Of course, Gabriela. It’s a promise... but first, please permit a greedy dragon one last indulgence before his princess escapes.” Before he could second guess himself, Azrael tilted her chin upward with a fingertip and pressed his lips to hers in a tender, longing kiss.

Gaby even surrounded his waist. His kiss was sweet, and she was practically seeing stars . Okay, I’m sold. First real date, here we go. She let herself be putty in his hands, “Ozzie... “ She whispered once the kiss ended. She smiled from ear to ear and got a little distance . “ Now you really better call me! “ She said and waved at him to go “ I’m going to be waiting!”

Gaby went home giggling like a schoolgirl

“Definitely. Today was... incredible. Too good to just be a onetime thing, no?” He purred, dreamily watching Gaby go toward her home.

Ozzie was walking on air for the rest of the day. He didn’t even mind the jokes at his expense at work. Their next date couldn’t come soon enough!

[dr-ladybird]

Random vague Kolyat Krios plotbunnies

I think I personally prefer “Kolyat Krios becomes a cop” to “Kolyat Krios becomes a priest.” Priest is absolutely good too - it’s nice to think of him reclaiming some of his ancestors’ culture. But having him join the police force, personally help rebuild after the Reaper War, protect refugees and make sure they get food, do his best to stop war profiteering, and given what a mess C-Sec seems to be he’ll definitely have to deal with police corruption, probably a lot, and help build a better C-Sec for the future... that’s solid. That’s a good solid atonement and a good solid life.

(And this applies particularly in light of... I won’t call it the current American fuckwittery because “current” would imply it wasn’t going on decades ago, it’s not remotely new, it’s just that people have started paying attention. I think this is an excellent time to write fiction about what the police should and shouldn’t be, and what we should be able to trust them to be!)

Hmm... and maybe he gets a girlfriend? Or boyfriend or other, I guess, but for no particular reason I like the idea of making them female.

Another drell who also left Kahje angrily, for completely different reasons, and has completely different political views? Maybe she’s a priest?

Or I always thought ME needed way, way more sympathetic batarians. Kolyat hooks up with a nice batarian girl while they’re both still more-or-less teenagers (definitely a girl in this case, given canon’s failure to acknowledge the existence of female batarians) whose parents had to leave the Hegemony in a hurry when politics turned against them? They were professors but now they work in a cheap takeaway cafe and live in half a shoebox flat and they’re not quite sure whether they want their precious daughter to follow the family’s traditions or embrace her status as a citizen of the galaxy? And the kid’s trying to figure out where the fuck she belongs, and she’s working long shifts in the cheap cafe and there’s this nice junior police officer who keeps coming in and she likes to talk to him when she has the free time, and the thing where he doesn’t have enough eyes is weird but he’s not that unattractive and it’s not like she knows any nice boys her own species and she definitely likes him...

Or the same thing except when they’re in their early twenties and have a bit more idea what they’re doing, maybe she’s trying to join the police force and keeps getting discriminated against, or maybe she’s trying to open up a decent restaurant and employ her parents on a decent wage...

teenage thing with the batarian waiter, they break up for some no-fault reason involving just not being that compatible, he gets together with the politically active drell priest later on?

(I did like that Kolyat/Grunt idea that was going around, but it requires a lot of explanation as to why Grunt’s living on the Citadel.)

Am I ever going to write this? Eh, maybe? Fun to think about though!

[inspirationdivine]

The Masque of the Red Death || Lydia and Winn

Timing: 27 June Parties: @inspirationdivine @packsbeforesnacks Summary: Winn is invited to a fancy dress auction, but doesn’t realise just how exclusive that invitation is

Boy, rich people sure moved fuckin’ quick. The ink hadn’t even dried on all the documents Nate had had Winn sign before the werewolf was gettin’ letters slipped under his front door. Despite the house’s age, and Winn’s plans to gut the place, he’d decided to move in, not really needin’ more than a mattress and a kitchen to keep him happy-ish. And he really, really needed to get the fuck out of the same house as his dad. He’d left him Denny, for now, and it had been nice, bonding or whatever, but Winn was a goddamn adult, and maybe had, like, an almost-boyfriend now. He refused to bring Noah into the same house that Daniel ‘let me tell you all about my original Chaucer’ Woods lived in. But thinkin’ about Noah did bring a smile to his masked face. 

The carved wooden mask of a wolf was a bit on-the-snout, but funny as hell, to Winn. ‘Sides, no one would guess. They’d all be wearin’ masks from all over the animal kingdom, if the invitation was anything to go by. Why you needed to wear a mask to a silent auction was beyond Winn — and, God did he hate these things, but makin’ a good impression was important, with rich folks especially, he knew from years tailing his mother at charity dinners. But the vibe felt… off, as he made his way through the crowd. Like he’d broken one of those stupid unspoken rules, somehow. It wasn’t his suit — there were people wearin’ far more outrageous (he assumed?) colors than purple here — so what could it have been? He stopped at a painting, pretending to understand the abstract shapes and what he (again, totally just guessin’) he took as a bold color choice. It looked messy, and a bit ugly, given his color-blindness. Maybe he really wouldn’t ever get art.

Lydia had never lived in so small a town that had such a thriving elite supernatural community. She’d never lived in so small a town, either. It wasn’t too surprising that so many of the rich and wealthy were supernatural beings, with their longer lives, lack of needs for conventional expenses, extensive networking skills, and all the other ways that put them above the average human. It was even more lovely to be surrounded by people who felt the same, in one way or another. These events, for all their glamour and fun, had oh so many rules. A costumed silent auction with no allowances for pheromones, compulsion, or other unsavory reality distortions. Then again, in a hall where the only humans were the waitstaff, was it really a necessary rule? 

Lydia wandered around, holding her champagne in a white gloved hand as she mingled and chit chatted with the crowd, especially anyone that made her chest hum. Oh dear. Lydia paused, eyeing the young man by a Wassily Kandinsky piece, with a wolf mask. She winced, and hoped that he was either a fool or altogether much too new to these things, and not some human trying to sneak in. Surely the outside guards had already checked him, but still… the mask was incredibly tacky. “Making quite the statement there, aren’t you?”

Hearing a woman’s voice from behind him, Winn turned, regarding her own mask with interest. It was a bit hard to tell through Winn’s colorblindness, but he could tell the shape of a hummingbird. Long, elegant, and very, very fancy. Winn wondered if those were real feathers. He didn’t know anything about the woman, but the mask… suited her, Winn decided. He looked down at his outfit, then back up at the woman. “I’m not quite sure I know what you mean? No one has ever told me I don’t clean up well, though, so I hope it’s not the suit.” He winked through the mask, grabbing a flute of champagne for himself from a passing waiter. “I’m— Ah, I only just moved to the East End, so you’ll have to excuse me if I’ve made some sort of mistake. Never been one for following the rules.” He grinned, wolfish and self-sure. “I’d ask your name, but that probably defeats the purpose of these,” he tapped the mask on one of its carved ears, “and what’s in a name, really?” 

“Oh, not at all, the suit fits you like a glove. You look positively dashing,” Lydia replied with a grin, looking him up and down. Maybe not necessarily new money, but certainly young money, in both his appearance and attitude. Although, some species ended up rather frozen at a certain age both physically and mentally, did they not? “Oh, I’m not so sure the masks are for secrecy. I’m Lydia, just so that you have something to call me by. I was only commenting on your mask. Wearing another species as costume is rather passe, don’t you think?”

“Uh,” Winn said, intelligently, “I thought that was the whole… point? I mean, unless you’re secretly a hummingbird, right? No one’s wearing a human mask, so we’re all breaking that, right? It was on the invitation. Wear an animal.” He scanned the crowd, trying to figure out if there was anyone without a mask, but the only exceptions were the waitstaff. “I’m Winn. Call me Winn. So…” He grinned. “This is the part where you tell me you are a hummingbird, I take it?”

“Winn,” Lydia repeated with a smile, offering him a faux curtsy. Although, her smile was entirely quizzical as she looked around the room, at the shining floor and glittering diamond chandeliers, and all the kinds of people around them, wondering if somehow they hadn’t come to the same event. “Darling, do you not… realise that no one in this room is human, spare a couple of spellcasters and the waitstaff?”

Well, fuck a duck. “Oh,” Winn said, a soft syllable in the air. He gestured to his wolf mask, dumbly. “So, does everyone know I’m a…” The question hung in the space between them. “Or do they just think I’m an asshole?” He started laughing, ‘cause, really? It was funny as hell. First non-wolf supernatural shindig he’d been to, and he’d already managed to fall face first into a stupid rule. “I— Wow, okay. Alright. So, guess I should’ve thought this one through a little more. Y’know, I was wonderin’ how they got my address. I’d literally just signed the papers.”

“Well, now I do, which is ever so slightly less tasteless than dressing up as someone else’s species. Not all that original, either,” Lydia said, but it was with such a soft smile that it was obvious she was teasing. “No, not that, but you do rather stand out like a sore thumb. If you’re new to all this, though, I’m sure all will be forgiven quickly. Besides, I’m talking to you now, we’ll have a crowd in a hurry.” Lydia smiled, offering her arm for him. “Let me get you a drink. Are you planning on bidding on anything tonight?”

“Oh boy.” Winn huffed out a sigh of relief. “That would have been awkward, huh?” He took Lydia’s proffered arm, setting his downed glass of champagne — ugh, he really hated that shit — and letting her lead him to… assumedly the bar? Lydia wasn’t wrong, though, a crowd did seem to flit about them, seemingly drawn into Lydia’s sheer force of personality. “Um,” Winn said, thinking through much of what he’d seen, “if I’m bein’ totally honest, I’m a little worried now that anything I buy would end up cursed?” He raised his free hand to the back of his head, running it through. “How, uh, about you?”

Lydia smiled, ordering a drink from the bar and gesturing for him to do the same, ‘on her tab’.  “Well, some of the items in here are cursed. Some bewitched, some haunted, some just have attitude.”  She smiled, gesturing around the room. “That one, there, the painting of the lady at a cliffside, can you see the markings on the ceiling above it? Warding signs.”

Sipping his new (and extremely fruity) drink, Winn followed Lydia’s gaze. “Attitude?” Winn questioned openly, taking in the painting that Lydia had pointed out. Glyphs, sure enough, were dotted on the ceiling in, what appeared to Winn to be, nonsense shapes. “And warding from what? Are there, like, ghosts in the paintings?” He got the sense that question was dumb, maybe, but Lydia had to know he was, somewhat, new at this.

With their drinks in hand, Lydia led him along the gallery, speaking lowly even though she knew there were plenty around that could overhear, no matter how quietly she spoke. “Yes, that one is haunted. This sculpture of a face in pain contains vampire ash, and has a bit of an attitude. Then these coins, believed to be from Roman Aos Sí, are entirely fake. So, tell me, what do you want to know?”

“Oh, Lydia,” Winn said with a lopsided grin. “I want to know everything.”

[xfanfics]

Destiel Fic Rec List Part 1

Last Updated in October 2014. Posted in May 2020 for posterity. Listed in no particular order - the total rec list will have ~250 fics. Header graphic used with permission.

This part of the list contains: 48 fics.

Other Destiel Rec Lists: [1]. [2]. [3]. [4]. [5]. [6]. [7].

For Science! by pm_lo E | 21k | ABO, Omega!cas, Alpha!Dean,

Selected transcripts and supporting materials from Dr. Castiel Williams and Dean Winchester’s seminal study on physiological and psychological sexual response by gender designation.

Even though this is a dialogue/email text only story, I still very much enjoyed it and found it ridiculously hot. Maybe I'm just easy. (No I'm not. This fic is good, read it.)

Forget-Me-Not Blues by noangelsinthegarrison E | 68k | Firefighter!Dean, Professor!Cas, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining

Sam and Jess are getting married and Dean couldn’t be any happier for them. Honestly, they’re kind of disgustingly perfect for each other and Dean’s pretty damn excited about staying with them the week before the wedding. He’s Sam’s best man, of course, and he doesn’t even mind that Jess has her own best man to share in all the organizational duties. The more the merrier, right? Except Dean must have done something to epically piss off the universe because Jess’s best man just happens to be Castiel friggin’ Novak. He’s got even hotter since High School, but apparently no friendlier and if Cas wants to spend the week pretending like they’ve never met before? Fine. Two can play at that game.

THIS WAS SO GOOD I'M TEARING UP. tropes abound and I love it!

Cops and Robbers by kinkstiel E | 53k [WIP] | Detective!Dean, Criminal!Cas, Top!Cas, Bottom!dean

They locked eyes for a minute and then Cas leaned back as far as the cuffs would let him go, spreading his legs obscenely wide. “I want you to suck my cock, Dean.” Dean balked, mouth going dry in a second, eyes slipping to the now visible bulge in Castiel’s suit pants. “Um,” he said stupidly, face flushing red, eyes unable to pull away. Cas hummed. “Depending on how well you suck me, I might just tell you everything you want to know.” He licked his lips, smirking slightly when he caught Dean’s gaze. “And with sinful little lips like yours,” he made a low whistling sound, “I don’t doubt you’ll get every last name out of me.

So very good. Love the dark and dirtiness of it. It does get lighter and sappier towards the end tho.

Cursed or Not ❤ by Ltleflrt E | 115k | witch!Cas, shapeshifter!Dean, switching

While experimenting with magic when he was a kid, Sam accidentally cursed Dean. Now, Dean is forced to wear a spelled amulet constantly, or he'll turn into a random animal. For a little over a decade, he's learned to live with the curse, and has even found it useful in some cases, but he sure would be happier without it. When he meets a witch named Castiel, he's offered a deal. Instead of assuming all witches are bad, Dean can spend a season getting to know him. If at the end of the season, Dean still thinks he's evil Castiel will send him away with his memory wiped of the whole experience. But if he learns that Castiel is not the monster Dean assumes he is, he'll lift Dean's curse. It's an offer Dean can't bring himself to pass up.

Literally perfect. Enthralling world, magical relationship.    

Surprise Package by wannaliveindeansdimples E | 3k | Hot, , Dom Cas, Sub Dean, Light BDSM

When Cas' roommate Meg has to go out of town suddenly, she leaves him an unexpected gift.

So so hot. Non extreme Dom!cas and sub!dean.    

Never Have I ever by sweetdean M | 78k | Fluff,  High School AU, top!cas, bottom!dean

When Jo drags Dean along to a game of "never have I ever" with her friends, he finds himself getting caught up in a lot more than just a game. “Never have I ever hung out with such an asshole,” Dean countered, positively shocked at his own sass. Cas smirked again. “Oh, are we hanging out now?fricken adorable  

Road Signs by gemmiel E | 9k| Canon!verse, true form

Dean is curious about how angels have sex. Castiel shows him.

Damn. True form, soul sex, and regular sex. Yes please.    

It's Brilliant, Really by snarkymonkey E | 15k | Fluff,  AU, Professor!cas, Stuntman!dean

Castiel Novak is a History adjunct at Stanford University. He's also the most patient younger brother. When his older brother, Gabriel, decides to start *wooing* one of his younger waiters, Castiel reluctantly agrees to double-date with the intended paramour's older brother. What he didn't expect, however, was how much his own life would flip over such a careless decision.

Adorable. Hot, and adorable.  

Gabriel's Unfortunate Mistake by JackHawksmoor E | 8k | Hot,  AU

an answer to a prompt: Gabriel decides to hire a prostitute for his virgin brother Castiel as a joke, but instead accidentally hires Dean, a professional Dom. The moment Dean first lays a hand on him, Castiel knows he is lost. Dean/Castiel AU.

Um mm.... Damn. That was hot. Newbie sub!cas and pro dom!dean    

Well-Beloved Unto Me by  Moorishflower E | 3k | Alt!Canon, tentacles

The Winchesters don't get rewarded for all the shit they go through, so Dean is understandably wary when a few recharged and promoted angels offer him and Sam the vacation of a lifetime. Title comes from the Song of Solomon.

True form. And sex. MY FAVE.  

How to Date an Angel in 12 Easy Steps by Fourthduckling E | 23k | Fluff,  Alt!canon

It's not that hard to date an angel. All Dean has to do is fight off hordes of vampires, research gay porn, get sucked into a crappy Narnia, endure Sam's comments, creep out on Dr. Sexy, get harassed -- oh, and that's right-- figure out he's into Cas. Easy, right?

SQUUEEEE. Perfect and cute and cuddly.  

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right But Three Rights Make A Left by the0voice0from0above E | 45k | High School AU, Dancer!Cas, Welder!Dean,

The beautiful Garrison Ballet School becomes home to a reckless bunch of misfits after the Colt Welding Academy is severely damaged in a fire and has to close for repairs. Needless to say, Castiel and his friends clash with their unwanted guests but there's one boy in particular who infuriates him.

Dancer!au. Love it love it love it!    

Rest My Angel by cobalt_wings E | 86k | Fluff,  Season 9 AU

Angels are falling from the sky, and Dean is losing it. Sam is dying in his arms, and one of those burning, twisting figures blazing through the night air might be his very own angel, Castiel. What can he do to help those he loves?

Sex and domestic and lots of fucking. My fave.    

One Species Too Many by wallmakerrelict E | 21k | Fluff,  Alt!canon

While Dean is laid up for a month after breaking his leg on a hunt, Cas decides that it's a perfect time to adopt a litter of kittens. But even though he's gotten better since Purgatory, Cas still isn't quite the same as he was before fixing Sam's head, and being trapped in a cabin with him for weeks on end is making that all the more obvious to Dean. When Sam takes off on a hunt, Dean has to figure out on his own how to navigate his new relationship with Cas while also helping to raise a bunch of fuzzballs that aren't even cute. Not even a little bit. (Well, maybe a little bit.)

Team free will with kittens!! So fluffy and domestic but also a touch of angst.    

It's A Bet by vitamindesi E | 34k | College AU, top!cas, bottom!dean

Destiel College!AU in which freshman Dean is dared by his best friends to hit on senior Castiel at a party. He wants to say no but then someone starts a bet and Benny bets a sum that is ridiculously high for a student and Dean can’t disappoint Benny, right? I deviated only, but hopefully it suffices.

So fabulous and smutty I want to cry. Literally perfection.

Your Call Cannot Be Completed As Dialed by eBob, K_K_TiBal T | 66k [WIP] | Fluff,  College AU

AU in which Castiel accidentally sends a text message to the wrong number and befriends the person at the other end of the line. However, accidents don’t just happen accidentally, and sometimes two completely different people are exactly what the other needs.

LITERALLY THE BEST. So many feelings. I WANT IT TO BE COMPLETE SO MUCH. Abandoned WIP.    

Equinox by luchia E  | 12k | Alt!canon, time travel

In which Castiel is the weird time-traveling freak who just might be the love of Dean Winchester's life.

Confusing but perfect time travel fic.   

If I run by betty days E | 4k | Hot,  AU, sexting, long distance relationship

"Dean Winchester is a red-blooded American male. He lifts all the things. He aims for functional strength. He counts his macros and makes fun of curlbros. He is not a member of the Tarahumara tribe and he will not read Born to Run, no matter how many times Sam tells him to, because Starting Strength is the only book Dean will ever fucking need." Wherein a friendly competition with the mysterious ThursdaysAngel turns into a sexy selfie-trading spree that motivates Dean Winchester to train for his first marathon.

Soo. Hot. Makes me want to actually exercise?    

The Little Things by Alreadypainfullygone T | 2k | Angst,  Cancer, Major Character Death

Au based on 'the big C' in which Dean gets very sick, and deals with it the denial way. Meeting a homeless man on the way. Dean/Castiel Angst. Warning for trigger - Cancer. sorry if you think I dealt with it badly.

This is only 2.8k words, and yet it managed to make me cry.    

Do What Feels Good by  Catchclaw, cymbalism E | 12k | Hot,  Alt!canon, PWP

Castiel learns to love alone time in the shower. And then he learns to share.

Fuuuuuck that was hot. Castubation and shower sex is just so hnnnggg.    

All That Is And Used To Be by MisaChan E | 26k | Alt!Canon, wing!Kink

Dean never even knew anyone was living in the old estate outside of town until its mysterious occupant contracts his shop for a very specific job: a custom piano bench with grooves cut into the back. He finds Castiel and his terms to be eccentric with a capital E but the money is too good to turn down and anyway, Dean can't help indulging his curiosity about the guy and his secretive, isolated life. There are secrets that will not stay hidden and stories that refuse to be forgotten. Especially when they happen to involve Dean Winchester and the angel Castiel.

Ugh, I love this story. Concept, execution, and characterization are all perfect.    

Do I Have Something Like That? by MysticMoonhigh E | 2k | Hot,  horn!kink, wing!kink

based on the tumblr post I made: Does anybody know any demon!Dean fics where Cas makes Dean climax by basically giving his demon horns a hand job because I want this so badly out of lifE | I'm. I've read this about three times and I think I'm finally coming to terms with my alien biology kink. Hot. Wink!kink and horn!kink. Yes.    

The Doctor Will See You Now by  PetrichorPerfume E | 7k| Hot,  PWP sub!dean, gentle dom!cas, wing!kink

Dean has a medical kink. Castiel is more than happy to oblige. Starring Castiel as the slightly unorthodox Dr. Novak who enjoys prescribing enforced chastity and daily tease and denial sessions, and Dean as his needy, submissive patient who will do anything for a chance to come.

Wowowwowowow. Um. This was super hot. Nnnghhhh.    

Into Your Hideaway by thepinupchemist E  | 176k |Angst,  a/b/o, omega!dean, alpha!cas, mpreg

Driving down a deserted road in the Rocky Mountains, Castiel finds something unexpected: An omega. Not only an omega, but a naked, injured, pregnant omega. Dean doesn't talk much at first, but that doesn't change the brightness of his soul. It also doesn't stop Castiel from falling in love with him.

I just... Wow. This was an amazing story. Beware that it is possibly very triggering, because of rape, assault, violence, and general bigotry. But perhaps because of all of that, you get a story that is almost painful in its reality, and it is all the more loveable for that.    

The World Crashing All Around by thepinupchemist E | 36k| Alt!canon, best friends wing!Kink, kid!fic

During a storm in September of 1987, Dean and Sam hear something hit their roof. When they brave the backyard to investigate, they find a fledgling angel. A story about best friendship, spoiled plans, and love, in four parts.

OH MY GOD. This was perfect all the way through. From soul bonds, to slow burn, to growing up together as best friends, it's all my favorite. And it even has wing kink, which is literally the best.    

Share Your Burden by aTimeOfMagic E | 3k Hot,  PWP, Sub!dean, dom!cas

Set at the end of 'Are You There God? It's Me Dean Winchester.' 4.02. Castiel shows Dean that he deserves respect, and Dean comes to see that Cas is not, in fact, just a 'hammer'. He also learns that his 'people skills' are definitely not entirely 'rusty'.

Damn. Um, really hot. Also, unexpectedly sweet.    

Flawless by Vaerin E | 69k | a/b/o, accidental bonding, sub!dean, dom!cas

A contract is out on the Winchesters, a large sum of money the reward for throwing them off their game. A witch in the town they happen to be passing through decides to collect. She sets her sights on Dean, trying to seduce him into leaving his job to stay with her. When she can't even convince him to warm her bed, she decides to turn her job into his punishment. Knowing he fears commitment and can't stand the thought of being with a man, she works a spell between him and Castiel... the one friend he can call a safe haven. When they end up mated the next morning, not only does the Winchester family business suffer... but so does Dean's friendship with Castiel.

Cute long soul bond fic. Contains sabriel.    

Chasing Normal by Donovanspen M | 16k | Fluff,  First time, Cuddling & Snuggling

Dean reevaluates his definition of an 'apple pie life' and what that means for him, personally.

This is the definition of domestic fluff and smut. There's a wee bit of angst because hey, it's set in the canon verse. But so worth it.    

Hold On by somuchforbaggles E | 92k | Fluff,  Angst,   mental illness

Castiel is sure that nothing in his life will ever change. Everything that happens to him is predictable, from the stability of his job to the unrelenting sporadic anxiety attacks, he can rely on his life to stay the same forever - until he saves Dean Winchester from the path of an oncoming train. From then on, everything changes for both of them, and the only way they can deal with it is together.

Woww. This was an amazing ride. Angsty and fluffy, then angsty again, then back to fluffy. So good.    

I said to myself again by avyssoseleison E | 2k | Fluff,  Praise!kink, Self-esteem issues

Dean finally lets himself be appreciated and cared for by his angel.

Praise kink is my ultimate weakness    

The One Thing You Can't Lose by MajorEnglishEsquire T | 4k | Fluff,  Cuddling & Snuggling

You know what I like a lot? The thought that Dean can just tug Cas anywhere at any time and Cas, who can lift tons without effort, who can demolish things with the light of his grace, who has battled and gone to war, has defended and broken, will just let Dean do it.

fluffy love    

Spit Slick by VeraBAdler M | 1k | Fluff, , First Time

[no description]

A super cute fluffy little oneshot :3 (tags say 'happy sex' and 'sexy cuddling' if you need more to go on)  

Late Bloomer by somuchforbaggles T | 7k | Alt!Canon, Wing!kink, Wingfic, Soulmates

On every child’s seventh birthday, a celebration is held to mark the beginning of their journey as a fledgling - a sprouting ceremony. It doesn’t matter if the child hasn't shown the symptoms of emerging wings yet, for it is scientific fact that every child grows wings in their seventh year, sometimes even earlier. Castiel is not every child.

A coming of age wing fic. With mates. Basically, I'm in love.    

Sleight of Hand by aileenrose M | 64k | Angst,  Human AU, psychic cas, journalist dean

Dean Winchester has interviewed them all--mob bosses, serial killers, crooked politicians. Next he plans to unveil the con-man who markets himself as Castiel, a reclusive and secretive "healer" who claims to heal the sick in return for thousands of dollars. Dean's expecting a challenge, but he never expected Castiel to be so clueless or sweet...or that he might be telling the truth.

I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS AU. The one where Dean is a skeptical journalist/professional idiot and Cas is a socially inept healer and mind reader. There's lots of angst, but the payoff is so worth it.    

Leaning In by Anonymous T | 15k | Hospital AU

Castiel never changed out his scrubs, Dean had a way of getting himself injured and Sam seemed to think it was a good pairing

Even though I have no idea who actually wrote this story, it's worth a read. I'm always up for a good medical AU.    

Someone I Forgot to Be by  MatildaMavis E | 36k Fluff,  Angst,  Human AU

Castiel is content - sort of - with his quiet life in Boston...at least, until his new neighbor moves in. It's Dean Winchester, the cliched long lost love of his life. Can these two idiots find their way back to each other after eight years, after fame and loss and heartbreak? After Dean has found love again with Cas' neighbor, Lisa? Fate can be a sadistic bitch, they've both learned that, but maybe they've matured enough to be able to handle it this time. The sparks, the attraction, the tension...or maybe not.

I thought this would be extremely painful, and it sort of was. But it was so worth it.    

Didn't Get That Particular Memo by Snarkymonkey E | 5k

Dean has worked with his best friend for years and maybe it's a bit more than that for him but not for Castiel, right? Right. And really, he'd feel so much better if Castiel would just get a companion already. Because it's not like Castiel actually wants him, right? Right.

Damn, that was fucking hot.  

Cas, You Had A Baby? by allthebeautifulthings9828 M | 132k | Fluff,  Alt!Canon, Kid Fic, Slow Build

At some point in every angel's life, raising a fledgling is required. Castiel's turn comes rather unexpectedly when his superiors hand off a newly created infant angel to him and leave him to raise it with all of Heaven's principles of blind obedience. He's not sure what to do, so he tucks the fledgling in his coat and goes straight to Dean and Sam Winchester. Together, Dean and Castiel hatch a plan to raise the fledgling away from Heaven's control. And soon, the angel Hael arrives with news that, after Castiel disappeared, she and four other angels ran from Heaven's oppression with their fledglings. Castiel finds himself the unwitting ringleader of angels choosing to raise their fledglings with the principles of free will. Is angelic parenthood too much for his deepening relationship with Dean? Who can they really trust? (Disclaimer: This story depicts fledglings consuming honey for the nourishment of their undeveloped graces. Human babies cannot consume honey, so please do not feed it to your infants. This is fiction.)

Oh. My. God. I admit that I was skeptical at the beginning about this story, but let me tell you, it sucked me in. Sometimes, you run across a story that has wonderful OCs that you get attached to. This is one of those. And of course, the baby is adorable.    

Healing by Jacqueline Albright-Beckett M | 2k | Fluff,  Canon!verse, PWP

Castiel can heal more than just physical wounds.

Sensual and romantic.    

Better Late Than Never by whelvenwings G | 23k | Fluff,  Alt!canon, friends to lovers,

When Dean first sees Castiel, he's clinging on for dear life - and things never really get any easier. In fact, they get a lot harder; Dean's worst enemy isn't always the monkey bars. Bound together year on year by the ritual pact of being a Guardian Angel, Dean and Cas grow close, showing loyalty and bravery in the face of danger. But will they ever find the courage to admit their true feelings for each other - and will it be too late by the time they do?

i LOVE best friends to lovers fics! and this delivers on that perfectly.    

Like A Candle In The Window On A Cold Dark Winter's Night by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel T | 6k | Fluff,  Canon!verse, asexual Cas

In which Castiel saves Dean, Dean saves Castiel, there is beer and TV watching, and if it weren't for the monsters and assassination attempts, life would be almost perfect.

A cute little fic I've read multiple times :)    

How many slams in an old screen door? by dandelioness T | 15k | Fluff,  Theatre AU, Asexual Cas

In which Castiel is a theatre major terrible at first impressions; Dean is a set designer who likes Cas anyway; and the most chaotic production of Les Miserables in history somehow manages to go off without a hitch. Or, just as you should never give a moose a muffin (because he'll want some jam to go with it), you should never give a blank check to a university theatre department.

This is perfect. I can't speak for the accuracy of the information and feelings given about asexuals/asexuality, but I enjoyed this fic nonetheless.    

Breath of Heaven by solacesnake18 E | 9k

When Dean is wounded and dying in Purgatory, Castiel returns from his self-imposed exile to help him.

Wow. True!form cas and metaphysical sex that somehow manages to be poetic, emotional, and erotic all at once. I approve.    

The Mirror by CloudyJenn M | 24k | Canon!Verse,

When Dean touches a strange mirror, he's whisked away to one alternate reality after another and it doesn't take him long to realize the universe is trying to tell him something.

One of my favorite fics, and a fandom classic. So beautiful. It's a trip, but you'll love it. The ending makes me really emotional.    

Rock 'n' Roll Queer Bar by chasingrabbits E | 121k | Fluff,  Human AU

Ellen and Jo Harvelle run Harvelle's Roadhouse, a bar that unintentionally becomes a beacon for wayward queer souls. Her employees: Dean, the smartass runaway with a big heart and bigger mouth; Castiel, the college drop-out turned hippie; his (surprisingly heterosexual) trouble-making brother Gabriel; and Charlie, who has been told several times that the back room is not to be used for after-hours Dungeons & Dragons games. But there's a lot of love in this place, and a new family for anyone who may otherwise be without.

Sweet little (well, not so little really) universe. Link is to the series.    

A Million Ways to Go by chasingrabbits E | 91k | High School AU,

Castiel Novak is a preacher's son living in a world of black and white. Pragmatic and dutiful, he doesn't understand why anybody would want to make waves. Then the Winchesters move in down the street. Soon many of the skeletons in the Novak family's closet are exposed, and as the family faces them, Castiel begins to understand that there are many ways to see the world and so many more ways to live than what he's been told.

Wow, this was a ride. Set in an alternate!canon where Cas is a repressed preacher's kid and dean still grows up a hunter. Also, lots of Sam and Gabriel brother!feels. Not sabriel.

Like That Foreigner Song... by DevilMadeMeDoIt E | 5k | Hot,  Alt!Canon, Deancest, Time trave

Dean and Cas have been together for a while now, but Dean always regrets that he has been with so many people in the past. He wishes he could go back in time and tell his 15 year old self that there is someone worth waiting for. Cas gives him the chance and the outcome is one that neither of them expected.

Oh god, this was a perfect little story. So much love.    

TutorMate by faeryn M | 21k | College AU

Sam leaves Dean's laptop logged in to some app called "TutorMate" and Dean meets his brother's tutor. Cas helps him with his own work and they strike up a friendship. Before long Dean finds himself growing attached to the cute, clever Cas and flirtatiously suggests they go on a date if he applies himself to his college work. Cas agrees, but Dean discovers his online friend is not quite what he expected. (Or, in which Dean thinks he's met a cute girl and finds out he's actually met a cute boy.)

Wowowwowowow adorable. Perfect little college AU.    

More recs coming soon.

[rocket-remmy]

Zombody Knows|| Lydia and Remmy

A meet and greet. Sort of.

Lydia took her wine to her seat in a small booth in the back of the Seven Selkies. This place was still a little too human for her tastes, but secrets lingered in these walls, and it was the perfect inbetween for someone as lost as this Remmy person. They weren’t fae, Lydia knew that much, but they were also lost, and now possibly even in danger. She shrugged off her fluffy pink coat, setting it behind her as she spotted Remmy. At least the individual she assumed was Remmy, based on their appearance on social media. Waving to catch their attention, Lydia smiled in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you,” she greeted, her eyes sparkling. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

Remmy was uncertain. They’d met a lot of people from online recently, and while Lydia seemed rather nice and formal, they couldn’t help the unsettling feeling in their stomach as they made their way to the Seven Selkies. They’d opted to dress a little nicer than usual, though that still wasn’t saying much, but they did put on their one pair of jeans without holes in them. And their nice jacket. It didn’t help settle the weird feeling in the pit of their stomach though. Something told Remmy, after this meeting, things were never going to be the same again. They didn’t know why, but that was the thing about intuition, wasn’t it? It was always just a feeling. They paused just outside the bar, before taking in a deep breath and heading in. Someone waved them over and Remmy could only assume it was Lydia. “Hi! Um-- yeah, it’s nice to meet you, too!” they said. She was a very beautiful woman. Older, for sure, but her skin almost seemed to glow and her eyes were sharp and dark. Remmy sat across from her, hands folded into their la. “Oh, um-- just a ginger ale is fine. I don’t really...drink.”

“Ginger ale it is,” Lydia agreed amicably, standing up to get one from the bar, she returned shortly with a can and a glass ful of ice, and handed it to Remmy. Her eyes skimmed Remmy’s clothes, skin, eyes, for the tell tale clues that made this a little easier for the both of them. Including the very definitely attached arm. “I heard you and Blanche managed to figure things out somewhat. How are you feeling about it all?” Warming up gently to a conversation Lydia knew from experience was never easy. People became… so attached to their human identity, in a way that struck her as painfully cultish. At least Remmy seemed… open to the idea. 

“Th-thank you,” Remmy said, taking the glass from Lydia. They poured some into the cup, noticed their hand was shaking a bit. Set the can down, using the table to stabilize their grip. “Oh, um, yeah! We talked things out. We’re good again. I just, um--” they paused, “I guess I’m feeling confused. I don’t know why anyone would want to hurt me. I-I try to be nice, I would never wanna hurt anyone on purpose! Even in the military, I-I went into bomb tech because it meant I could help people, instead of hurt them.” They paused. “Also still a little freaked out about an arm--” stopped, looked around, quieted their voice, “you know...growing back.”

Lydia listened, intently and carefully, as Remmy talked. As Remmy leant in, and murmured, she smiled sympathetically. “I think I would freak out too, if that were me. Especially as you mentioned you’ve only just learned about magic and vampires? I guess this is all very new to you.” She sipped at her wine, shaking her head. “There are… people, although that is a very generous word for what they are, who don’t care. They don’t care that you are kind, or sweet, that you risked your life to save others. They just care about one thing. Remmy, darling, am I right in thinking that you have a scar from being bitten, at some point?”

“So, it’s like...not a normal thing, then, is it?” Remmy said, a little defunct. “Yeah. And apparently there are people that can turn into bears?? And like...people with bird’s as reflections. Like...it’s all a little overwhelming.” They shook their head, still holding the glass tightly. “But-- why? Why would someone wanna hurt someone just because of-- because they’re not human? I don’t…” Remmy trailed off. They supposed it was the same logic behind racism and prejudice and hatred. It never made sense to them. They looked up. “A bite…?” they asked. Scrunched their face, trying to remember. The memory was fuzzy at this point, it had been their first field mission, after all. “I mean...there was this one time...a really kinda like...weird looking guy. I can’t um-- disclose details. But he looked-- not right. He um...he bit me on the shoulder. Why’s-- why’s that important?”

Lydia smiled at her descriptions, wondering who Remmy had met so far and why. “I can only imagine,” she agreed, her eyes flicking to Remmy’s tight grip of the glass and back up. “They’re zealots, who erroneously believe humans are the superior species.” Lydia leant in as Remmy described their bite, nodding carefully. It sounded short, and not drawn out. Not vampire. “Because I also imagine that - well, you were in the military - there was an event, recently. One that was so bad you couldn’t believe you survived. When you woke up after, you woke up ravenous. Am I right? There’s no shame in it.”

“That’s...I’ll never understand people that think like that…” Remmy muttered, a bit sadly. Hands twiddled on the glass, fingers wrapping around it. They hadn’t even drank any yet. Their hand unconsciously tightened around the glass when Lydia spoke up again. Talking about an incident. Remmy suddenly felt cold and clammy and cramped. Was the booth always this small? Their eyes stuck on the ice floating in their glass. “I don’t--” they started, but their voice stuck. “Remember. I can’t-- remember.” It was the truth. They had an inkling about what happened. They remembered things in flashes. They remembered the guilt that stabbed them every time they thought about it. Was this why? Was it because they weren’t human somehow? They’d survived because of some freak accident? All their friends had died because-- they didn’t get to finish the thought. The glass shattered under their tightening grip and soda poured onto the table, ice scattering, glass tumbling down. “Shit! Sorry! I-I’m sorry!” they stuttered, shirking back in the booth, reaching for napkins. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-- I-I’m so sorry.”

Lydia jumped up, so that none of the ginger ale spilled on her dress, but pulled out a packet of tissues and began to mop up the mess quickly. “Remmy, Remmy, it’s fine.” She signalled one of the wait staff, committing to a bigger tip. “I’ll get you a moment. I was a little thoughtless in my question, I’m sorry I upset you.” Quickly, the glass and ginger ale was wiped up, and every last escapee ice cube retrieved, and Lydia was true to her word, getting Remmy another drink (and also giving the Draugr a little space to soothe themself before returning). “Better?”

For having just shattered a glass on her, Lydia was being rather calm. Remmy was thankful for that, at least. They scooted back, let the waiter clean up the mess, eyes boring holes into their lap. Too embarrassed to look up. They lifted their hands to run them over their face, but paused when they noticed little chips of glass dug into their palm. No blood. They started picking them out, their leg bouncing a million miles an hour. This was more stress than they’d prepared themself for. They wished Moose were here. They stopped all their movements, suddenly noticing how frantic they felt. The doctor said when that happened to count to ten and take deep breaths. Remmy closed their eyes. Counted to ten. The breaths didn’t seem to do anything, but when they opened their eyes again, their skin was no longer vibrating. They no longer felt the need to bolt from the booth. They picked another piece of glass from their hand. Winced a little when Lydia came back. “I-- sorry…” was all they said again. “Th-thanks…”

“Don’t apologise to me,” Lydia replied, waving it away just as she looked at Remmy sympathetically. “I got carried away, and should have been more considerate. The least I can do is replace your drink.” She slid it over the table to Remmy, before folding her hands together. “We don’t have to continue this if you’re not comfortable.”

Remmy looked over at Lydia, swallowing heavily. “O-Okay. I, um--” they looked down at their hand. Thinking about that day, thinking about what happened...it hurt. It was an incredibly painful memory, and the doctor’s-- even the military advisors-- had said it was probably for the best that they couldn’t remember. But Remmy was lost now. “Do you know?” they asked quietly, looking back up at Lydia. “What I am? I just-- I don’t wanna be in the dark anymore. About...all of this stuff. I don’t wanna endanger my friends and the people I care about b-because of what I am o-or if someone comes after me. I can’t-- I can’t risk them like that.”

“Yes,” Lydia replied instantly, honest and kindly. “But listen to me first. You are not the risk to them. The existence of hunters is not your fault. I don’t want you to feel guilty  because of what you are, Remmington. This isn’t some terrible secret, alright? Especially considering, well.” Lydia pressed her lips together, before leaning in, and meeting those sweet, dead eyes with her own piercing ones. “I believe you’re a draugr. More commonly known as a zombie. But you are nothing like the human portray you to be.”

Zombie. Zombie. ZOMBIE!? Remmy’s mind was working over time. Zombie!? Was that even possible? Zombies were real!? And they were one? It didn’t make sense. It made perfect sense, but it didn’t make sense. Remmy’s whole body seemed to freeze. So they were dead? They had died? Had Remmy died when-- “You’re sure?” they asked, surprisingly calm. They didn’t know what else to say. Did they believe her? What reason would Lydia have to lie to them? Did that mean they were a monster? How did that even happen? “I’m a-- you’re sure?”

Lydia paused a moment, waiting for Remmy to think it through, to consider it, before replying. “Reasonably sure. Very little can regrow a limb that fast. Darling, I can’t lie to you - that’s a quirk of my species as much as your arm is a quirk of yours.” She sipped at her wine, wirling it around calmly. Her skin prickled as she felt a fae walk into the bar, but said nothing about it. Lydia had all the time in the world to meet and befriend fae - this moment with Remmy was pivotal. “But you tell me - what do you eat?”

“Species? What species are you?” Remmy immediately asked, then bit their lip. “I-I mean, sorry! Is that um-- is that rude to ask? I don’t know...what’s okay and not.” But having the focus not on them, not on the word zombie, felt nice for those few seconds. The thought that they wished they hadn’t come here crossed their mind, but there was no going back now. “I...normal things? I have been craving like...raw meat and…” their voice trailed off. Cow brain. Not specifically cow brain, but the brain of anything. Cow was just the easiest and cheapest to buy. “The doctor’s said it was...it was just...the meds changed my appetite, th-that’s all…”

Lydia laughed, light and breezy as wind chimes, at Remmy’s questions. “It can be, but I don’t mind. The secrecy is just to keep everyone safe, considering there are so many malicious people around, so I am trusting you to keep this to yourself. I’m a fae.” A little trust, Lydia knew, went a long way. As Remmy answered their question, Lydia tilted her head, frowning slightly. Of course the military knew. It was a sickening thought, but that was hardly her problem. “Remmy, it is normal. It isn’t, well, it isn’t human, but it is normal. The doctor was wrong.”

“Fae? What’re fae?” Remmy asked. There were almost too many questions floating around in their head. Why could they find it so easy to believe Nora was a bear and Taylor was a bird and Morgan was a witch, but the idea of them being a ‘zombie’ made their mind scramble at the thought. “How-- how do I know if someone is a hunter? Or wants to hurt me or people like me-- us?” they asked, subconsciously skirting past the statement. The doctors couldn’t be wrong, they were doctors. Why would they lie to Remmy?

“We’re varied,” Lydia replied truthfully. “It’s a good question. We share a dislike of lies and a love of mischief. Although you must never call us it, we are humans call fairies. Each of us have different traits, like an affinity to the elements, or in my case, the ability to inspire artistic creativity.” Sighing, Lydia leant forward. “You don’t. They are wolves in sheepskin, cruel and deceptive beings. This is why we have to be so secretive.”

“Oh, okay,” Remmy said quietly, “not um-- got it. That’s-- that sounds really cool, though. I wish I could inspire people like that...I met a really nice guy who does architecture and he’s like a professional and does art and it’s really good and I wish I could be like that and-- s-sorry, I’m rambling.” They finally took a sip of the ginger ale, but it did little to calm them or satiate the dryness their mouth had been developing. Looked up when Lydia leaned forward, eyes wide. “They...that’s...that’s horrifying….” 

“No need to apologise, darling,” Lydia replied warmly, sipping at her wine. “I can’t make someone technically skilled at anything. I provide an antidote to writer’s block.” Phrasing it in these human ways made bile clog the back of her throat, but that was how you reached people, after all. Her eyes dropped with sympathy at Remmy’s lost expression. “It is, its why I wanted to warn you. I don’t know much about draugar beyond what I’ve told you, and what I’m sure you’ve deduced for yourself. But I wanted to keep you safe, in this small way, if I could.”

“Oh, well, that’s still really cool! You get to help people!” Remmy said, finding small moments of relief when they weren’t talking about them. They tried to sip the soda again, but found it just as satisfying and pushed the glass away from them on the table. “I, um….th-thanks. For warning me. I-- I’ll be careful.” Was the booth getting smaller somehow? Why did Remmy feel so squeezed? Like walls closing in? They swallowed. “I, um-- appreciate you m-meeting me. Can I like, um-- ask you more questions if I have them? Like...online o-or something?” They paused, looked around, then back to Lydia. “I wanna keep other people safe, too.” Though, admittedly, it felt real nice to have someone looking out for them in this way, too.

“You’re welcome,” Lydia replied, watching Remmy curiously. Somehow they seemed more nervous and fidgety now than they had even moments ago, and when they spoke, it was clear they wanted to leave. “Yes, of course, and don’t feel obliged to stay here out of politeness, either. As long as I have your word you’ll keep my species confidential.”

“Of course!” Remmy immediately said, their voice raising a few pitches. They bit the inside of their cheek. “No, of course! I-I would never tell anyone! Ever, I promise!” They said hurriedly, stiffening in their chair. “I-I understand needing to like...keep parts of yourself secret for safety! I do. I won’t. I promise.” They looked around the bar again. “I-- I’m sorry. I don’t wanna be rude...I um...I have a service dog. Usually. With me. I didn’t bring-- cause I wasn’t sure if-- and like he’s kinda big and-- I th-think I would like to go home, though...um…” they trailed off again, fingers tapping on their thigh. “I-- thank you, again. F-For everything. It was um-- really nice of you to talk to me, Lydia. I won’t f-forget that.”

“Thank you,” Lydia replied, finishing her wine to clear the bile, and humming in contentment as she felt the promise settle in her belly. “Oh, by all means. Take care of yourself, Remmy. And please, if we meet again, don’t hesitate to bring your service dog.” She stood, to bid Remmy goodbye. “You’re more than welcome. Goodbye, Remmy, and don’t be afraid to reach out.”

Lydia was much nicer than Remmy had anticipated. Not that they didn’t think she’d be nice, but sometimes you just never knew. And while Remmy always hoped for the best in people, it was nice to be right every once in a while. The woman genuinely just wanted to help, and that feeling of comfort settled in Remmy’s chest on top of the words “zombie” and “draugr”. A problem for later, when Remmy was home and safe. “Goodbye, Lydia. I’m glad I met you!” they said quickly, but smiling truly. Remmy reached out to shake her hand before turning to leave, reaching down absently to pick another piece of glass out of their palm. If they’d thought life was strange before, they supposed that now, if what Lydia said was true, it would never be normal again. Remmy looked back one more time over their shoulder at Lydia before pushing the door open and rushing home.

[kaelinaloveslomaris]

Whumptober 21: Laced Drink

Okay, we’re real late. But I am determined to finish these, even if I have to go into November to do it.

I rushed the ending a bit here, but it’s done, so I’m posting it.

—

Noctis hated social functions. He especially hated social functions he was forced to attend in an official capacity, because it meant he had to be visible and couldn’t slip off halfway through the party. Prompto was never allowed in to alleviate his boredom, and when Ignis and Gladio were in attendance, they were always far too focused on making sure no one tried anything with him to be good company.

He wandered away from the crowds, Gladio at his heels like an oversized shadow, and found himself a spot on the upper tier of the Caelum Via roof by the aquarium. It was a massive, multi-storied cylinder, the centerpiece of the top few levels of the hotel, and Noctis was far more interested in watching the fish than interacting with any of the politicians at the party.

They swam in lazy circles, almost hypnotic in their movements, and better choreographed than most dancers Noctis had ever seen. Each school of different species moved fluidly as one, somehow never bumping into any of the others, and small leviathans twisted elegantly around the coral structures. Noctis wondered if they were as bored as he was.

“Don’t wander too far off, Noct,” Gladio murmured to him. Noctis glanced up at him, tearing his eyes away from the fish.

“I’m not. I’m still fully in view if somebody wants to come talk to me that badly, but at least if I’m up here, people have to go out of their way to get to me. I’m just trying to make it as inconvenient for them as it is for me.” He grinned wolfishly, and Gladio rolled his eyes.

Noctis returned to leaning against the railing, his back to the party. The low hum of conversation was already becoming annoying, and he had several hours yet to endure.

He stole a glance at Gladio. He was standing just to Noctis’s left at parade rest, hands clasped loosely behind his back. He pulled off the finely tailored black suit better than Noctis ever could, even if he was sure his Shield was just as uncomfortable as he was. His eyes roamed the crowd, probably scanning for any potential threats, and Noctis sighed. How Gladio’s stress levels weren’t off the charts, he’d never understand.

“Do you ever relax?”

Gladio frowned. “I’m here to make sure you stay safe,” he said, as if that was answer enough. It was Noctis’s turn to roll his eyes.

“I’ll let you know if anyone tries to push me off the balcony.”

“Not funny.”

Noctis turned around, searching through the crowd until he found his dad. He was talking animatedly with one of his council members, his Shield nearby but also engaged in a conversation. Noctis gestured towards them. “See, Clarus is enjoying himself.”

“His Majesty can take care of himself. And my dad is paying him closer attention than it seems.”

“I can take care of myself!” Noctis protested. The look Gladio shot him said he disagreed. Noctis pouted.

“Maybe if you didn’t wander so far away from the proceedings, I would have something to do other than stand next to you.”

“You always just hover regardless of where I’m standing. And I’m making your job easier. No one can sneak up on us here,” Noctis pointed out. Gladio huffed.

Noctis watched his father laugh at something his council member said. It was a real laugh, one that had his head tilting back and his eyes half closed. Noctis smiled. His dad didn’t laugh enough these days, so it was good to see. And there was a fond smile on Clarus’s face that Noctis was pretty sure was directed at Regis.

Noctis noticed, not for the first time but more obviously now that Gladio had pointed it out, how Clarus reoriented himself every time the king shifted, always making sure his charge was in view but that his presence wasn’t stifling. There was a natural, easy flow to their dance, and Noctis wondered if he and Gladio would ever reach that sort of equilibrium.

He had never seen his dad argue with his Shield the way Noctis and Gladio did. They were completely comfortable around each other, with none of the strained tension present between their sons, and Regis never seemed to be annoyed at Clarus’s constant presence.

Of course, Noctis and Gladio had gotten off to a rough start, and he was sure they weren’t the only prince and Shield in their families’ history to not be perfectly matched, but Noctis couldn’t help the occasional sting of jealousy for what his dad and Clarus had.

“You alright?” Gladio asked, a note of concern in his voice, and Noctis shook away the thoughts. Gladio did care about him, in his own pushy, overbearing way.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He turned around again, not wanting to watch his dad anymore, and focused his attention back on the aquarium.

Noctis looked up as a waiter approached him with a single glass of champagne on his tray. He offered it to Noctis, and he took it absentmindedly, more out of polite habit than any true interest in the drink.

Noctis swirled the pale liquid around in the delicate glass. He didn’t care much for alcohol, didn’t like having his senses dulled or impaired in any way. But a few sips of champagne was hardly going to affect him, and it might help him to not look completely bored, which was something Ignis had said he should avoid at all costs. And Noctis knew from experience that looking bored at a party was an invitation for bootlicking politicians to invade his personal space and start inane conversations.

He took a sip of the champagne. It was some of the better stuff he’d ever tasted. Unsurprisingly, considering they were the ones who had supplied it, but it still wasn’t something Noctis would seek out.

The fish continued their synchronized swimming as Noctis slowly sipped at his champagne. He was pleased that his isolating stunt appeared to be working. No one had approached him yet, and even though it wouldn’t take too long for the aquarium to get boring to stare at, it was better than having to engage in conversation.

Pain suddenly stabbed through Noctis’s head. He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut and instinctively reaching up to clutch at his head. The glass slipped from his hand, the shatter loud against the backdrop of distant conversations, and Gladio’s hands were instantly on his shoulders, steadying him.

“Noct! Are you okay?”

Noctis groaned in response, the throbbing in his head intensifying. He grabbed at Gladio’s jacket, fighting against sudden nausea as he stumbled into his Shield’s chest. Gladio caught him and guided him a few steps over to a bench, sitting him down on it. Noctis immediately hunched over, one hand pressed to his head, the other still clutching at Gladio’s lapel.

Gladio dropped to his knees in front of Noctis and grabbed his chin, forcing Noctis’s head up.

“Noct, look at me.” Noctis opened his eyes to meet Gladio’s frightened gaze, wincing at the lance of pain the dim lighting sent through his head. “Six, Noct, your pupils are huge!”

Gladio’s eyes strayed to the spilled champagne and his face paled.

“Oh no…”

Sudden fear gripped Noctis as he realized the same thing Gladio had. A wave of dizziness crashed over him, and he slumped off the bench into Gladio’s surprised arms. It was too much effort to remain upright anyways. He just wanted to curl up until the pain in his head stopped.

It was a tearing pain, sharp stabs that were nearly enough to drown out the nausea in his stomach. It was far worse than any migraine he had ever experienced and he just wanted it to stop.

Dimly, Noctis was aware of Gladio talking into his earpiece, something about poison and medical attention. Then Gladio’s hands were back on him, brushing his hair back, loosening his tie, nudging him onto his side.

“I need you to stay awake, Noct. Talk to me. How are you feeling?”

“Like crap,” Noctis managed. Even talking hurt. Moving his jaw was like someone pounding a nail into his skull.

Another brush against his face. “You’re burning up.”

Footsteps, accompanied by the distinctive tap of his dad’s cane, made Noctis curl up tighter. He didn’t want his dad to see him like this.

There was a murmur of quiet voices, then Gladio’s hands left him. Noctis whimpered at the loss of the comforting touch, but there was the scrape of his dad’s brace against the floor, and new hands replaced Gladio’s on his shoulder and face.

“Noctis?” The familiar voice sent a wash of comfort through him, even as he hated knowing how worried his dad must be. He reached out and Regis grasped his hand. Noctis took strength from it, as he had a decade ago when his dad had sat at his bedside all through his recovery. His dad meant safety, meant all would be well no matter how bad things seemed.

“Help is coming. Stay awake, son.”

He wanted to scream as his body was jostled, but even that would take too much effort, and the following comfort of being cradled in his dad’s arms helped in some small way to ward off the edge of the pain. Gentle fingers combed through his hair, magic in his touch that had nothing to do with the crystal, and Noctis found the strength to stay awake until medical help arrived.

[oghoneytryst]

sunflower.

where harry meets an endearing fan who has resilience for her not-so-uncommon situation.

a/n: hi, this is just a lil idea I thought of. it takes place on the night of the casamigos party but it’s not meant to be a really late halloween piece or anything. this is the first time I tried not to use y/n, an experiment that’s harder than one would think especially when writing in third person. anyway, thank you for giving this piece a chance, I really enjoyed writing it. happy reading!

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Her eyes sprinkle shut and reopen in a series of blinks. She rubs at their weariness, squints so that her vision can un-blur and refocus on the man across the diner. She repeats this frantic pattern, though it doesn’t make it any easier to digest the fact that Harry Styles sits in the same vicinity as her, a mere few feet away.

This man she idolizes is breathing, existing at the same time as her, in the same exact place with a crowd of other curious and hungry individuals. Prior to this October night, she envisions this moment in her wildest dreams. She envisions herself mustering up enough courage to walk up to him, to take a picture with him, even engage in a once-in-a-lifetime conversation. She envisions how warm his embrace is, how sincere his smile is, how charming his eyes are.

In spite of this, she never envisions the flashy Dodgers uniform that he currently wears to be in any of her daydreams. It is a garish thing. She’s not sure if the Swarovski crystals are part of the attire or part of alien skin; she doesn’t think that it’ll surprise her if he reveals himself to be of an entirely different species. He’s a unique breed, one that adores extravagance and is just too wonderful to be real.

Her eyes burn into his back, so much that she expects him to turn around with suspicion. On his upper, ELTON spaces evenly across in blue lettering and crystals. The corresponding 1 reaches from his middle down to his lower, but the back of the chair he sits in conceals the bottom half of the number. His accessories add a bit of spunk to the outfit; a matching blue hat with bold pink sunglasses. She discreetly grins in amazement. His costume is a pure representation of who he is: daring and dramatic.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” the waitress pulls her out of her thoughts, check in hand. Her head snaps back into reality and only then does she notice the way her mouth ignominiously gapes. Any second longer and she’s sure she would have started drooling.

She clamps her mouth shut and forces a smile up at the waitress. “Thank you,” she mumbles, reaches out to grab the leather check presenter, and diverts her eyes to the empty plate on the table in front of her. In a swift motion, she opens the small folder and slides her card out from one of the flaps. “Do you have a pen I could borrow, please?” She looks up and mimes a pen in her hand which scribbles invisible lines into the air.

The waitress nods. “Of course,” and pulls out a single black pen from the dozens that clip to her apron. She hands it to her customer with a gentle smirk, sneaking glances at the handsome man in front of them. “He’s cute, huh?” the waitress says, then looks to the woman who clicks the pen and opens up the calculator app on her phone.

She doesn’t have to look up to know whom she speaks of. “Uh, yeah, he is.” It is risky for a waiter to discuss something inappropriate with their customer, but the woman doesn’t necessarily mind it. If anything, she is grateful that the waitress risks it with her than some aggressive lunatic who doesn’t know how to speak kindly to other human beings.

“Such a nice guy, too,” the waitress presses on. “Always gives good tips.”

She doesn’t know if that is an allusion to give the waitress a steady tip, but by now she has already finished her calculations to fit with her budget. She slaps the booklet closed after staining her signature on the receipt with black ink. Her eyes trail up to the waitress in curiosity, reads the letters collectively on her nametag: Sahara.

“Really?” she asks, handing the check presenter back to its rightful owner. “Is he ... do you, like, know him?”

Sahara smiles as the woman places her card back into her wallet and stuffs all of her belongings into her shabby bucket bag. “He comes here a few times. Orders some chicken tenders and fries. Maybe a milkshake, when he’s feeling a little crazy.”

The woman laughs at this, and her mind immediately imagines the scenario. She can picture the intensity in his brow as he reads through the menu, even if he is already certain of what he wants. His voice is calm and gentle as he orders his meal, but then an idea sparkles in his green eyes. He licks his lips, yearns for the taste of a delicious milkshake, and decides that it is a good idea to ease up on the smoothies for once.

“You should talk to him,” Sahara says, once again interrupting her thoughts. She scolds herself in her head and wonders what dorky look must have been on her face this time.

She shakes her head. “Oh ... no, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I just ... I don’t want to bother him. He’s clearly with some friends.”

“It’s not like you’ll be the first to interrupt. If it makes you feel better, I think he prefers that you go up and introduce yourself rather than stalk him like an endangered animal and take discreet videos of him when he’s not looking.”

The woman tilts her head at this strange accusation. Sahara nods over to the table at their right where a group crams into a single booth. Though neither of them look in his direction, she can see the cunning smiles on their faces, and a couple of phones angle toward him on the table. Her heart suddenly grows heavy, especially when she realizes that it is too chaotic in this diner for Harry to notice.

“I don’t know,” she says, the devil and angel at war on her shoulders.

Sahara shrugs. “Alright, doll. Just a suggestion. Not sure when he’ll be back though. Los Angeles is a big city.”

"Yeah. Thanks, anyway.”

“Not a problem. Have a good night.”

Before she can thank her, Sahara is off to another table, tending to the customers over the quality of their meals. She looks around the table and double checks to make sure that she doesn’t leave anything behind. She’s been tight on money as of recently, so replacing miniscule items because of her forgetfulness is something she doesn’t want to waste her dollars on.

Her eyes look for Harry again. While his chair faces forward, his side profile is on full display. His body shakes as laughter erupts through it, the fingers of his right-hand grips a glass cup of water. His pink lips close around the straw in a smirk, sucking in the liquid as he focuses all of his attention to whoever speaks with him.

He’s beautiful. She doesn’t think it is possible for him to look even more beautiful in real life, but he does. It’s twice now that her eyes absorb his appearance on their own, without the aid of a picture in a magazine or on a digital platform. The first had been at the last show of his tour, his second night at the Forum. Her seats were decent, off to the side but enough to wonder for a split second if his eyes had met hers.

She stands up from the table, hangs the strap of her bag over her shoulder, and opens up the Uber app on her phone. It almost passes her mind how she has traveled into a different part of the city tonight, her bicycle safe at home, and her car long sold to some stranger on Craigslist.

The entrance is to her left. Harry is to her right. In any of her daydreams, she is brave enough to cross her path of existence with his. It therefore comes as an impulsive shock to her as she bears him one more loving glance before speeding to the left. She knows that he is enjoying himself and that he needs these moments to feel normal – although, in her mind she wonders how normal he can really feel while dining with Cindy Crawford’s family. So, she continues to walk forward and pushes the idea of his sweet embrace out of her head before she can convince herself to crawl back.

“Hey!” a voice shouts, but she pays no attention to it. There are dozens of chattering voices in this diner right now, and she thinks there are little odds that one of them speaks to her. It isn’t until an abrupt finger taps twice on her shoulder that she looks up from her phone in confusion.

She quickly turns around and notices Sahara the waitress huffing in front of her, hands on her uniformed hips. “My pen,” she says, gives the woman a kind smile at the accidental theft she makes. “You have my pen.”

“Oh.” She locks her phone, shoves it into her back pocket, and loosens up the drawstring on her bag. She sifts through the endless black hole and feels embarrassed when her hand pulls out the familiar black pen from somewhere in the side. “Sorry,” she says, clicks it before handing it back to Sahara. The waitress tells her that it is no problem, bids her another farewell, and dashes off once more.

She wonders how much of a difference that pen makes. Sahara clearly has dozens of them on her, all of varying colors, so how significant can that pen be? Enough to run after her customers apparently, but it still doesn’t make much sense to her.

About to turn around, her eyes gravitate toward the curly-headed man at the other side of the diner. She lets them linger, admiring him for a few seconds, suddenly feeling lost in this place. If she leaves, she cannot get back in; a burly security guard stands in the way of the double doors. If she leaves, she will never get the chance to thank him for his music that has become therapeutic for her during this difficult stage in her life. She will never get to tell him her name, to hear it fall from his tongue and lips with delicate sincerity.

It can’t hurt.

Before she changes her mind a second or third time, she tightens the drawstrings on her bag and walks up to his table. Her chin tilts upward, eyes firm on her target, and ignores the cold sensation in her bones. She is going to do it. She will. She almost does, but just a couple feet away from him she feels herself freeze. Her heart races, her forehead gets sweaty, and her feet plant firmly on the tile floor.

I can’t do this.

Despite her thoughts, she doesn’t make a move to walk away. She doesn’t think she can. The lively atmosphere of the diner mixes with the nerves in her body and chains her to the floor. If she doesn’t move now, someone at his table will surely point her out.

Oh my god, what am I going?

She looks away. Her front teeth bite down on her bottom lip, and she turns away before turning back. Her body fidgets in the middle of the walkway, at war with her mind, and she cringes over how strange this must look to any onlooker. In the end, she closes her eyes, inhales and exhales deeply, and opens herself to the world to turn back to face him.

There has been a fair amount of spooks in her short lifetime, especially now with the Halloween season in full effect. Yet, to her, there is nothing scarier than facing Harry Styles, only to find his eyes already staring.

His body turns to the left, a warm smile on his face. She imagines that his eyes must look the same, if not for the bedazzled pink sunglasses that moderately hide them. Her jaw drops a couple centimeters before she picks it back up, swallows harshly, and lets out a nervous giggle. Her hand manages to send him a twinkly wave, to which he reciprocates flawlessly.

“Hi,” he greets her, the dimple on the left making her heart clench. She takes a short moment to process the fact that he sees her, that he smiles at her, and that he is actually talking to her.

“...H-Hi,” she says back, sending herself a positive affirmation for completing such a minimal task.

“How are you?”

His voice is deep. It’s so nice to hear it authentically rather than having it travel through a microphone and out the speakers of a sold-out arena. “I’m good,” she answers, ends it with a smile and a nod, almost as if she reassures herself. “How are you?”

He lets out a measly laugh, noticing the way she nervously fumbles with her bag. “I’m fine, thank you,” he says, but from his behavior this entire night, she knows that he is more than fine. He is happy, and it is remarkable and relieving to see him this way.

She nods repetitively. “Of course, yeah, that’s cool.” In her daydreams, she is interesting enough to come up with a hundred different conversational topics. She imagines impressing him with her intellect, wooing him with her charm. In this moment, her tongue hides in her mouth, words suddenly disappearing from her vast vocabulary.

“What’s your name?” he ends up asking, saving her from complete and utter embarrassment. She pauses for a short second, searches her archives for the most basic piece of information about her, and recites it loud enough for him to hear. He repeats her name, sounds out all of the syllables, and devours each letter in his English accent. “I like that,” he says. “It’s nice. Pretty.”

Her mouth opens again. “Oh, oh thanks!” she smiles, feels herself burn up. Harry Styles has just told her that her name is pretty, and she responds with: “Your name is pretty too!”

Harry laughs at the grimace that crosses her face. “Thank you, I appreciate that.” He leans on the table with his elbows, looking back at the woman with his head raised so that his cap cannot block his view.

She’s being remarkably awkward. Harry has done his part. Now he looks up at her and waits for her next move. He doesn’t seem to be the initiator of conversation, a fact that makes her job so much more difficult.

“Sorry,” she blurts, a word he has probably heard a million times before. “I’m being weird.”

“No, no, it’s alright—”

“This is a lot to take in.”

“You’re fine, love—”

“It’s just that you mean so much to me.”

Harry pauses. His mouth gapes, only a little, before it closes in a shy smile. She wonders why there is a sudden blush in his cheeks, his eyes searching the floor. He has probably heard those same words a countless number of times as well. Can it be that he is so humble that it still affects him every time someone says it to him? Does he stay up at night and ponder how it is possible that he impacts people’s lives, and that they love him, even if they do not know him?

“Really?” he asks. His eyes dart back up to her, which makes her notice how amazing he is at eye contact. It is incredibly intimidating, but his persona is so welcoming and sweet that she feels herself easing up.

“Well, of course,” she raves, stepping closer to him. The other people at the table talk amongst themselves, paying no mind to her. Like Sahara had said: she’s not the first to interrupt. “I know you probably get this a lot, but your album is amazing. I listen to it all the time.”

“Wow.” He grins widely, so much that she can see those two precious front teeth of his. “That means a lot to me. Thank you.”

“No, I should be thanking you! I cried the first time I heard the album in full. But in a good way! You’re an amazing songwriter, by the way. I kind of thought about tattooing a lyric, but tattoos are kind of expensive so that’s going to have to wait. It’s okay, though, I’m not rushing into anything. I have other things to take care of first, but it would be cool, you know?”

She doesn’t notice how she rambles, not even when he chuckles to replace a response that he can’t seem to find an opportunity to get out. His laughter is so lovely, her ears feel as if they’re falling in love. He overwhelms her senses, especially when she breathes in a whiff of his unique scent. It all feels so magical.

“...so that’ll just be a plan for the distant future, but hopefully not when I’m old and pruney. I don’t think it’ll look as good, and I’m not very tolerable with pain as it is. Anyway, the album’s great, it was even better live. I cried again, a lot actually.”

He manages to sneak an inquiry in when she takes a moment to breathe. “Really?” his eyebrows shoot up, hidden by the sparkling cap. “You went to one of the shows?”

“Yeah!” she exclaims, recalling how happy it had made her to see her idol so passionate on that stage. “You did amazing. It drained a lot of my energy though, emotionally and physically. I had a feeling you were going to sing Girl Crush, but it still stuck a knife into my heart.”

Harry smiles. “In a good way?”

“Of course,” she reciprocates the gesture, “and well, you definitely know how to close a show. I don’t understand how you were able to perform Kiwi three consecutive times, but wow, it was quite a sight to see.” She swallows down a laugh when she remembers what she had said while leaving the Forum: crackhead Harry is insane, I want whatever he’s taking. “It was just a really great experience overall. So, thanks for that.”

“My pleasure,” he replies. She praises herself for the minute or two of steady conversation, but the pause that quickly ensues sticks her at a dead end. She has already thanked him, has already heard her name fall from his lips. She doesn’t want this moment to end, but what more is there to do?

“Uh...” her voice trails off as she struggles between two options: ask for a picture or ask for an autograph. For some reason, she feels that it is too much to ask for both. After all, he’s not in this restaurant to please others. He’s just here to have a good time. “I don’t want to be a bother, but do you mind signing something for me?”

Harry nods immediately, his entire body now shifting to face her. “Of course, love. Not a problem.”

She smiles with gratitude, thanks him again, and pulls at the drawstring of her bag. She knows that a picture will help her remember the moment more clearly, to recall what his smile looks like and what she wears on this fortunate night. She doesn’t even have anything specific that she wants him to sign, but the idea of having something for her eyes only makes her feel special. It makes the moment far more memorable than it already is.

After searching through her bag, she decides to pull out her planner from the bottom. It is a little something that she tries to utilize as often as she can, especially given her situation. She flips through the book and tears out a single lined page from the back, the word notes in the header. She hands it to him, the left edge torn a mess, and drops her jaw in realization.

“I don’t have a pen,” she admits, as if the world will suddenly end. With the paper in his left hand, Harry points up a single finger as to say one moment and turns to his friends. He asks if either of them have something to write with, to which the other individuals in costumes begin to search whatever belongings they have brought along with them.

“Right here,” Cindy announces, presenting the pink gel pen from her small purse before handing it to Harry.

Holy shit, Harry Styles is going to sign a page from my planner with Cindy Crawford’s pen.

“Thank you,” he says, then stands up from his chair. “Here, sit,” Harry tells her, to which she does a double take.

“Sit?” she repeats. He nods his head, walking around his chair only to sit in the empty seat next to it.

“Yeah, I don’t want to have you standin’ there all night.” He pushes the seat back for her, uncaps the gel pen with his mouth before remembering that it is not his. He quickly shoves the cap on the other end of the pen, sparing her a look that says whoops! and sets the page down on the table.

“Uh ... okay.” She hesitantly complies. “I’m not taking anyone’s seat, am I?”

Harry shrugs. “Just mine.”

“Are you taking someone else’s seat because I’m taking your seat?”

She finally situates herself on the warm chair, somewhat uncomfortable that she joins a table of very important people. She does relax knowing that she no longer towers over anyone else; it screams for attention.

Harry gives her a look. “No! What kind of a person do you think I am?”

“I don’t know, maybe a very busy one. Definitely kind, probably a little stressed at times, I totally feel you on that.” Harry smirks, which makes her shoulders cocoon awkwardly. “Oh, that was rhetorical. Right. Sorry.”

“No worries, I’m only teasing,” he assures her. “Is there anything you’d specifically like me to write?” Harry hovers the tip of the pen over the page. He is in full preparation for this favor, and all he needs is her permission to surge on. She responds with a combination of a shrug and the shake of her head. “It’ll be a surprise then.”

He winks at her, and she feel her fingers tingling. “Guess so.” Her eyes divert to the ceiling. She doesn’t want to ruin the surprise of whatever he is writing.

“Am I keeping you from someone?” he ponders aloud, shifting his eyes to her before proceeding with his scribbling. “Is someone waiting for you?”

“No. I came here alone.”

“Alone? On a Friday night? Why’s that?”

“Because it’s a Friday night. I don’t know that many people in the city, and the few that I associate with are probably out drinking their feelings away. I know I’m just going to end up being the designated driver and having to mother a bunch of drunks. While it is good practice, and as much as I want to keep them safe, I’d rather use my treat yourself Friday for something a little more enjoyable.”

“Treat yourself Friday?” Harry repeats, smiling down at the paper. He doesn’t think he’s ever heard of anything like that before.

“Yeah, so basically, the last Friday of every month, I just do that. Treat myself. Spend the day however I want. I don’t use a lot of vacation days, so I try to take off work whenever I can so that I can have the entire day free. If I want to go out to Disneyland, I’ll do that. If I want to stay in bed and watch movies all day, I’ll do that. It’s just a little reward to myself for getting through the month.”

“That sounds sick. I really like that. So, tonight, you’re treating yourself with some Mel’s?”

“Yeah, today was more of an adventure day. Exploring parts of the city I don’t usually go to. It was a little hard, the baby doesn’t really like me walking everywhere, but part of treat yourself Friday is to commit to any—”

“Wait,” Harry bluntly interrupts, his hand stopping in the middle of the page. He looks up at her with an apology in his eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off, but did I hear you say baby?”

She thinks back to the words that have just come out of her mouth a moment ago, then simpers and nods. “Uh, yeah, I’m uh...” Her smile grows wider, but she can’t exactly find herself saying it aloud. Instead, she pulls back the end of her t-shirt, which is sizes larger than she actually is. She grasps as much material as she can, smoothening the front so that it shapes and cradles her growing belly underneath.

Harry’s eyes begin to glow. “You’re pregnant?”

“Indeed I am.”

“Wow. That’s incredible! Congratulations. How far along are you?”

She thanks him with a shy giggle. “Almost 14 weeks. It’s been a crazy transition, but it’s also been a very eye-opening one.”

“I can only imagine. That’s a delight to hear,” he says her name, and now he thinks it is one that he will never forget. “So, the father, does he worry about letting you go off and spend the day by yourself? Y’know, in case something happens?”

At this, the woman’s smile falters. She releases the fabric of her shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles while searching her lap. “I uh, I actually don’t know where the father is. Well, I do, I know who he is, but I don’t ... you know.”

She suddenly grows self-conscious. There is not one person in this entire diner that knows her personally, but she fears their eyes are all on her, judging her for the situation. Yet, when she looks up at Harry, his eyes drown with comfort and understanding, perhaps even a bit of empathy.

“I’m sorry. Can I ask why?” He slightly frowns, his soft voice lost in the overlapping conversations of the diner. “If it’s alright?”

“It’s ... kind of a long story.”

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to. I’m all ears either way.”

She feels her heart warm at this. It is one thing to know about his kindness and positivity, but it is another thing to actually experience it for herself. It sometimes feels like a sob story every time she recites it for someone new, but she doesn’t particularly worry about that with Harry. From the way he looks at her, she knows he’s being sincere.

“Okay ... it’s a little cliché, but basically, I met this guy at a bar last year. He was the lead guitarist for his band playing that night, which I found very ... appealing. My friends noticed him looking over at us, so after a few flirtatious glances, they invited him and his band over to our table after the set. Little did I know, I would end up dating him maybe a couple weeks later.”

Harry snickers quietly. “Rock stars, huh? Like pests, you can’t get rid of em’.”

She smiles in embarrassment. She tries to not let it show that she admires Harry in a similar, but much brighter light. He is, after all, a handsome man.

“I guess we just really got along. I ended up spending a lot of time with him, which was fine for me because I really liked him. He really did become this ... important part in my life. Months later, he quits his band and tells me that he’s going to pursue a solo career in LA, asks if I would go with him. I basically fell in love with the guy, so obviously I said yes and we moved into a small apartment in the city. Everything was great, spending lots of time together, practically the same. We even went to your concert together, but to make a long story short: one night, no condom, pregnant me.”

“Pregnant you,” Harry confirms, as he has seen her belly with his own two eyes.

“Right. So, pregnant me is scared, which is reasonable. We’re still really young, striving for our own careers and purposes in life. While I was, y’know, scared shitless, I never ... I never doubted the love I had for him. I didn’t know what was going to happen, how much my body was going to change, but I knew that I loved him. I love this baby too, because they’re ... it’s us. He always said that we were in this together. Wish I hadn’t been so naïve to believe him.”

“You’re not.” Harry frowns. “It’s basic human decency for someone to keep their word. It’s not your fault for putting your trust in someone you love.”

She smiles sadly at his words, then continues. “I expected his shock when I told him. Maybe even some disbelief, but I thought after some time he’d open up to the idea. Instead, he’s telling me that he can’t do this anymore. He says he loves me, but he can’t support me and the baby, not when his career is this close to skyrocketing. So, he breaks up with me and gives me a couple weeks to find a place or a friend to live with.”

“He kicked you out?” Harry asks, a hint of surprise and anger.

“He wanted to be a rock star, I guess. Rock stars don’t want to have their place littered with baby toys and pregnant-woman messes.”

Harry purses his lips at this. He flips the gel pen with his slim fingers, then shakes his head. “That’s not true. Real rock stars don’t abandon their families. Real men don’t run away from their shit, pardon my French.”

She giggles at his bluntness. “It’s ironic, huh? He wants to be a rock star and here I am, talking to one of the biggest in the industry.”

Harry blushes. He may be a little narcissistic at times, but most compliments have him all bash-like when they’re face-to-face. “Can’t believe he had the nerve to attend my concert and then do what he did,” he grumbles. “I mean, did he even read what’s on my merchandise? He didn’t even have to buy the shirt, it’s on the bloody bag. It was painted all over the arena, for Christ’s sake.”

“I don’t know. I guess he’s as oblivious as he is a jackass.”

“That’s right.” He laughs. “I’m sorry to push on this so much, but do you ... have someone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is there someone that’s helping you with this? Family, or somethin’ like that?”

She gives him a disappointed look. “Well, I have family,” she explains, “but they don’t live here. On top of that, they were really angry with me for leaving with him. So, they haven’t disowned me, but they’ve made it pretty clear that this is not their problem to deal with. My parents said that if I was responsible enough to move to a new city with my boyfriend of less than a year, then I’m responsible enough to take care of myself.”

“Oh. I’m ... sorry about that.”

“Tough love, I guess.” She shrugs. “They’ll still visit, maybe even spoil the kid like grandparents do. For the most part, all I have is myself and the occasional friend that is willing to drive me to work every morning.”

Harry stays silent. He doesn’t know what more he can say to her. Nothing can change the fact that she is a single pregnant woman left to raise a child on her own.

A short moment passes as the two simply stare at each other. She absorbs the strange atmosphere lingering between them, but is afraid to point it out in fear that it is only her. Harry breaks away first, focuses back on the letter, and signs it off with his bulky autograph.

“Here you go.” He hands her the sheet, then caps the pen to return it. The woman takes the page and eagerly folds it in half to stick in her bag. She doesn’t want to ruin the surprise, so she reserves it for when she gets back home.

After thanking him again, she makes a move to stand up. Her eyes roll instead, a sigh releasing from her nostrils. “Damn. All this time and I forgot to call an Uber.”

“What? You’re taking an Uber home?”

“Yeah, I don’t have a car. I wasn’t going to have enough for rent this one time, and it was already late, so I kind of just made an impulsive decision to sell it. It’s okay, though, I’m managing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a major difference, but all it really means is that I can’t leave a place whenever I want. It really teaches me some patience. Guess The Office is just going to have to wait.”

Harry stares at her. He doesn’t say anything, nor does he indicate that he is planning to. She dejects at this and realizes that she speaks to him as if he is her therapist. As if he is someone that she knows personally, rather than a stranger that she looks up to.

“Sorry. I’m rambling too much. Anyway, I should be going. Or, in my case, wait for my Uber outside. Thanks again for the autograph, and for sparing me your time. It means a lot. Sorry for all of the word vomit, again. Nice meeting you.”

She doesn’t know how she can be any more embarrassing, but she doesn’t give herself an opportunity to find out. Her body works quickly as she steps up on her feet, maneuvering around the space between Harry and the empty chair, then quietly ambles on to the entrance.

“Wait, wait!” he calls out her name. To say she is perplexed is far beyond an understatement. Her heart drops in her chest, confirming his soft command in case her mind convinces her otherwise. She stops and turns around to find him speed-walking up to her. “Why don’t I take you home?”

She blinks up at him. Is she dreaming? Is this another daydream? Of course, in those, she isn’t a single pregnant woman who rides Ubers home regularly.

“You ... what?”

“Please, let me take you home. I don’t mind at all, it’s the least that I can do.”

"Wh – the least that you can do for what?”

Harry shrugs, sliding off his pink bedazzled glasses. She meets with his green eyes, alluring in person, even more so in this close proximity. “Just for you,” he answers. “Ubers aren’t always the safest way to get home. I want to make sure that you get to your ... The Office safe.”

She gives him a benign smile. “It’s a show.”

“I know. I don’t think I’ve ever watched it before. I’m being serious, though. It’s no trouble. Please.”

“I don’t want to take you away from your friends...”

“That doesn’t matter. We’ve come from a Halloween party. The night’s practically over. Please don’t make me ask again, or have to say please again. Please.”

He is so charismatic and endearing that she has to laugh. She never expects her night to include Harry Styles offering her a ride back to her place. It sounds ridiculous and unimaginable, so much that her daydreams have never conjured up such a thought.

“I think it might be a little bit out of your way...”

Harry deadpans. “Really? Are you just coming up with random excuses now?”

“No, it’s true! You probably live in like ... I don’t know, the mountains or something? Beverley hills? Hollywood? I’m miles away from there.”

“Alright,” he says, sliding his sunglasses back on his face. “That’s it. I’m taking you home. I don’t want to hear it.”

He shushes her by bringing his index finger up to his smiley lips. He suavely turns around and walks back to his table to inform his friends of his departure and to say his goodbyes. He makes sure to give everyone around the table an individual parting, whether it is a kissy cheek touch or a firm handshake. A short minute later, he returns back to his new passenger, then leads her to the guarded entrance.

“Just give me a mo’, darling,” he tells her, walking up to a man on the inside of the glass doors. She watches the two discuss, the sensation of prying eyes practically scorching her at all angles. There is a lot of head nodding between Harry and the man, but their conversation finishes with a kind handshake. Harry saunters back to her, his pink lips puckering with a melodic whistle. “We’ve just got to wait for the car to pull up,” he explains, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Kind of like an Uber,” the woman retorts, then avoids his narrowing yet playful eyes.

In the interim of their waiting, the pair engages in some more small talk. She mentions his Halloween costume, to which he boasts over, speaking highly of the people who had made it for him as well as the origin of his idea. This leads to a conversation about music, where she names an artist that she loves and Harry recalls his experience meeting them. It somehow leads to more pregnancy talk; her specific cravings and strange antics she acquires, as well as how much she hates not being able to sleep on her back.

When the man at the doors informs the two that the car is ready, Harry turns to her with a serious demeanor. “Erm, there’s not much I can do about this, but there will probably be some people out there. Photographers, fans...”

“Oh.” She nods and clutches her bag tighter.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s totally out of your control, I get it.”

Harry nods as though he disagrees but doesn’t want to press it any further. He takes off his pink sunglasses, turns them around, and holds them in front of her frazzled face. She looks up with bemuse, frozen as the sunglasses inch closer and closer. When the two tips touch her cheeks, she flutters her eyes closed, permitting him to slide them on. As her heart compresses with tenderness, she feels a slight weight falling against her hairstyle, not fitting on her head quite right.

When her eyes open, his face is bare, and his luxurious curls pat down in a weird style. “Just in case,” he says, almost in a sad way. He runs his fingers through his hair and shakes the style a bit, not quite accomplishing much.

She only nods to assure him that it is okay, that she understands. She second guesses herself – the ambience is so strange, she can’t be the only one to notice. He goes on to inform her that when the doors open, the two will simply walk out, she in front of him and both behind the security guard. The car will be straight ahead for her to climb in first, but he also advises her to look toward the ground on her walk there.

She can’t find any words to express how she feels about all of these precautions. The doors open, and her bones feel like ice cubes in the already freezing liquid of her blood. She does as he says, follows the burly man that steps in front of her, guiding her to the vehicle. Her vision moves to the concrete, a slight commotion of excited voices and camera shutters on either side. The name Harry flies around like a swarm of bees, both endearing and chaotic. Harry, I love the costume! How are you doing, Harry? Harry, can you look over here?

Lifetimes seem to pass before she reaches the car, the back-right door open as a helpful hand guides her in. She thanks him quietly, but she’s not sure if he hears it before Harry climbs in after her. The car door shuts abruptly and conceals them both in the tinted windows and sleek black doors of the backseat.

“That was fun,” she mumbles, taking off the hat and the glasses and setting them on the seat in between them. She wonders if anyone had even noticed her.

Harry responds with an eyebrow raise and settles himself into the cold leather seats. She notices how the material begins to heat up, warming her bottom and the back of her thighs. The driver greets them both, and after Harry reciprocates the welcome, he explains to him the current situation.

“No problem,” the driver replies. “The address?”

“Oh, here, I can pull it up on my phone’s map—”

“No, no,” the driver cuts her off as she looks up quizzically from the bright screen. “It’s okay, you can just tell me the general area.”

The woman tilts her head. When she looks to Harry, he gives her a small smile. “He knows his way around,” he tells her.

The driver’s eyes gleam at her through the rearview mirror. She responds with a timid smile and recites the area of her neighborhood in the same manner. It’s a part of the city that people don’t tend to boast about. Tourists and newcomers picture the downtown area when they think of Los Angeles, or even the houses up in the hills. Her neighborhood is more discreet, but she doesn’t mind it so much. It’s calm, it’s as quiet as it can be in the city, and it is right in her price range.

“So ... how do you like LA?” she speaks up when the silence becomes a tad bit too uncomfortable for her. She’s thankful that the city lights are the only illumination in the car. He can’t see her cringe at her spontaneous question this way.

Harry shrugs. “It’s nice. I’ve had a house here for a while. Hasn’t always treated me good, but it still has lots of memories. Good ones.”

“Nice. That’s nice. Crazy, though. You’ve probably been living here since you were a teenager. You’re so young, but so accomplished at the same time. Or not! What do I know? I don’t know your aspirations. You’ve got a long way to go, mister, your career’s not even a decade old.”

She doesn’t know why her tongue refuses to shut up, but it always drags on for too long before she realizes it. Either way, he responds with a chuckle every time. “Not yet. Almost there, though.”

“Right. Eight years,” she says under her breath. “Don’t forget to tweet next year.”

“What was that?”

“Huh? Wh – nothing.”

Harry eyes her suspiciously, but then the ends of his mouth curl upwards in a smug. “I try to settle down when I can,” he explains. “I didn’t get the chance to do that for a while.”

She frowns at his words. She knows how overworked he and his friends had been. It’s disheartening when she really thinks about it, but his life now – he’s as relaxed as a rock star can be. Stress is a given factor, but he seems to be more in control of his life than ever. That brings her enough peace of mind.

After the decent-length car ride to the general area of her neighborhood, it turns out that the driver does need to use a GPS to guide him the rest of the way. He has never been asked to drive around this area. She offers to talk him through it – just make a left here, and then go on for like, a few lights – but he assures her that it is much easier for her to relax and for the faceless voice to help him. Before she pulls out her phone, his fingers are tapping away on the built-in stereo touchscreen.

Harry peers curiously through the closed window, observing all of the complexes and houses with chipped paint and rusty cars. She doesn’t say anything, nor does she really want to. What more could impulsively ramble out of her mouth, offering far more insight than is necessary?

She releases a calm breath once the car eases to a halt on the street of a familiar up-down duplex. The sound of the doors simultaneously unlocking is all it takes for her to bid her farewells. “Thank you, sir,” she says, exchanging a look with the driver through the rear-view mirror. She turns to Harry as the lights inside the vehicle fade on. “And thanks again, Harry. I don’t know how many times I’ve said it tonight, but this was really nice of you to do.”

He dismisses it with a shrug. “Just common curtesy.”

“It’s not as common as you think. Anyway, I really appreciate it. I hope you have fun ... uh, doing whatever it is you’re doing now. Can’t wait for the new album. Goodnight.”

She flashes one more beaming smile before slinging her bag over her shoulder and pushing the door on her left open. She hops out foot-by-foot, ignoring the strange look Harry had given her, which is the last memory she will have of him for this never-ending moment. The sadness instills as she slams the door shut as quietly as she can – tomorrow is Saturday, a perfectly fine working day for her neighbors. She feels her heart weigh heavy on the gravel street as she rounds the back of the vehicle. With the wide duplex high in her sights, she steps a few steps forward and onto the curb of the sidewalk, in tune with the serenity of the night until she sees Harry’s vague figure standing next to her.

“Oh,” she says in surprise. There is also a slight fear due to the surrounding darkness. “Hi again. Did ... What happened? Did I forget something?”

Harry shakes his head. He steps to the side and shuts the back-right door of the car. “No. Nothin’ happened. Just want to make sure that you get home safely.”

“...I am home.”

He looks to his far left, then turns to his far right. He even stretches his neck a bit to peer over the vehicle’s top. “Strange home. Doesn’t seem to be ... any walls as far as I’m concerned. Nothing to keep you safe from the outside world. Not even a roof.”

She realizes what he means, which makes her playfully narrow her eyes at his slight sarcasm. “I think I can make it the few extra steps on my own.”

“Nothing wrong with being cautious.”

“I’m pregnant, not defenseless.”

“I know that. My conscience is almost as powerful as my ego, unfortunately.”

She can’t help the laugh that roars through her. With modest shame, she purses her lips and twiddles her fingers against them. “Fine. C’mon then. I could’ve finished season five by now.”

She leads him past the wide sidewalk and into the general confinements of the duplex’s property. Her trail heads up a flight of stairs against the side of the building, to which she turns her head and says, “I’m on the second floor,” over her shoulder.

“I see that,” he butts in. “I don’t see you holding onto the railing there.”

She discreetly rolls her eyes as her right hand slides onto the dirty railing, hovering over it in between every few steps up. In a few seconds, she reaches the balcony in front of her door, loosening the drawstrings of her bag to search for her keys.

Harry arrives just after her, huffing as he leans an arm on top of the balcony railing. It’s not much of a view – the roofs of other residential buildings, back yards, and maybe a few interconnecting streets – but it strangely gives him a different perspective than what he has become accustomed to. The jingling of keys distracts his subtle thoughts. He watches her pick out a specific one out of a few.

“Why’s there so many?” he asks, trying to figure it out for himself in the split second it takes for her to respond.

“Well, this is for the gate,” she says, demonstrating a silver key as she inserts it into the grooves of the cage just in front of the door. The two step out of the way as she pulls it open, his eyes dawdling on her hidden belly. It creaks in agony and he pushes it back as far as it can go. “And this,” she says, revealing a similar but different silver key, “is for the actual door. The rest are a secret.”

She is quick to unlock the heavy door, turning its tricky handle to push her way inside. It is pitch dark in her living space, but Harry can make out a small kitchen somewhere on the right thanks to the moonlight. She takes a gentle step in and turns around to face him with a knowing smile.

“I’m home now.”

“Of course. Lovely home. Looks roomy, from what I can tell.”

“Not so much. I share the place. It was the best I could do on short notice, but this makes the rent a bit easier.”

Harry nods, his eyes naturally sparkling without the pink tint of his sunglasses. A moment passes, but she doesn’t know if it is comforting or awkward.

“Um ... thanks for the ride?” she tries, mocking herself as a broken record.

Harry chuckles warmly. “Not a problem. I’m glad to have brought you home safe.”

“That I am. Home safe. In my home ... full on some Mel’s. Ready to rest in my bed.”

“Sounds like a great way to end treat-yourself-Friday.” Harry bows his head once more, then stares intensely into her eyes. “It was lovely to meet you tonight,” he says her name, the last time he will ever have the chance to say it to her. “You’re very ... brave.”

She scrunches her face at the word. “Brave?”

“Yeah. With the, uh, situation you’re in. Is it wrong to say it like that?”

“No,” she laughs, “I call it a situation all the time. My baby might as well join the cast of the Jersey Shore by the time I pop them out.”

The joke makes him laugh, but he settles down very quickly. “Well, yes, your situation. It’s very courageous of you to be so strong. You just seem to ... power through.”

“I’d hardly say that’s the case,” she says timidly. Her hand instinctively reaches up to caress the swell of her stomach over the soft material of her excessively lengthy shirt. “I’m just living my life. Existing as the days go by.”

“I know, but ... I don’t know, it just seems different. Like everything is menial compared to what you’re experiencing.”

She shrugs and looks to the floor. “I mean ... I guess. I’m not the only one experiencing it, though. It’s a tough world. We just have to do what we have to do. But I’m doing okay.”

“Proper,” Harry says, which makes her pick up her head. “That’s good to hear. I’ll leave you to it, then.”

She tries not to dismay, but she knows it will hit her severely when he is gone. For a silly moment, she believes that the night will play on forever. The reality of it is that he is Harry Styles; a busy life awaits beyond her own, but it is nice to dream.

“Okay,” she croaks out, watching as he grabs ahold of the gate and begins to gradually swing it toward her.

With her hand on her belly, a single thumb running over the expanse, she scoots herself back into the unit with quick and short steps. His eyes gander at the faint outline of her belly, remaining there until he is certain that the loud gate will not crush her when he closes it. Once it clicks into place, she locks it from the inside and he spares her a lighthearted gaze. The two never seem to part their eyes from then on, not even with the cage between them.

“It was really nice to meet you, Harry. Thanks for talking to me. And for taking me home. And making sure I got home safe. And the autograph, too.”

“You’re very welcome.” He steps back, stopping just at the edge of the first step. “Goodnight.”

She gives him a measly wave, to which he responds with a subtle nod and plops down the stairs at a steady pace. She watches him until he reaches the ground, to which she steps further into her home and closes the front door. She doesn’t think she can bear watching the dark vehicle drive away, so she doesn’t bother having a peak out the living room window and instead locks the door and trudges to her room.

She hopes that she is silent enough to not wake up her roommate. She walks into the last door on the right of the small corridor past the kitchen and living room. Her room smells fresh, though her bed is unmade from her eagerness to leave this morning.

She locks herself in her private quarter, toes off her shoes at the door, and meagerly steps forward. She stops and turns to sit herself down on the mattress that sinks with her added weight, then uses her hands to push her entire body back and up the bed. She rests against the swarm of pillows and settles into a comfortable position on her side, staring forward at the blank wall.

A few seconds pass before her hand reaches toward the nightstand on her right. She pulls on the lamp’s chain to give herself some fair lighting, then pulls her bag up by its single strap. Her heart beats for the sole purpose of reading the ripped sheet of her planner; an excitement bubbles in her chest.

Her arm sticks in to sift mindlessly until her fingers grasp the folded page. Once she takes it out, she places her bag to the floor and runs her thumb over the paper. She doesn’t waste another second to unfold it, her curious eyes scanning over the sweet message he had written above his autograph. She reads it over a dozen times, smiling giddily to her tired self, before forgetting about her binge-watching plans and succumbing to a peaceful sleep.

[iamyouknow-yours]

Rant

I don’t want my child to just have me. I want them to have two parents and lots of people who love them and enough money to never be worried about it. I want them to be healthy and happy. I want them to be successful. I want them to grow up around trees and for the world to have started to reverse climate change. I want there to be no wars and no single-use, non-recyclable packaging. I want them to grow up in a world that has explored space and saved species from extinction and taken down dictators, stopped terrorists. I want them to live in a world that educates about racism and sexism, a world where it’s okay to love who you love and have sex with who you have sex with even if that includes no one. A world where we have stopped female genital mutilation and children going hungry and being sold and locked in cages. A world where police cannot shoot or imprison people simply because of the colour of their skin. A world where children are always full and clean and they can go to school and they can be doted on and loved dearly by many people. A world where children have the ability to express themselves and their genders freely. A world where children can go to school and be carefree children without the expectations or pressures that they can get. Our species developed so we have a longer childhood than for example, neanderthals. This happened for a reason. Children should be children. They should not be looking after themselves, others or their parents. They should be able to wash and get medical care. They should not be hungry and thirsty. They should not have to walk kilometres to get water that is filled with diseases and drink it anyway. They should not be missing school because of that long walk. We should live in a society that cares for and wants a better life for our children. Not one like this. Not one where they are being kept in filthy cages without medical care, food or any kind of sanitary requirements fulfilled. I want to live in a world where we can walk around at night in the dark without keeping keys in our fists, having emergency services dialled and just waiting to press the call button. Inventions such as these should not have had to be invented. I want to live in a world where people don’t have to steal and beg for scraps to feed their children. Where children don’t have to stop school to help their families, where all schools have qualified teachers and all the necessary equipment and environment. I want no child to go to school where they are sharing a textbook between 15 people, where there are planes flying overhead or bombs dropping nearby, where teachers miss days because of gang violence, where there is no toilet paper, where young girls have to miss school because they don’t have access to sanitary products or pain relief medication when on their period. Imagine missing a week every single month.

It’s not just you, it’s not just one thing how big of a difference can it make? We are a society. We are a planet. let’s put aside our differences and fight. Fight in small ways and big ways. Fight for future generations. Fight for ourselves. Fight for animals and plants and this beautiful planet. Fight.

Buy those reusable products, walk instead of driving, donate your small change to that charity, use those products that are against animal cruelty and are not made from harmful chemicals. Eat a little less meat. Plant a tree. Pick up that litter. Go to the library instead of buying that book. Does your phone really need an upgrade? Go thrift shopping with your friends, you might be surprised. Get a rescue pet instead. Go to bric-a-brac/second-hand sales. Hand make birthday cards or better yet email invitations and cards. Turn off appliances and lights when you aren’t using them. Turn off the taps when you’re washing your hands and brushing your teeth. Also, while you’re washing your hair and body, turn the taps off. Use grey water as well as use less water to flush your toilets. Carpool when you can. Call people out on their bullshit. Stop to check on that person crying or the vomiting coming from the stall next to you or the yelling and thuds coming from the apartment near yours (for this last example if you feel unsafe call the police rather than checking it out yourself), etc. Smile at people. This is the easiest one. Even if you don’t know them, just smile. Say good morning when you walk past. I promise it makes them feel just a little bit better. Text that person who you want to text. Ask your crush out. Hug your friend. Make your parentals or s/o tea in bed (or breakfast or coffee or whatever). Offer to babysit or tutor for that stressed single mom you know. Take cookies to your new neighbours. Give a generous tip to a waiter. Ask someone about their day and just listen without waiting to talk about yours or relate it to something that happened to you. Just listen. Say thank you to your parent/guardian (if they deserve it don’t do it if they are a dick obvs). Spend some time with your parent (I know they’re lame and oh my god so embarrassing but they love you so fucking much. I love you so fucking much. I don’t know you but I do. I love you because we are the same. We are all human at the end of the day and we all deserve basic decency and kindness and someone who loves us.

Look this was incredibly messy and I haven’t edited it I simply wanted to get this out there. Add to it (don’t be a dick though please). Message me if there’s something incorrect. This is not meant to be negative but rather a call to action. Additionally, I know I didn’t mention every problem I know there are also mental health issues, conversion camps, terrorism, homelessness, etc. I know. You can add if you want to. And please hmu with more small ways to fight.