#Taking more inspo from the canon story now. Still planning it all out but yeah.

[crybabydraws]

Undertale has been lying as a dormant special interest for me for a little while, but I can feel it waking back up. It's in my skin. It's like Sans Undertale is floating around in my blood vessels.

[bifuriouswaterbender]

Wait? Will you do some of the song things for Willow??? Honestly whatever ship you want! Song 13?

Send me a ship (or fandom) and a number between 1 & 101, and I’ll use my Spotify Wrapped as fic inspo

13: She Knows It by Maggie Lindermann -- I went with Kit and Jade because this was absolutely my excuse to write a pre-canon fic about Jade learning of Kit's engagement.

AO3 link

Jade had been Kit’s mirror for as long as she could remember now in life and in their fights. She knew a time before Kit, of course. She had the blurriest of ideas—because they weren’t quite memories—of what her life had been before Tir Asleen. She knew there had been a time before Kit had been her closest companion. But she’d been drawn to the princess even before the two were truly close, and when the queen had asked her to stay close, how could Jade refuse? It was her duty to the realm.

It was easier to justify her feelings when she could put them in those terms. She was loyal to Queen Sorsha, and Kit and Airk were an extension of that. Jade was just doing her duty.

Duty became a sour word after Kit found out about her mother’s plans.

Jade hadn’t been there to find out firsthand.

Her presence was one Kit found helpful, but Sorsha didn’t necessarily include her in the important things unless Kit insisted on dragging her along. Jade occasionally felt like a doll in those moments—nothing more than the thing Kit dragged around the castle with her.

Then again, Jade had heard the stories of a three-year-old Kit’s legendary tantrum when her then-favorite toy had disappeared. The entire castle had been turned upside down in an attempt to find it and soothe the young princess. While Jade didn’t enjoy likening herself to something that had eventually been found under Airk’s bed, she did wonder if Kit would similarly upend the castle for her.

Wishful thinking. Jade was a friend. A good friend, but nothing more than a friend.

That was only reinforced as Kit came to her with tears streaming down her face.

“I’ve been betrothed,” Kit cried as she threw herself into Jade’s arms.

The proximity was good. Jade didn’t have to fix her face if Kit couldn’t see it. “You knew this was a possibility,” Jade said, trying to stay neutral.

Kit snorted, and hell, she must care for the princess if the wet noise Kit made around her tears was one Jade found endearing.

“My mother’s talked about political marriages, yeah, and I knew she’d been in conversation with Galladoorn. But this is bullshit! Why me? Where’s Airk’s engagement? He’s the one good at wooing. He’s the one who put time into developing the skills to be useful on his back.”

“Kit!” Jade couldn’t help her own admonishment.

Instead of being offended, Kit started crying anew. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m being cruel. I just… All this work. All this training. I’ve tried so damn hard to be my own person, yet I’m still just a bargaining chip.”

Jade swallowed hard. “Are you to go there or is he to come here?”

“It’s an alliance,” she said bitterly. “Someday we’re supposed to rule both together. He and his father probably see it as some kind of peaceful takeover. If they think I’ll quietly give up my kingdom to some man’s control, they’re insane.”

“Your mother wouldn’t expect you to.”

It was true, but it was the wrong thing to say.

Kit pulled away from their embrace to glare at Jade. “How dare you! Don’t take her side in this! I trusted you. Don’t you turn on me too.”

“I haven’t,” Jade promised, trying to look Kit in the eye without focusing on the tears streaming from them. Despite her own self-preservation, she reached up to cup her princess’ face, wiping away the tears with her thumb. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to look on the bright side at how this values your strength and conviction, but you’re right. It sucks. I hate that this is what doing your duty means.”

Kit sniffled, then flung herself back into Jade’s arms. Jade held her tight. She always would.

Against Jade’s neck, she mumbled, “I wish things could stay the way they are forever—you and me just like we are.”

Jade’s heart swelled, and she tried to tamp down the emotions whelming up in her throat. Kit didn’t mean that, not the way Jade wanted her to. They were friends. Kit wanted her as a best friend, as a sparring partner, and as someone to rely on. She didn’t want what Jade wanted.

Still, Jade let herself lean against the wall, still holding up Kit in her arms. They stayed that way in silence until Kit’s tears had subsided. Even then, they stayed together.

Eventually Commander Ballantine found them. Jade refused to shrink under the scrutinizing look he sent her.

He cleared his throat, and Kit pulled away. Jade had known she would.

“Your mother sent me to find you,” he said and at least managed to sound apologetic. “She wanted to give you some space before continuing your conversation, but she’s hoping you’re ready to return to her chambers and discuss the details of your engagement.”

Kit’s face tightened. She reached for Jade’s hand seemingly without realizing she’d done it. As she squeezed it tight, Jade definitely noticed and so did Ballantine. Once again, he said nothing about it.

Eventually Kit sighed. “I can’t promise it won’t turn into another fight, but fine, I’ll let her talk if she lets me talk too.” She squeezed Jade’s hand again before dropping it. Kit sauntered forward, turning to take a few backward steps as she looked at Jade. “I’ll be back later. Hopefully not crying this time, but we’ll see. Maybe I’ll make Sorsha cry this time.” She offered a quick salute before whirling back around and heading out of the room.

Ballantine and Jade watched her go.

“Not a word,” Jade warned.

He chuckled. “Was there something for me to comment on?”

She swallowed hard, ducking her head. When his hand landed on her shoulder, it was surprisingly gentle.

“Jade, you’re a good kid. You’re a good fighter. You’re a damn loyal person, even to your own detriment.”

Jade flushed, but she said nothing yet. Ballantine was clearly going somewhere.

“Your talents are wasted playing unofficial bodyguard to the princess. She can take care of herself enough to defend herself within these walls, and she’ll never be without an entourage far outside them. How long will your loyalty allow you to last when you start to hurt yourself with it? To the wedding? How far beyond it? When she has children and proof of her marriage?”

“Don’t.” Jade jerked away. She had never taken such a harsh tone with the commander. She refused to apologize.

“I’m not criticizing you,” Ballantine promised. “I’m commending you. You have a great talent, Jade. I’d like to help foster it further. I've done all I can. I want to help you reach the next step.”

She looked up sharply, eyes wide. “What are you proposing?”

“I’d like to recommend you to the Shining Legion.”

“But I’m not…” Jade took a deep breath. “They wouldn’t take me.”

“They would with my word,” Ballantine said. “I can almost promise that if I recommend you, they would take you.”

Jade looked off down the hall, still seeing Kit in her mind, even though she’d long since left. “How fast would it happen?”

Ballantine shrugged. “Hard to say. You’ll at least have time to say goodbye. Probably longer.”

“I… Thank you.” They weren’t the touchy kind, so Jade nodded to him instead of trying for a hug or anything more familiar. “You’ve already done more than enough for me.”

“You’ve deserved that and more.” Ballantine’s voice was firm, leaving no room for Jade to disagree. “It’s my honor to do this for you. I mean all the respect to Princess Kit, but you belong somewhere you’ll shine, not pining in the background for someone destined to be with someone else.”

Jade blinked fast. She tried not to let her hurt reach her face, but she wasn’t sure how successful that goal was. “She won’t love him.”

“She doesn’t have to,” he said, not unkindly. “But she will marry him. She’ll marry the prince chosen for her because she is a royal. It’s what they do. They make sacrifices for their kingdoms. And often, those sacrifices are either the ones they love or the ones who love them.”

“Doesn’t she deserve to be happy?” Jade asked, already knowing that was beside the point.

Ballantine didn’t answer directly. He squeezed her shoulder and asked, “Don’t you?”

[majachee]

I AM HERE TO ASK ABOUT YOUR TMNT AU 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Lay it on me chief, gimme the deets [grabby hands] (/lh /nf)

Are they all diff species, or is it just Raph? Is this a shoot off of 2012, or 2018, or its own thing? 👀

- lotusmonkey(/blueearedslider which is for the tmnt stuff wheeeeze)

HI HI HI

Yes, I am planning on making them different species. Raph is the only four-eyed turtle as of now!

It does take more inspo from 2012, but it's its own thing!

More deets below!!!

I made Raph a four-eyed turtle because they're pretty, and as much as I love people making Raph spikey, I really am more drawn to the contrast of a very pretty species with a more aggressive personality!

They're also endangered due to trade and demand of their shells, which brings us to my next couple of points:

WHY WERE THE TURTLES MUTATED?

I am very tempted to have some messed up tokyo mew mew esque origins where they were results from an unauthorized experiment trying to make more durable versions of endangered species.

"Oh? You're endangered because people keep hunting you for your pretty shell? Just become invincible, idiot."

With dubious alien origins of the main chemicals, of course! Because this is TMNT!

Splinter (Hamato Yoshi) isn't mutated in this, for reasons, but through shenanigans I'm still figuring out he adopts the turtles YIPEEE.

They still live in the sewers though, since Splinter doesn't want to risk them being discovered and taken back to a lab.

The main story involves the teens fighting marvel-esque bad guys and silly alien dudes like in canon, but slowly but surely become more and more exposed to the citizens of their city, and become accepted by most of the general populace as neighborhood superheroes! Because dammit I WANT these kids to be accepted by the people around them and have a chance at a slightly normal teenage experience. 😭💔

They aren't really different ages as they were all hatched at similar times in the lab pre-mutation. Perhaps a week or two at most between them. Age order is still the same as every continuity minus Rise with Leo being the oldest, Mikey being the youngest, and Raph and Donnie being the middle kids.

I'm still unsure what I want to do with Casey and April in this AU, since they are incredibly flexible characters in canon, but I do like it when they're older than the turtles and act as like... pseudo-older siblings or even a double set of parents to them. That's the cutest dynamic for me, really. Not too big on turtle x human ships.

But yeah, silly teens doing ninja things, and MAKING FRIENDS!!!!! It's not going to be anything super deep, just silly and wish-fulfillment-y.

The turtles will probably be 16-ish since as a 19 yro I can no longer relate to the youngsters 👴 also I cackle and cry whenever I see 14 year olds in cartoons drive

[lovemesomeeddiemunson]

Fugitive Houseguest

Summary: With the townsfolk gunning for Eddie, Steve and Dustin decide he’ll be safer under the care of an old friend. 

F! OC. 8657 Words. Oops.

Part 1 of 2.

Warnings:  MAJOR ST spoilers ahead.  Explicit sex scene in part 1 (Minors DNI.) There is also a hinted at sexual situation in part 2 in which OC is not in their right mind, which may make some uncomfortable. ST-esq violence. Slut-shaming (talking about that moment from volume 1, which was not okay.) Food eating mentions. Cursing.

Authors Note:  This started as a simple bandaid to cope with Volume 4. Definitely got away from me lol. It’s a fix it fic y’all!! As such you’ll see pretty clearly where I took some…artistic license to make the OC more central to the story. I hate myself sometimes I swear but this fic practically wrote itself. 😂 Much as I love my reader inserts, I felt that the protagonist in this fic just had too many specific traits to NOT be an OC. Also, some hints of OC X Billy and maybe even OC X Steve if you squint.  This is part 1 of 2, no further installments currently planned. 

Also, I am always looking for inspo, so I will absolutely take requests for one-shots, blurbs, and head canons. If you don’t have an idea and just wanna chat, that’s cool too! I promise I won't bite.

“Where the hell have you been?” Steve reprimanded the approaching woman as she threw her Chevy Cavalier into park.

“Went to see Raul.” She explained, still bandaged from the encounter.

Steve did a double take, eyes widening. He knew what that meant. “You do realize that it’s the end of the world, right?”

Yeah, she wanted to tell him, but it was the end of the world, again, and she would be damned if that meant canceling her appointment. 

Instead she just smirks. “You have your coping skills, and I have mine.” 

As he follows her to her front door of the cute house on the edge of Lover’s Lake. She unlocks it for him and lets him inside. “Did you at least come by it honestly?” Steve asked with raging sarcasm.

She snorts, playing along and upping the ante. “Unless trading some sloppy head for ink is ‘coming by it honestly,’ then I highly doubt it.” 

He nearly choked, which she’d hoped for when choosing her words.

Back in Steve’s car parked in front of hers, two people huddle together, whispering. 

The older of the two, a long haired boy she had not met before, asks if she’ll really be able to help.

The younger boy, Dustin Henderson, nods vigorously, explaining that it’s cool, she’s cool. The best, actually. The other man couldn’t be in better hands. 

Eddie huffs at that and exits the vehicle, following Steve and her inside despite the former’s insistence that he wait in the car, so he could bring the woman up to speed.

That didn’t look like what Steve was up to. To Eddie, it looked more like flirting. Gross.

“You wanna see it, don’t you?” He hears her tease Steve as he enters without knocking, the man’s arms crossed and expression put out.

“No!” He protested, too quickly, before his eyes flashed to Eddie, Dustin entering the house behind him. His voice dropped low all at once, jokingly. “Show me later.” He muttered under his breath.

She giggled, heading over to the fridge and pulling out several glass coke bottles. Handing one to Dustin first, that giggle is still in her voice as she asks the kid how he’s been, rubbing his cheek lovingly.

Dustin was flushing, even as he lightly protested. “I have to regretfully inform you that I must reject your advances; I have a girlfriend now.” 

The kid is totally serious, but the sigh she lets out is theatrical. “All the good ones are taken, huh?” She quips, eyes suddenly on Eddie, the act sobering. She seems to straighten up suddenly, down to business.

“So, we don’t speak for a couple months and you guys make it up to me by bringing me a person of interest in a murder investigation.” It’s said lightheartedly.

“Right so…His name hasn’t gone public yet, but we figured it’s only a matter of time. And if we’d managed to track him down at Reefer Rick’s then it’s safe to assume that others will too…We figured there’s nothing linking the two of you together so he should be safe here, until we can figure out a way to clear his name.” Dustin rambles. 

She takes a swig of the cola, humming thoughtfully. “…So, when you say, ‘End of the world’…” she eyes the bottle. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re…in the brainstorming phase.” Steve admits.

At that she starts to mumble incoherently - raising her voice louder to punctuate a sharp rant in Spanish, that has Steve objecting.

“English, babe, English. You know I can’t understand you when you talk like that. I’m not Robin.” He soothes.

“Forget it.” She dismisses. “Just…cursing my luck. In any case, I’ll harbor the fugitive. We can work out the details later.”

“It’s Eddie.” Eddie crosses his arms over his chest. “Eddie The Banished.” He adds dryly.

She gives a wave of her hand, “I’ll harbor the fugitive Eddie-the-banished.” She says, not missing a beat. Eddie cracks a smile for the first time in what feels like forever.

“Thanks Amilia.” Steve sighs in relief as Dustin gives her a big hug. She pats his back sweetly.

“Take care of him, yeah?” Dustin asks nervously. 

‘Amilia’ draws a small ‘X’ over her chest, right above her heart. “With my life.” She swears to him.

Then the two boys make their exit, and it’s just her and Eddie, standing about awkwardly. He racked his brain for something to say. Torn between letting the woman know he’s grateful, and spitefully insisting that he doesn’t need anything but a place to crash.

Instead of all that, he starts simple. “So, uh, Amilia was it?” Eddie questions. She nods. 

“You uh, you live here alone?” He asks. “I mean, uh, your boyfriend’s not gonna randomly show up and want to kick my ass, right?”

“It’s just me. Last boyfriend I had kind of got brutally murdered by a spider creature from another dimension 8 months ago.” The words are about as lighthearted as her clarification that Eddie was wanted for murder.

Eddie is surprised. He opens his mouth, and then closes it, sheepishly admitting. “I had a crush on the girl they think I killed…and now…my memories of her will forever be overrun by the sound of her bones snapping and the sight of her lifting off the floor.”

Giving a slow nod, Amilia takes in his downtrodden expression, voice soft. “Look at us, two traumatized souls, finding each other in this crazy world. What are the odds?” Spinning around, she grabs and raises her half drunk Coke bottle in solidarity. “To the fallen.” She toasts.

“To the fallen.” He agrees in slight surprise, touching his own bottle to hers.

Then she eyes him up and down, noting thoughtfully, “You know, you look like someone who could use a home cooked meal.” 

And Eddie is rendered speechless as she stands up and heads over to take some things from the fridge.

He watches in awe, as she brings out a cutting board, jumping as she chop, chop, chops, not looking up at him, tentatively asking. “What was she like?”

“Pretty cool actually. Nice.” Eddie says it casually, like these were passable qualities indeed.

“You like nice girls?” She sounded skeptical.

It made Eddie laugh. “Sometimes.”

“Sometimes.” Amilia mocks him.

“Well, what about you?” He counters.

“Sometimes.” She responds, a glimmer in her eye. “Nice is fine, but who wants it nice and easy all the time? Gotta say, I prefer a person with some range.”

Eddie finds this whole thing really odd. A week ago he was planning a brutal campaign, trying to think of how best to slaughter his friends.

Now here he was, on the hook for an actual brutal murder that he had only witnessed - in a woman’s house he’d only met today, agreeing with her on several fundamental levels.

Eddie wonders if he scratches under the surface any deeper, just how much more they’ll have in common.

“And he had range?” He smirks.

“He was a walking complexity.” She agreed.

The sadness in her voice - Eddie’s unsure if it’s akin to how he’s feeling. Feels deeper than what had happened with Chrissy. More raw. “Did you love him?” He wonders aloud.

She shakes her head. “Never got the chance.” A snort. “Still, the whole thing hurt like hell. I wonder if after that I’m even equipped to love anything beyond, like…a really good dog.”

“So cynical.” Eddie beamed in admiration. 

She doesn’t mind the accusation. “Think it might have worked out between you and your crush, if she had lived?” 

“Hell no.” He scoffs. “We came from two different worlds, for starters. And she also had this terrible boyfriend, who I’m sure is leading the search party for my head.”

“Yeah, well unfortunately for that guy he has to go through me first.” A threat if he’d ever heard one, Eddie hides his smile behind his drink.

She keeps cooking - more seasonings on one shelf than Eddie has in his whole trailer, which she used liberally. 

“So, Amilia, just how is it that you got mixed up with the likes of me?” He asks curiously.

“Hm...I think it’s just an added bonus to being mixed up with the likes of Steve and Dustin.” She laughs. “Yeah, we uh, we worked together to save the world a few times…This is just the latest installment.” Her smile falters. “Sucks' cause I thought it was all over. Now here they are pulling me out of retirement.”

“Well ‘The Hair’ was certainly happy to see you.” Eddie says it sharply, wondering why it bothered him, but unable to deny that he couldn’t get the interaction out of his head.  

“Steve?” Amilia laughs at the thought, shutting down the assumption. “Yeah I mean I guess that whole ‘bit’ came out of retirement with me. It's been hand in hand with us working together ever since we figured out a few years ago how riled up we can get Wheeler.” 

Eddie considered that, the confession shining a new light on their whole meeting. He’s intrigued.

He gets her to tell him more - about their dynamic, takes from how things were before - she tells it all. Even lets him in on Steve and Nance’s tragic love life which he could have done without.

In the end though, knowing about all the supernatural crap going on in Hawkins while he was unaware, he feels just slightly better about his chances. 

They’ve been doing this, apparently, for years. Finding a way out of it seems much more likely than when he was going it alone.

After they talk, maybe an hour or so later, Amilia places a plate in front of Eddie with chicken and rice, and he has to grasp every semblance of self control that he has in order not to let out an obscene moan at the first bite. 

He cleans his plate, leaning back in his chair until he sees Amilia rise from another seat at the dining table, headed to the kitchen sink. 

Eddie quickly scrambled to his feet once he realized her intentions. “Let me do that.” He protests gruffly.

When she gives him a funny look he takes the sponge from her hands. “Least I can do.” Is what he grumbles, gently maneuvering himself between her and a sink full of suds.

She flashes him a smile that sucks the air out of his lungs.

When the hour grows late, Amilia insists that Eddie take her bedroom, telling him that he’s been through too much to sleep on a stiff couch.

He refuses - punching a throw pillow to soften it and waving her goodnight with his many ringed fingers.

She huffs and stomps back to her room, and then she’s back, dragging a pillow and blanket with her. She stubbornly throws it on the floor in front of him, making him promise not to step on her if he gets up to pee.

Eddie laughs, commenting on how insane she is, but really he’s glad for the company.

He crashes, feeling oddly safe, warm. 

He isn’t sure how long he slept but when he wakes up he finds himself in an empty house, with nothing but a note left behind with the time she’d left, that she’ll be back in an hour, tops, and to stay put. 

Stay safe. She had emphasized the word, underlining it twice. 

Eddie smiles crookedly before shaking his head and checking his watch - she had twenty minutes before he grew paranoid.

Only eight minutes later, he hears a car pull up so he peeks through the window shades, only to see Amilia grabbing a trash bag from her back seat, hoisting it over her shoulder.

Eddie opens the door for her, offering a hand. “Thanks,” she tells him, handing the bag off.

“What’s all this?” He asks, following her where she collapses down onto the recliner in the corner.

“Open it up,” she suggests, instead of answering. So Eddie does so.

“These are my clothes,” he says accusingly. 

She merely shrugs, saying. “The crime scene isn't active anymore.” As if that explains it all. 

He’s stunned - it’s just another act of hers that shows how thoughtful she is. And Eddie isn’t used to being…cared for. 

Sure, Wayne leaves him cigarettes, money for food, and beer - but for all that, he doesn’t anticipate Eddie’s needs before he has them. 

“Thank you.” He utters softly.

“No big deal,” she deflects, waving a hand as if she might swat the gratitude away. 

“Did uh…did you happen to notice if my uncle was home?” Eddie asks, concerned about the older man.

She gives a shake of her head. “He wasn’t.”

Eddie isn’t sure if he’s saddened or relieved, hoping that the kids figure something out soon, so he can explain himself to Wayne. At the very least let him know he’s alright.

With new clothes in hand, Eddie takes a shower. Amilia directs him to a spare toothbrush under the sink and gets started on a simple lunch for the two of them.

When he emerges, toweling off his wet hair, he’s surprised to hear Judas Priest’s Love Bites blasting in the kitchen. 

Once Amilia notices his approach, she hurriedly apologizes through the familiar song, before turning it down, trying to be kind and telling he can play whatever he wants if it’s not his thing. 

But holy hell is it his thing, and Eddie is in awe.

What follows that realization is honestly…pure domestic bliss.

The two develop their own routine. She cooks him three meals a day. The two discuss music, books and movies. Eddie makes her laugh as much as he can, and thoughts of her invade his brain long after he’s supposed to be asleep.

By his third evening with her, he can’t take it anymore. As she sets his plate down in front of him, he catches her wrist very gently, tentatively sliding his fingers through hers.

When she raises a brow at him, he suddenly blurts. “Have dinner with me.” 

She raises an eyebrow in confusion, remarking. “I was planning on it,” Only for Eddie to shake his head, flushing. “I…I mean, like, have it with me.”

Understanding washes over her at the implication. She keeps her teasing tone to hide the nerves suddenly threatening her voice. “Eddie, are you asking me on a date?”

Eddie offers his most charming smile in reply. “So what if I am?”

There were several ways she could think to respond to that - but she had to admit, she was flattered. 

Eddie’s face falls a bit. “If I’m out of line at all…”

“You aren’t.” She promises. 

He lights up. “Good, because uh…I really like you.”

“I really like you too.” She tells him, her confession causing him to make a face at his plate. 

“Sure, I mean what’s not to like?” He tries to make it sound like a joke, but visibly cringes.

“Oh you know. Just a nice guy - smart, funny, easy on the eyes.” She shrugs innocently.

“Nice?” He gasps. “Are you saying I don’t have range?” Laughs and eats more of his food.

“Yet to be seen.” She tells him, which he takes as a challenge.

“You think you’ve seen it all, hm? I hate to break it to you, you know, but there is a difference between domestic Eddie and bedroom Eddie.” He winks at her.

She holds a hand to her heart at the scandalous suggestion, derisive. “Well I wouldn't know from the first date!” 

Eddie chuckled. “Alright, say I wanted to show you…how many dates are we talking about?”

“Five?” She says innocently.

“Five?!?” He blurts out, suddenly standing dramatically, waving his arms about. “Okay, let me think. The other day when you kicked my ass at Torpedo Run, that counts. We also watched a movie last night with popcorn. And today we got high and listened to Peace Sells, and I’m sorry sweetheart but if that’s not romance then I don’t know what is.” 

She giggles at him, agreeing. He snaps his fingers thoughtfully. “Okay, I got it. One fifth date, coming right up.”

He disappears into the living room. “Eddie! I was kidding.” She complains.

“No, no.” Amilia hears him protest, as he starts rearranging the furniture. “We’re doing this.”

She follows him out there. He looks through her cassettes, plucking one from the pile. “Oh, this is too perfect.” Eddie chuckles. “Why would you even own this?”

He slips Elvis’ Blue Hawaii into the cassette player, to her horror.

“Oh god Eddie!” She complains in embarrassment. “I’m pretty sure this was my mother’s at some point before I was born.” 

He laughs at her. “Our mom’s would have gotten along. Now come on. You brought it into this house, now you have to dance with me.” He doesn’t take no for an answer.

So she lets him pull her in tight, slowly swaying her along. Though his feet don’t really leave the floor, he’s actually not a terrible dancer.

Like everything he does, he commands the room. And Amilia’s fixation with him doesn’t go unnoticed.

After a minute he asks softly over the ukulele. “Can I kiss you? I really want to kiss you.” 

She gives a small nod in return, “Yes.” 

Eddie smiles and leans down, pressing his lips against hers.

It’s slow, and sweet, and she’s melting in his arms thinking how she’s never fallen apart so easily, with such a simple act.

The power this man holds…Eddie smiles into the kiss - a bit cocky, like he can tell, holding her tight like he can’t get close enough.

Her arms wrap around his neck while the two kiss passionately in her living room. 

And then the song is over and Eddie is aggressively spinning to turn off the tape, not wanting to ruin the moment.

“So,” she asks, her eyes flickering back towards her bedroom. “You wanna…?”

“We don’t have to, you know? I was only joking earlier. I can give you five real dates. Longer if you want.” He’s sweet, and completely serious. 

He must have more optimism than she possesses, assuming that the two of them would get that kind of time. Amilia didn’t have the luxury of being so sure. 

“I want you.” She tells him. And damn if that confession doesn’t almost cause his undoing right there on the spot.

He kisses her again, leaning down to grasp the underside of her thighs, picking her up where she wraps them around his waist, allowing him to carry her to the bedroom in between heated kisses.

He lays her out gently on her bed, breaking the kiss to ask, “This okay?”

She nods eagerly, pulling him back in. “Want you.” She repeats against his lips. Eddie groans softly. 

“Want you too.” He admits, and that much is obvious. Still it’s nice to hear while he’s crawling on top of her. 

Then Eddie’s hand is wrapped loosely around her throat, and he’s kissing her like he might never stop.

He loves how responsive she is beneath him, the sweet sounds she makes and the way she eagerly rolls her hips against his, hands running through his hair.

Eddie kisses every bit of her exposed skin, stripping her of her shirt and bra in quick succession.

He mutters how beautiful she is, perfect, perfect for him. And latches onto her nipple, sucking eagerly on the one before alternating, always playing leisurely with whichever his mouth isn’t attached to.

She writhes beneath him, crying out at the overwhelming sensation and Eddie smiles into his work. 

He lets go while she pouts, kissing down to her ribs and back, laughing against the skin of her collarbones, his face buried there, tracing every line of her tattoos with his tongue.

“Eddie, please.” She grumbles, and she can feel his laugh reverberated through her, causing her to tug at his hair playfully.

He groans aloud at the sensation, causing a mischievous smile to appear on Amilia’s lips as she gives another experimental tug.

He whimpers.

Then he’s batting her hands away, grinning at her, long hair falling down to curtain either side of her face.

Her brain is fuzzy. She’s drunk off of him, intoxicated, when his tongue plays lazily against hers.

Amilia makes him back away so she can take his shirt off, mumbling compliments about his tattoos, but he’s too impatient to let her appreciate them.

He’s tugging her jeans down her legs, burying his face in between her thighs before they even hit the ground. 

His teeth pierce the soft flesh of them, nipping harshly and then peppering soothing kisses. Doing nothing to help the deep ache she feels in her core.

She lets out an impatient sigh of his name, tugging on his hair again, and suddenly he’s giving what she wants, easing her panties down her legs and tossing them carelessly to the side with the rest of her discarded clothing.

Almost too slowly he pushes his tongue inside - and she’s not sure which it’s meant to be, the torture or the reward. 

He teases until she’s writhing and then he’s licking her fully and properly, tongue flattening out as he makes long strokes through her wetness.

She cries out when he adds a finger, slipping it inside while she rides his tongue. When he’s bold he adds another, filling her up just right and sucking on that little nub that has her teetering on the edge.

Eddie is almost disappointed when she comes - not wanting to stop tasting her, but then she’s dragging him away, crying out from the over-stimulation, and begging him to be inside her, and well, she’s really pretty like this…

Her hands eagerly fumble with the handcuffs he’s using as a belt buckle, and then she’s pushing his jeans and boxers off his hips giddily.

She reaches into the nightstand, Eddie taking the offered condom from her, tearing it open and rolling it onto his weeping cock, lining himself up with her once he’s fully sheathed inside it.

He fills her up, letting out helpless moans at the feeling of Amilia gripping him so demandingly. Cursing and sweating while she begs him to fuck her properly.

And how could he refuse?

He works himself in and out a few times before slamming back in, the harsh thrusts each accompanied by the harsh smack of Amilia’s headboard against the wall.

He drives into her, changing pitch and pace for whatever she begs for, harder, faster, slower, deeper - gives her everything.

While he thrusts he rubs on that sweet sweet spot just at her crest until another orgasm is crashing over her, drawing him in.

Eddie grins, pulling out and flipping her over, guiding her onto her hands and knees. 

When he slips back inside she’s moaning helplessly into her pillows. 

Not having that, Eddie gently winds his hands into her hair, pulling her up by it so he can hear the explicit sounds she releases as he pounds into her from behind.

Her cries and screams encourage him as he absolutely rails her, feeling her grow impossibly tighter still.

It’s not long before he’s stuttering in his movements, giving a few more sloppy thrusts before he comes, hard, against the cry of her name.

Eddie thinks he might have even blacked out for a second.

Wincing when he pulls out of her, he disposes of the used rubber in the small trash bin at her bedside before collapsing next to her.

She rolls onto her back with breathless panting, and they meet each other’s eyes at the same time, big grins splitting their faces.

“So…what’s the verdict?” He asks innocently.

“You look real pretty in the afterglow, Eds.” She teases, mushing his cheeks and avoiding the question.

He laughs. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Humming softly, she reaches out again, ecstatic when he receives her, actually pulling her in closer, burying his face in her hair. 

She confesses. “So, domestic Eddie is actually not a far cry from bedroom Eddie.” He was too sweet, through and through. Despite how rough he could give it to her.

“Hey!” He whines loudly, seeming inclined to remind her of that fact, making her laugh.

“But! You do have range.” She readily admits.

“Thank goodness.” He sighs, planting a kiss on her lips.

The two of them cuddle up the rest of the night, a tangle of limbs and tattoos, falling asleep in a bed for the first time since they’ve met.

The next morning Eddie wakes up, disturbed when he rolled over and she wasn’t beside him. 

He gets up slowly with the intention of going to find her, stretching and yawning and pulling his discarded boxers on before walking out of the bedroom. 

She’s in the kitchen, wearing his shirt and scrambling some eggs. It makes Eddie’s heart ache.

He wraps his arms around her waist, resting his chin atop her head, murmuring good morning.

She tilts her head back to smile at him widely, and he presses a quick kiss to the tip of her nose.

Eddie thinks he could get used to this, being in hiding, if it means everything that comes with it. Food, sex, good music, and the present company that he isn’t sure how he ever lived without.

Still, all good things must come to an end. 

That night it comes in the form of the unmistakable sound of a car pulling into the driveway. 

At the sound, Amilia gets up and looks out, past the window curtain. It’s not Steve or one of the kids.

“Eddie, I see varsity jackets.” She tells him, letting the curtain fall closed.

“Shit, how the hell did they know to look here?” He blurts, jumping to his feet.

“Go, hide in my room. I’ll get rid of them.” She orders, shoving him towards the bedroom door.

“What? Fuck that I’m not leaving you with them.” Eddie complains.

“I’m not asking.” She presses. “Seriously, Eddie, go. If there’s a chance they don’t know you're here yet, we have to take it.” She pushes him away before going to answer the knock on the door to the two basketball players on the other side. 

“Can I help you?” She asks with a sweet smile, reminding herself that there’s no reason that she should be defensive or angry at their presence. Wary, maybe, as a woman living alone with uninvited guests, but no more than that.

“Sorry to bother you, ma’am…” Jason starts.

“Ma’am?” She laughs. “Jason, I tutored you in Spanish when you were a sophomore and I was a senior, remember?”

“Oh. Right. You look…different.” He confessed.

“Grew my hair out.” She jokes, since it’s always been this long. What she hadn’t had before was the tattoos - at least not the currently visible ones - the creeping vines blooming across her shoulders and collarbone. “Anyways, what can I do for you?”

“We were looking for some people - Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Mike Wheeler…we know they come around here sometimes.”

She frowns innocently. “Sorry, but I haven’t really seen the kids since…well I guess since the mall burned down. Their regular babysitter’s hours got freed up since Scoops Ahoy is gone.” 

“Hm.” Jason said skeptically, his eyes narrowing.

She raises an eyebrow. “I mean…you’re welcome to look around?” Then laughs. “But all you’re gonna find is some refreshing lemonade.”

Amilia turns and heads inside. “Let me get you some for the road.” She’s not asking, pouring the drinks into plastic cups for the two goons, and walking them outside.

Jason won’t drink, but Patrick does, not feeling so great when he suddenly cries out in pain, bending over, cup still in his hand, clutching his abdomen.

“You poisoned it!” Jason accused, glaring at her in turn, grabbing at her arm roughly.

“It’s just lemonade!” She protests, grabbing the red solo cup from Patrick and taking a huge drink. “See?”

“No,” Patrick gasps. “Wasn’t the lemonade…I’m fine.” He explains weakly.

“What the hell are you trying to pull?” Jason snaps at her.

“Me? I literally just gave the guy a drink! What the hell is wrong with you?” She snaps right back. 

“I know you’re lying.” He snarls, getting in her face.

She glares right back at him. “Carver, get the hell off my property.”

“Let’s just go.” Patrick utters softly, he doesn’t look so hot.

“No! She’s hiding something.” He growls, stalking back toward the house.

“Oh for fucks sake!” She snaps as he bursts in, heading straight for the bedroom like he was reading from a map.

Patrick trails behind apologetically, but when the door opens, Eddie is nowhere to be seen. 

Jason searches the whole house. Eddie’s gone.

“Did you accomplish what you wanted? Fucking prick. Get out of here before I call the cops.” She snaps, bluffing, but knowing that cops scared people like Jason. 

As it is he’s flustered, pointing a finger at her. “This isn’t over.”

“Dude, there’s nothing here, get a grip.” Patrick insists, all but dragging him out.

“Don’t you get it? She’s with them! A devil worshipper!” She can hear him shout as he’s wrangled into the car..

She watches them leave, biting her lip, knowing that she can’t search for Eddie until the two leave, but hoping he’s safe. 

He was, but not for long. His disappearing act had only bought him a little time.

When he had snuck out the back during Amilia’s conversation with Jason, not trusting the man not to search the place, he took cover in the boat that came with the house.

When they went to get in their car, Jason spotted him in his rear view mirror, huddled down in the dark. “Look!” He tells Patrick. “There!”

Eddie hears, pushing off the shore, trying the engine to no avail, only to have to try and row away as Jason scrambles from the vehicle.

Amilia heard the commotion, leaving the house and heading parallel to Jason, into the woods.

Jason all but drags Patrick to the shoreline, shouting at him, as they shed down to their underclothes, jumping in and swimming after Eddie.

They gain on him quickly and Eddie stops paddling.

“Hey stay back, man! Stay back!” Eddie yells, wielding the oar like a weapon as Jason approaches.

He turns back to Patrick to yell at him for not keeping up. “Come on, let's go, we almost have him!”

The other boy treads water and Jason calls his name. It’s the last thing he says before Patrick is dragged under.

He rises out of the water then, up into the air where he hovers, body bending and snapping.

Eddie backs up so far in the boat that he falls in. 

Amilia bites back the scream threatening to tear its way out of her throat, hugging the shore line as she keeps moving, moving toward Eddie.

She barely registers Jason collecting the mutilated body, bringing it to shore.

She’s trying to keep an eye on the older man, tearing through the woods until she finds where he’s emerged, clambering soaking wet from the water.

“Woah!” He shouts as she nearly crashes into him. “Woah, easy.” 

“Gotta hide.” She says breathlessly.

They run a considerable distance away, and then the two of them spend the night in the woods. Stealing blankets from a nearby clothesline, they huddle together for warmth, leaned up against a large oak.

Eddie holds her close, her trembling much more intense than his despite his wet state. He murmurs words of comfort to her, kissing her hair, and eventually she falls into a restless  sleep in his arms.

In the morning the two of them keep moving, trying to find a way to contact the others when Eddie decides to steal a walkie talkie from a construction site.

It takes over an hour for them to meet the pair at skull rock - and they come bearing bad news. Vecna had gone after Max - his third attempted victim - unsuccessfully, during the morning before the guys had made contact. 

“Jesus,” Eddie complained, head in his hands.

“Well, we're one step closer. We know how Vecna attacks. And we know he’s doing it from the Creel house.” Max resolves, explaining how they’d gone poking around in it. “So now we just need to sneak into his lair in the Upside Down and drive a stake through his heart.” 

Robin scoffs. “If he even has a heart.” 

“A stake? Is he like a vamp? Is he a vampire?” Steve asks in borderline excitement.

“It was a metaphor.” Max rolls her eyes.

“A bullet should work on him, right?” Eddie chimes in.

“I say we chop his head off.” Lucas offers.

Nancy shared her agreement. “Yeah I’d say all of the above, but we can't do any of that 'til we find a way into the Upside Down.” 

“We need El to get her powers back.” Max sighs.

“Everything was like, way easier.” Steve agrees, looking to Eddie to explain, “We had this girl. She had superpowers….”

“Superpowers. Yeah, you mentioned her.” Eddie said gruffly, thinking how useful that would have been and watching Dustin pace back and forth. “Hey, uh, Henderson's not, uh, cursed, is he?”

“Cursed? No, no. He's fine. Mental? Absolutely.” Steve uttered sarcastically.

As if to emphasize that point Dustin suddenly stops, turning sharply to yell, “Boom!” The exclamation echoing as he points at Steve, walking closer. “Bada… bada… boom. I was right. Skull Rock was north.” 

Steve almost throws a fit. “Seriously? You're serious?”

“Mm-hmm.” He says smugly.

“This is Skull Rock. Okay?” Steve gestures to it. “You're totally, absolutely, 100% wrong. Right now.”

“Yes. And no.” Dustin says as Amilia raises a brow, looking on incredulously. 

“Oh my God.” Steve moans, head in his hands.

Dustin gestures to his compass. “This worked correctly when we left the Wheelers'. Correct when we got in the car on Curly. But it started to slip the further east we went. Now it's way off. When I was leading us here, I wasn't wrong. The compass was.” 

“So you're using faulty equipment. You're still wrong.” Steve argues, hands on his hips.

“Except it isn't faulty.” Dustin turns to his friend. “Lucas, remember what can affect a compass?”

“An electromagnetic field!” The other boy realizes.

“Yep.” Dustin grins.

“Uh I’m sorry, I must've skipped that class.” Robin deadpans.

“In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field, the needle will deflect towards that power.” Dustin explains. “So either there's some super big magnet around here, or…”

“There's a gate.” Amilia realizes.

“But we're nowhere near the lab.” Nancy frowns.

Dustin clasps his hands together. “But what if, somehow, there's another gate? A gate that we don't know about. It'd have to be smaller. Way less powerful.” 

“Snack-size gate.” Robin theorized.

Steve glances her way. “How? Why?”

Dustin shakes his head. “No idea. All I know is that something is causing this disturbance, and the last time we've seen anything like it, it was a gate. And I hope it is because then we'd have a way to Vecna. And a shot at stopping him from taking another victim.”

“Where are you going?” Steve starts to shout after him. “Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Eddie's still a wanted man. Amilia’s compromised, we can't just go hike in the woods.”

Dustin holds up his compass. “This little steel capsule might be the key to saving everyone.”

“Fuck it, I’m in.” Amilia walks to Dustin’s side, grasping his right shoulder. 

He looks to his dungeon master since he has the support. “What say you, Eddie the Banished?”

Eddie has a hand resting on the side of his face, lost in deep thought. “I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor…Which, if I'm totally straight with you, I think is a really bad idea.”

He glanced up, “But, uh, the Shire…The Shire is burning.”

Dustin starts to bounce beneath Amilia’s grip in excitement. Eddie stands. “So, Mordor it is.”

So the group all goes traipsing through the woods, finding that the wonky compass is leading them right back to Lover’s Lake. Eddie stops Dustin from walking straight into it.

“This is confounding.” Dustin exhales at the sight before them.

“There's a gate in Lover's Lake?” Max questions.

“Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna's the same way.” Nancy speculates.

“Yeah, only one way to find out.” Steve says, before the gang rustles up a boat and some oars.

Eddie and Steve place it down in the water as Steve chastises Eddie for his manner of handling. “Easy. I…I said easy, man.”

“Sorry, dude.” Eddie grumbled. 

Robin places a hand on both their heads, stepping over them and into the vessel. Eddie’s next in, offering a hand to Amilia and Nancy, pushing against Dustin’s chest lightly when he tries to clamber in after them. 

“Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us?” This thing holds four people tops, okay?” Eddie scolds as he sits next to Amilia.

Nancy instantly agrees, adding. “It's better this way, okay? You guys stay here. Keep an eye out for trouble.” 

“You keep an eye out. It's my goddamn theory!” Dustin protests.

“You heard Nance.” Amilia tells him as he whines. “Who put her in charge?” 

“I did.” Amilia responds simply. 

“Compass.” Nancy holds a hand out, Dustin handing it over, only for him to call out once in aggravation Steve jumps into the boat after pushing it off. “You said four!”

“Sorry.” Steve whispers as the older kids all row away.

“Bedtime at nine, kiddos.” Robin called, spotting the finger Dustin flips her. “Miss you already!”

As they all head further into the lake, Nancy eyes the compass. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. Slow down, guys.”

The compass has gone haywire.

“Guys, what's going on?” Dustin says over the walkie-talkie. “Come on, talk to me. What's going on?”

“Uh, Dustin, your compass has gone

from wonky to wonky with a capital "aah!"” Robin utters.

Nancy’s eyes widen as Steve starts to take his socks off. “Steve, what are you doing?”

He continues to undress. “Somebody's gotta go down and check this out. And unless one of you four can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years, then…It's gotta be me.”

Amilia snorts. “You can’t even hold your breath longer than I can.”

“That’s true she can hold her breath for a really long time.” Robin reminded him. 

“I know I know!” Steve almost laughed. “I remember.” He winked at her, and Nancy squirmed in her seat. “But, they say fresh tattoos shouldn’t be fully submerged in water for at least two weeks after application. Isn’t that right?”

Amilia rolls her eyes, arms crossed over her chest. “Smart ass.”

“No complaints, all right?” He stands in the boat and sheds his shirt.

“Hey, I'm not complaining. I do not wanna go down there.” Eddie grumbles, wrapping a flashlight in a plastic bag for Steve and wishing him good luck.

“Thanks.” Steve says.

Eddie starts to light a cigarette up from the stress, but Robin snatches it with a complaint of “Gross.” Tossing it into the black water that Steve is staring out into.

“Steve,” Nancy stops him. “Be careful.” He nods, and dives in, beginning his exploration.

After a short period, Robin asks “Where we at, Wheeler?” Her eyes on the surface of the water.

“Closing in on a minute.” She tells her.

“Okay.” Robin mumbles.

Back on the shore, Dustin, Max and Lucas duck and hide from approaching police men.

Steve bursts through the surface again while the older kids are none the wiser, all of those in the boat exclaiming in surprise. 

“I found it!” He announces. “It's pretty wild. It's more a snack-size gate than the mama gate, but still, it's pretty damn big-” he’s cut off as something drags him under water, pulling him down with a hash jerk.

It startles all of them, the boat lurching dangerously. 

“Steve!” Amilia calls out in horror as Nancy shrieks the same name - over and over again.

Eddie protests, “No! No! What the hell was that, man?” While Robin looks at the other two girls, asking. “Really, what happened?”

“Jesus!” Eddie screeches before anyone can answer, Nancy standing up. Amilia offers her a hand the second she sees her intentions.

“Wait, wait, wait. You're not going in there, are you?” Eddie objects.

“Just…wait here.” Nancy orders as Amilia tries to soothe Eddie’s fingers away from her hips that he’d latched onto, a bit too insistently.

“No, Nancy!” Robin screams as the other girl jumps in. “Nancy!”

“Goddamn it!” Eddie curses when he loses his grip on Amilia, watching her head for the edge. “No, no, no, no, no, no. What are you doing? She said wait.” 

“So stay put then.” Amilia tells him before she jumps in after her. Moments later Robin readies herself to go after them all too. 

“Are you kidding me?” Eddie shouts. “Don't you go. Don't you…” she ignores him completely.

“Goddamn it…Son of a bitch!” He screams, standing and stomping his foot. “Oh, this is so stupid. This is so stupid. This is so stupid. Shit! Shit! Shit!” He falls into the water more than jumps in.

On the other side Steve is fighting for his life, and losing until the rest of the group shows up. They all fight against bat-like creatures, until the bat’s numbers diminish.

“Steve!” Nancy sighs in relief.

“Jesus Christ. Jesus H. Christ!” Eddie curses, throwing down the oar of a boat that he’d been using to slay the things.

“Are you okay?” Nancy asks Steve, ignoring the other man’s theatrics.

“Well, they took about a pound of flesh. But other than that, yeah, never better.” He tells them all as they sigh in relief.

“Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?” Robin whispers.

“What?” Steve asks at the same time Amilia mutters how “They better fucking not.”

Robin swallows. “It's just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear. And I think we should probably get you to a doctor like really soon because once symptoms set in, it's too late. You're already like dead.”

Robins concerns are interrupted by a loud shrieking from the sky. Everyone looks up to see more bats converging, landing in front of them with hisses and snarls.

“All right. There's not that many. We can take 'em.” Steve says before quietly adding, “Right?”

As he does so the sky fills with more, and Amilia mutters. “You were saying?”

Nance glanced behind them all, formulating a plan. “The woods. Come on.”

“Great. More running.” Robin grumbles.

The five of them hide from the bats, waiting until the sounds of the swarm have died down. 

Steve nearly collapses as the adrenaline wears off, and Nancy makes him sit, tearing her shirt up to bandage him.

Robin talks rapidly at Steve while she does so, more for her own nerves than anything else. “So the good news is I'm pretty sure wooziness is not a symptom of rabies…But if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms or you start feeling aggressive, like you wanna punch me, let me know.”

“Robin.” Steve chokes out.

“Yeah?” She asks.

“I kinda wanna punch you.” He confesses.

She exhaled loudly through her nose. “Sense of humor is still intact. That's a good sign.”

Nancy bandages Steve up tight as Eddie crawls to the top of a rock, taking in the Upside Down. “So, uh, this place is like Hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?”

“Pretty much,” Nancy says.

Amilia hisses softly at Eddie. “Watch out for the vines. It's all a hive mind.”

“It's all a what?” He asks.

“All the creepy crawlies around here. They're, like, one or something. Step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna.” Steve explains, hand to his side.

“Shit.” Eddie grunts, moving very carefully.

“But everything from our world is still here, right? Except people?” Robin asks the resident Upside Down Experts.

“As far as I understand it, yeah.” Nance agrees.

“So, theoretically, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate.” Robin rationalized.

“I highly doubt the Hawkins PD has grenades, Robin.” Steve mutters. “But guns, yeah, sure.”

“Well, we don't have to go all the way downtown for guns. I have guns, in my bedroom.” Nancy offers.

“You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns, plural, in your bedroom?” Eddie asks skeptically.

“Full of surprises, isn't she?” Robin breathes.

“A Russian Makarov and a revolver.” Nancy explains.

“Yeah, you almost shot me with that one.” Amilia grumbles, remembering how this mess had all started back in 83’. 

She’d told Steve he was an ass who deserved to have his face bashed in when he and some of his loser friends had put up graffiti that Nancy was a slut. 

Then she’d gone ahead and persuaded - threatened him, really - to go apologize, riding over with him only to find Nancy holding a gun at him when she followed the sound of an argument.

That gun had just as quickly turned to her, while Johnathan tried to talk Nancy off the ledge. And then the lights were flickering, the Demogorgon was approaching, and the rest was history.

“Me too.” Steve remembers.

“You almost deserved it.” Nancy smirked at him.

“Totally.” Amilia agrees, her soft smile accompanying the exchange, and Eddie doesn’t like the way she looks at Steve like that.

He throws his vest harshly his way. “For your modesty, dude.” He says sarcastically.

The ground suddenly rumbles and shakes, knocking Amilia into Robin, Nancy into Steve, and Eddie to the ground.

When the earthquake stills, a loud roar tears through the silence.

“Yeah so guns seem like a pretty good idea to me.” Eddie admits, scrambling to his feet.

“Yeah, me too.” Robin seconds, and so they head for the Wheeler's house. 

Robin’s up ahead, complaining loudly to Amilia and Nancy as they lead the way through the woods, leaving Steve and Eddie talking softly behind them.

Eddie murmurs, “Still super jealous as hell by the way…Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass. Not under any uh, normal circumstances.” He glanced at Amilia, shaking his head. “Nope. Outside of D&D I am no hero. I see danger and I just…turn heel and run. Or, at least that’s what I’ve learned about myself this week.”

“Give yourself a break, man.” Steve slaps his chest lightly.

Eddie stops walking, hands gesturing ahead to the girls to make his next point. “See? The only reason I came in here was because those ladies came straight after you…Now, I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind. But Wheeler right there, she didn't waste a second. Not one second. She just dove right in. Now, I know what happened between you two, and if I were you, I would get her back. 'Cause that was as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen.” 

Steve opens and closes his mouth, unsure of what to say. And then the world rocks on its axis.

“Here we go again.” Eddie says through gritted teeth.

Up ahead Amilia curse’s Vecna’s mother in Spanish, and when all of them scramble up and on with their journey, the Wheeler house is soon spotted in the distance.

When searching it for weapons, it’s discovered that the house is trapped in a version of itself from 1983 - the year the gate opened.

Before all of them can settle in their impending doom though, those upstairs can hear Steve yelling down below. 

“Dustin!” He calls out, the rest of them rushing to him. “Dustin! Dustin, can you hear me!?” He screams into the silence.

“Steve - what are you doing?” Nancy asks. 

“Shh! Just listen.” He orders, gesturing to the space around him.

Sure enough all of them hear Dustin talking, starting to shout out for him too, searching the space for a sign of where he is.

Right side up, the kids are at The Wheeler’s after they’d been caught and interrogated by police - and even worse - their parents. 

“All right, either this kid can't hear us or he's being a total douchebag.” Steve decides.

“Will found a way.” Nancy huffed.

“What?” Steve asks.

“Will. He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights.” She explains.

“Lights?” Steve repeats as Nancy moves away from him. “Yeah,” she growls, trying to flick a lamp on and off.

“The switch. Try the switch.” Steve tells her, and she does. “It's not working.”

“Guys?” Amilia questions softly, seeing small glittering dust around the chandelier. “You seeing this?”

Slowly the five of them all approach it, hearing Dustin speak faintly. Nancy is the first to reach up and touch it, her fingers skimming along the shimmer. 

“Woah,” Eddie agrees, as the rest of them reach up to do the same.

“It…Tickles.” Steve sounds weirded out.

“It kinda feels good.” Robin smiles.

Nancy dropped her hand. “…Does anyone know Morse code?”

“No.” Amilia, Robin, and Steve say with shakes of the head. Nancy looks down in disappointment.

“Wait, does SOS count?” Eddie asks innocently, wide eyes landing on Amilia’s smile. “Is that…is that good?”

She could kiss him, instead nodding eagerly.

He taps S-O-S repeatedly in Morse code against the chandelier, alerting Dustin, Erica, and Lucas on the other side.

From there they brilliantly rig up a Light Brite for them all to communicate through. Dustin suggests that there are gates open at every murder site.

And so the rest of them all bike to Eddie’s trailer, looking for what they hope is another portal, unguarded by Vecna’s creatures.

The kids ditch their parents and the cops, biking to Eddie’s on their end, before using a broom handle to burst through the barrier of his living room ceiling.

Celebrating in triumph, Dustin leads the charge, using Eddie’s mattress as what looks like it will be a landing pad.

When it hits the ground above them, Eddie addresses the group. “Those stains are uh…I dunno what those stains are.” 

Amilia clicks her tongue, Nancy making a small noise of disgust and Robin one of indifference. As it is they’re much more concerned by Dustin, tossing a makeshift rope of sheets their way, suspended by wonky gravity.

“All right pull on it, see if it holds!” He calls up, Robin being the first to tug, and then the first to climb up and out, where she falls.

“Oh thank god! That was fun.” She laughs.

The rest all look at each other, Nancy making the climb-turned-fall fearlessly. And then Eddie’s had enough of this place, saying “All right, I guess I’ll go.”

“Easy, easy,” Steve murmurs as he and Amilia both watch his ascent.

Then Eddie touched down on the mattress, hair crazy as he sat up. “That…was fun.” He breathes out, slapping his hand into Dustin’s to help him up.

Amilia catches his eye as he smiles up and down at her, her heart fluttering torridly. 

Steve catches her attention, saying, “See you on the other side.” Always having to be the first into danger and the last one out of it.

Amilia ruffles his hair playfully, grabbing the sheets and wriggling up it with a small boost.

There’s a dopey smile on her face still, feeling the whoosh of air when the ascent becomes a fall, expecting to hit an unforgiving mattress but instead falling a lot longer and a lot farther than she should have before landing on cold, hard, ground.

“Oh!” She gasps, hearing a clock chime. One, twice, three, and then four times.

She hears the slithering sound of a maniacal laugh, the darkness surrounding her indicating that there is no way that she’s landed in Eddie’s room.

- Read Part 2 here.

[rywritten]

🖋- Headcanon about a dream smp character

🎤 hello, thoughts on ur version of techno. Do u have cool back story?? 👁️👁️

—rin

thanks for the ask rin!

as for my version of c!techno, i do have some headcanons that i wanna share :D

(me: this is going to be a very fun and brief overview, nothing too fancy.

narrator voice: she ends up taking this way too seriously and ends up creating an entire backstory for c!techno, full of angst and dark themes)

In terms of appearance:

i use etceteraart's version of techno as inspo in all of my fics. i really like the pushed back fringes and undercut on him and find it a lot more attractive than the usually favored long haired techno design.

In terms of canon lore:

im actually very fascinated with techno and 'the voices' since it gives off deadpool vibes. it's something i tend to give a lot of consideration when writing canon-verse fics because i like being able to explore the amount of power the voices have towards techno when it comes to making decisions. personally, i like to think that techno, while he tends to find the voices annoyingly loud, would still hear them out if their opinions clash and give them the opportunity to reason out why they want to do things differently. but i wouldn't really say he'd be the type to listen much, techno tends to do whatever he wants regardless of what the voices say.

In terms of a cool back story:

so this got out of hand way too fast and ended up being way too long. initially i was just planning to mess around with techno's lore, but then my lizard brain went: what if we add some depth and angst? and who was i to ignore that? so here i am with a very detailed and elaborate backstory for my beloved c!techno

cw: blood, disturbing images of corpses, and mentions of suicide

make sure to take those warnings into consideration before proceeding, but aside from that i hope you enjoyed this sort of c!techno origin story!! i had way too much fun typing this as i go. (fun fact: the entire backstory was something i actually came up on the fly bc it's only now after receiving this ask did i take the time to properly plan out my ver of techno's past)

so yeah, without further ado, here's c!techno's very cool and very detailed backstory:

so, ive always had this headcanon that techno was forced into the role of being the "blood god"

it wasn't his choice, but rather something he had to become in order to survive.

see, i pictured his childhood was something quiet and peaceful, where he lived in a small secluded village located in a land unknown to most, where his people are mostly farmers and miners. (or so he's lead to believe)

their land is bountiful with rich minerals and their harvests are always plentiful. the children would play in the fields until sunset and everything, in techno's eyes, was perfect.

the only thing they were ever told not to do was cross the boundary.

but one day, out of curiosity, techno went a little too far from his village when he followed a strange looking animal that further lead him throughout the forest that surrounded his village, until he finds himself at the very end of the boundary.

the boundary is a thick red rope that expands throughout the forest, encaging their village in a protective circle (from what, techno does not know for certain). there are paper talismans hanging every few feet on the red rope and a small golden bell hangs right at the very center.

the wind blows, causing the bell to jingle ominously, reminding techno once again of the village elder's warning. but before he could step back and make his way home, the strange animal that he's been following decided to appear once again, but this time it was on the other side of the boundary.

it stood quietly, with its head tilted to the side as if it was waiting for techno to catch it. and as a child, techno's curiosity and fascination got the better of him. he steps out of the rope and the moment he does, everything that transpired afterwards happened far too fast for him to comprehend immediately.

the sound of the bell began to increase in volume, almost deafening him, and the next thing he knew, the red rope was cut in half while the talismans have started to burn one by one on each side. techno frantically tried to tie the rope together, but as soon as he grabbed onto it, the rope began to burn from his touch, leaving nothing but ashes.

fear struck him then, causing techno to run back to his village as fast as he could.

the sun had set moments ago, causing techno to stumble and fall a couple of times in his haste to get home and as soon as he reaches the meadow overlooking his village, he begins to wonder why the sky still looked so bright from where he stood.

it's only once he's reached the bottom of the meadow did he realize that the bright sky was from the fire surrounding the village.

around him, he could hear the screams of dying men and women. there are strangers amongst his people, all of them riding horses wearing metal and the strangers riding them were dressed the same way. they speak a language techno cant understand, but he saw the way they used their swords to pierce through the flesh of his own people and techno immediately runs towards his house in search of his family.

his mother and brother are nowhere to be seen inside their small hut, but as soon as he reaches the back of his house he's met with the sight of his family, both of them dead with their eyes gouged out.

techno screams until his throat is sore and he could taste the blood in his mouth.

he is left powerless in his grief, but the invaders wastes no time in capturing him. Suddenly, there are hands wrapping around him, holding him tight and bounding his arms and legs. techno struggles to break free, but his captors are stronger and many in numbers. it didn't take long until he's pressed to the ground and knocked unconscious.

the last image that he sees is his village burning to the ground, it's only later that he finds out that he's the only survivor.

he's taken to an arena the morning after, they hand him a rusted sword and a wooden shield before sending him off to the very center of the stadium where he meets a hundred or so like him, all of them trapped with weapons, most of them kids around his age.

an announcer was saying something, but techno doesn't understand the language he was speaking, though it seemed that most of the people trapped there with him did. their hold on their weapon tightened and they were all looking at him with something close to panic and desperation, but the intent to kill was unmistakable.

a horn blares from a distance and all at once everyone was charging at him with a cry.

while techno knew nothing about fighting or welding a weapon, survival was his top priority for now. he wasn't going to die here, he vowed to himself. and once his resolve was solidified, he felt something possess him for a moment. it was only for a short time where everything blurred to a sea of red and once he's finally come to, techno is met with an arena full of dead bodies.

he was the only one left standing. the crowd cheers from their seats and the announcer was saying something again, but techno doesn't register anything except for the slight shake in his grip and the blood soaking his hands and clothes.

he's ushered inside a small cell right below the coliseum along with a few dozen others that would sneer or shout at him when they passed their own cells, and its there that techno starts to learn the different languages his captors and fellow prisoners spoke.

it's on his second fight that he finds out more about his people and the attack that had changed his life forever.

the announcer's cheerful voice spoke rapidly, telling the audience a story about an ancient deity that had given a certain village blessings and a treasure unlike anything anyone could ever imagine.

they call his people, children of the blood god, for they have been blessed with wine red eyes and hair as beautiful as a rose. they say their eyes are worth all the riches of the world and techno's suddenly reminded of his mother and brother's corpses and the two identical holes left on their eyes.

for years his captors have been searching for them, but had no luck given the blood god's protection, it was only that one cursed day where they were able to locate the secret village and techno felt his stomach churn from the realization that it was all his fault.

they raided his village and left nothing behind. the announcer finally points to him, telling the crowd that he was the last of his kind, referring to him as a rare and valuable item that cannot be replaced. he says that the only reason why they're so lenient to let techno participate in the fight is due to the blessings the blood god had given his people: natural fighting instincts and the desire to win.

it doesn't take long for the fighting to start after that, and in the end, techno comes back the victor.

years have past and nothing has changed. he is still the crowned victor, earning the favor of the audience time and time again, and yet he is still treated like livestock by his captors.

he is still kept inside his small prison cell where he is only ever taken out to compete and kill his opponents.

the blood staining his hands have become useless to wash off and each night, despite his new victory, techno feels more and more defeated.

he has not been sleeping well for the past week, plagued by nightmares of the past and memories that haunt him even during his waking moments. in his exhaustion, voices have started to talk inside his head without his promoting.

at first it had just been his mother and brother, soon they were followed by the people of his village, all of them voicing their sorrows and pain. but then the voices shift to those he has killed, all of them angry and accusatory. they mock him and wish for his death, and as the day keeps going, the voices have increased in numbers and in volume.

techno thinks he's finally lost it, that his sanity has finally snapped, when the voices have been plaguing his mind for weeks without end.

it's on his 68th victory that he manages to swipe a knife from one of the guards before he's locked once again inside his cell.

one sleepless night, he takes the knife he'd stolen from under his pillow. he passes it on each hands and tests the sharpness of the tip with his pointer.

a small cut emerges and a bead of blood trickles down from it that techno watches silently. the voices are all shouting but it sounded distorted to him from so many of them talking at the same time.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He screams, shaking his head vigorously.

"Stop talking." he whispers for no one else to hear.

techno breathes in slowly and closes his eyes and thinks about ending it all. once he opens them, he makes peace with his decision and aims the knife directly at this throat.

he's exhausted and tired to the bone, there is nothing to gain from his countless of victories but nightmares and vengeful ghosts that haunt him whenever he closes his eyes. his desire for everything to stop now outweighs his desire to avenge his people.

he wishes he was stronger, but now he's just so incredibly tired.

slowly, he pulls the knife back and readies himself to take aim. but before he could strike the final blow, the voices have stopped talking altogether, surprising techno momentarily.

"What do you think you're doing?" One voice, unfamiliar to techno, spoke.

the voice sounded gravelly, not entirely human. it sounded all knowing, ancient, as if it was as old as time itself.

"Who are you?" techno asked instead of answering.

"I go by many names." the voice spoke, almost sounding amused. "but i believe most have started to refer to me as the blood god."

"What do you want from me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the blood god spoke, quietly. "A god needs a vessel, and you are the last of my children."

"Why me?" techno pushed on, unable to hide the pain and anger in his tone. "You could've had so many other options if you had saved everyone on that day. I was the one who ended up getting them killed."

"My child, what you had done was indeed a mistake that bore quite the horrible burden." the blood god spoke without the accusation techno had expected. "but a child should never be condemned for their curiosity, no matter the outcome. you have learned from your actions and have grown from it. You have proven yourself worthy to me."

"I haven't proven anything." techno nearly shouted.

"then continue to live." the blood god spoke evenly. "killing yourself will not solve your problems nor will it avenge your people."

techno thinks about it for a moment. he pictures his mother and brother, the smiles on their faces on a summer afternoon, the beautiful lush forest, and the colorful wildflowers growing in the meadow. then he remembers his village burning and the horrible sound of skin and bones breaking, and the unmistakable stench of death. he looks at this hands and pictures them soaked in blood, making his decision, he drops the knife and stares at the darkness surrounding his room.

"Alright." he says, making up his mind. "what do you want me to do?"

the blood god laughs, sounding delighted by his answer. "Become my blade and i will bless you with one more gift."

"What kind of gift?"

"Blood calls for blood." the voice spoke eagerly. "If you demand for blood to be shed, I will grant you the power to spill it with your own hands."

"And what does becoming your blade entail?"

The blood god thought for a moment before answering techno with "You are to be my vessel. The blade is its master's extension and when I call for you, you will do as I say."

"does agreeing to this deal get rid of the other voices too?" techno asks, hopeful.

the blood god laughs again, "im afraid the other voices will remain. they wish to continue their stay until they are put to rest."

techno sighs, resigned. he thinks about the offer one final time before making his decision.

in this world, there is no coming back from death. but the blood god has given him a second chance despite techno's shortcomings. and this time, techno doesn't plan on wasting it.

"A blade, huh." techno thought to himself. "i guess it's not a fate worse than death. You got yourself a deal."

The blood god doesn't say anything else after that, but a strange looking mark manifests on his palm during the god's sudden absence.

Techno looked at the small red mark at the very center of his left palm curiously. It was one word, written in his own native language that read: BLADE

The blood god may think he's helping techno along, becoming the god's vessel used for vengeance and retribution-

But the blood god knows nothing about Techno's wrath, and fundamentally once unleashed, it tends to lack control.

Closing his palm and letting the mark sink in, Techno decides that for once, he is finally ready to carry the burden of his entire village's need for vengeance.

tonight, he sheds the title of survivor and puts on a new one. he is now a weapon, a raging calamity ready to cause havoc whenever he goes.

he will be the victor, no matter the cost.

the voices are back now, and they all chant one thing in unison as if they've sensed techno's new resolve.

"Blood for the blood god!"

. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

💌 DSMP Analysist ask game!

[imonthinice]

The Criminal Psychology Majors, Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Part 12/?

Word Count: 4.4k

Author’s Note: Y/N - Your Name, A/N - Any Name (Your Best friend’s name)

God idk what i’m doing with this but i’m liking it lmao

next one might honestly be smut idk

Warnings: Violence, Swearing, Description of Blood, Gets heated, hints at trauma, no beta bitch we die like Jason Todd

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20)

Y/N walked through the streets of Gotham, which were once bustling with people, but now were quiet with the occasional hooker, she had caught the city as an unlively hour, where it seemed to sleep the night away while the vigilantes of the area watched it like their lives depended on it. In some ways it did, the stories they would tell when being interviewed were horrific sometimes, but Y/N figured a decent amount of it was for dramatization, to keep the people of Gotham off of the streets to protect them all from it.

The question was always protect them from what, and they never answered. So, it never kept the people of Gotham at bay from the streets at night, and had Y/N’s car not been towed, she would have been driving home in the safe, secluded area of her car, not the vast wilderness of the streets of Gotham.

She looked up at the sky to see one of the virgate boys using a grappling hook to fly to the other building, which was such a sight to behold for someone who never witnessed a superhero beyond Superman at home. She wished and longed to know more about the vigilante, but didn’t dwell or dote on that man, because she didn’t need to.

Something told her that he was watching though, tracing every step she made to make sure she got home in one piece. She thought she was crazy, her life didnt matter more than anyone else in Gotham. He’s not following me, why would he? she thought, Even though I’m dating Jason Todd, they probably don’t know Jason, so my life doesn’t mean much more to them than any one of the hookers along this street. I’m overthinking it.

The walk home took two hours, she left Jason’s at 4am just to find herself back home at 6am, bright and early as the sun rose, ready to greet the day and all it had in store for everyone. But the things it had in store for Y/N was a class and if she was lucky, cuddling with Jason. Nothing more, nothing less.

She would open her front door, unscathed from the journey home, except maybe for a few callouses on her feet, it was the last time she wouldn't pay for more than a day of parking, that’s for sure. Heels were not the shoes you wanted for a two-hour walk home in the Autumn cold, but they were what she had.

She thought about what she was going to do next, and the first thought she had was to shower. Not because she needed to, but because she wanted to nurse the terrible headache she had and to think some things through. What she normally did in the shower.

She wanted so much more from so much of her life. the main offender of seemingly not being enough for her was Jason. Not because she didn’t want more, but because she craved more from him. He was injured, so she wouldn’t get much more rom him for the time being, and it stung a little for her. She just wanted him, maybe sexually, maybe in a more romantic setting or maybe just on her couch on a Thursday afternoon. It was all three of those options and she knew it.

She pulled out of the shower and looked at the time, 6:50am. Okay, she thought, little more time than I wanted to spend in the shower, but I guess the universe had different plans for me today. What else do you have for me, universe? And how much of you plan involves Jason?

She would open her phone after quickly getting dressed. While she still cared for her appearance, she didn’t want to dress like she owned a law firm every day, so she didn’t. Just black jeans and a black top and she felt like a million bucks. 

Just some quick outfit inspo. I like doing these a lot. I think fashion is funky :))

Artemis had sent her a message asking where she was at around 4am, she wondered why the time, but she then remembered that Artemis’ boyfriend worked with Dick Grayson, who was Jason’s brother, who worked most nights until radical hours of the night. The chances that he saw her on her two-hour walk home was high, but the chances that that had also made it back to Jason was higher. She knew she was in for it.

Hey sorry, I was at Jason’s. Fell asleep in his arms the whole shebang. And yeah, that was me who screamed the yo momma joke at the press. It was super childish, I know, but I don’t care. Those fucks are sucking my life force out of me and harassing my boyfriend, even your boyfriend.

She would then look at the articles calling her a gold digger and worth-nothing childish insulter of the press. She laughed. If the press wanted a fight from her, she was more than willing to oblige and load the canons. 

She didn’t know how to fight back that well, since it was a mainly verbal fight, and she barely even knew how to  fight physically, hence all the running and non-confrontational arguments she had had to the press.

And like fucking clockwork, Jason texted her.

Did you walk home alone or are my brothers lying bastards?

I walked. I knew someone saw me, fuck.

Why did you walk home? I thought you drove here?

I did, but we spent more than 12 hours together Jason. I didn’t buy enough hours, suddenly my car was being towed.

You could have asked for a ride home from Alfred! He would have in a heartbeat.

I was going to! But  I got distracted and it all became a blur and suddenly I was part of the way home in the dark by myself!

What if you had gotten hurt?

Well, I saw one of the vigilantes of the city on the rooftops, I’m sure if I screamed they would have seen me. They always do see that stuff.

So, your car got towed huh?

Yeah, I don’t know when I’ll be able to pay it off. It’s not exactly like money my parents give me should go to my car getting towed because I got fucked over by seeing my boyfriend. 

You’ll figure it out. Sorry about the car, that’s got to suck fucking ass.

You think? I’m stuck taking the fuckin’ subway till I get my car back. I hate the subway, too many people. Far too many people. Too many eyes. It gets stressful really quickly. Might just walk every where honestly, I can’t deal with the eyes of strangers.

But you’re a C-list celebrity.

Internet is different. I can just block the bad eyes and move on with my life, you should see my block list now that some people are connecting my name to the girl who flipped off the press, thank god Twitter has a fuckin block feature.

You should really just meet my family so you don’t have to run away before they get home, would probably cause you a lot less financial stress, Y/N.

I’ll think about it.

You should think a little harder about it. I don’t want you to get your car impounded ‘cause you’re seeing me, why did you even park in pay-to-park?

Did you not see the massive mob trying to get to you? It was impossible for me to even try to pull into the driveway. Hence why I’m being insulted, you know, ‘cause I yelled at the press to get them to leave me alone. I fucking hate the press, you’re stabbed, severely injured last time they got information, and they’re harassing me, asking me what I like to do on the weekends.

Fucking vultures. Yeah, I’ve seen that. I’ve read the articles. But that’s the press for you, absolute trash and spitting bullshit in everyway.

Fucking hate the press, that’s for damn sure. Despise them. I won’t ever change that, even if, knock on wood, we break up.

Praying we don’t break up so I can see you lose your shit at the press when you’re bored.

She would get up to go make some coffee, since it was closer to 7:20am and if her roommate woke up, she could just tell her to get up anyway.

The press can suck my dick. she said.

You have a dick?

Oh yeah. Massive. 20ft long. It probably won’t even fit all the vultures.

Oh my god, that’s not as big as mine.

lmfao is it now?

Oh yeah.

Nice.

Anyway, my brothers are staying home from school today,  I think they’re making me play Resident Evil 8 with them? You know that game?

Of course. Everyone in that game is infinitely hot.

Are you bi? 

I don’t know. Haven't thought that far ahead to actually label myself. I just like people. Sometimes it’s men, sometimes it’s women. But you have to agree when you see them all. That game came out when I was still in  high school, so I’ve played the entire thing. My phone background is actually one of the characters.

Which one?

I’ll show you if I come over tonight.

My brothers might be in my room, though.

Okay, but, RE8 is an amazing game. So, worth it.

You won’t meet them normally but I pull out a game you love and you’re down?

I’m very easy to convince.

You still have notes to write when you come over though.

Oh yeah, I was probably going to have to come over both ways, just because I need those notes and you do too.

Do you not own a printer?

I barely even own a laptop, I’m waiting for my old one to come in the mail. 

How do you even manage?

With a whole lot of will and spite, anything is possible.

And that’s when her discord group chat @’ed her. She was on Do Not Disturb because she was Jason, and apparently they missed her.

Y/N! C’mere. One said.

Yes? Whatduhya want nerds?

We’ve decided to hold a fake internet wedding between you and Christopher. Another said.

A what.

We’re getting married!

Sometimes I wish I never left Metropolis and then I remember you fucks live there. Why are we doing this? You do know I have a boyfriend right? She asked them.

I don’t know, we’re bored and we miss you. We can have a bachelorette party in Gotham, if you want.

I’m this close to going back on DND.

The group chat was made way back when they had all first met in grade 9 and had been active ever since. They all had stayed in the city when they graduated though, but since Y/N received a scholarship, fully paid for, she took the opportunity and jumped.

They were some of her closest friends, even if they lived in a different city to her now, even if they were all busy with school, even if she was busy with school and a boyfriend, A lot of her life wouldn’t be complete without her crack friends in her hometown.

They had all ben partying like crazy while she was gone, and if she wasn’t so hung up in her own life, she’d probably be down there with them. 

Before you do, can you please explain why you’re screaming at the press, lmao.

Because fuck the press, dude. Why else? 

What did they do to you?

Have you seen the recent articles?

That’s true.

She laughed and finished her coffee. Jason had not responded yet, she assumed his brothers were either checking on him or they had started the game. It was around 8am when A/N finally left her room.

“I thought you were staying with Jason?”

“I was, but then I remembered he has like 9 siblings and I’m not about to meet them all. Then I walked home.”

“You walked?”

“Car got towed.”

“Fuck, can you afford the bill? I can’t.”

“Nope.”

“Guess we’re going to take the subway for a while, huh.”

She sighed and put her cup in the sink, “At least you don’t have school to go to and your lover comes to meet you, I have shit to do and places to be,” she frowned, “Inconvenient.”

“Could you borrow money from Jason’s dad?”

“I don’t borrow money from family, it’s hard enough for me to accept the money my parents send me.”

“I know it is, when’s your class?”

“3pm, I’ll be leaving at 12pm though, because the subway is unreliable.”

“This is going to be a hard hit for us.”

“Well, it’s not like it’s fucking your credit. Mine’s tanking.”

“You’ll pull through it.”

-------------------------------------------

She got onto the subway at 12:30pm. She really hated the way it was running. The people, the faces, the staring eyes of unwanted attention. People knew who she was and she hated it. She didn’t like the attention, she just liked the fucking with people. She wanted to get off the subway the minute she got on.

She eventually couldn’t take it and got off a few stops away, there was still a substantial walk towards the college, but she knew it would be. She even brought a leather jacket with her so that she could walk if she couldn’t take it anymore.

And there she was, in the busy streets of Gotham, walking to her college. Barely aware of the people who did stare at her, because she just kept walking, lost in her thought but aware of the people in her trail, the cross walks and the lights she was waiting for occasionally. She just kept walking until Artemis met up with her,

“Hey! I didn’t know you were walking to school today,” Artemis said.

“Oh! I didn’t want to, my car got towed though.”

“Your car got towed? That sucks so much. Well, we’re going the same way, so I’ve decided I’m going to walk with you, you get no say.”

“Of course. I was going to ask if you wanted to,” she laughed, “It’s more fun with a friend anyway, Art.”

“So, how are things with you and Jason, I’m legally obliged to ask as one of his friends.”

“Well, we made it official if that’s the kind of thing you want to hear,” she laughed again, “I’m sure it’s the answer Dick will eat up.”

“You’re right about that one. Dick’s a sucker for a romantic story, you should write one, since you write. He’d probably read it all.”

“Well, that would be fun, but I still don’t have my laptop.”

“You could use Jason’s?” Artemis suggested..

“Nah. It’ll be fine,” she said, “I’ll manage.”

“Aren’t you collecting notes for him for your psychology class?”

“I am, it’s not like he can go anywhere. I actually told him he’d need to walk eventually so that it’s not a learning curve when he’s healed.”

“That’s what all of us are telling him too, he’s a stubborn man, good luck with that one,” Artemis laughed, “He’s always been the stubborn friend. Worse than Will, actually, and Will is really bad with being stubborn.”

“It’s fine,” she laughed, “If you asked any of my Metropolis friends they’d say the same about me.”

“I bet you were quite the wild child in your heyday back in your city,” Artemis laughed, “I hate Metropolis.”

“Who doesn’t? It’s so crowded.”

“Uh, Clark doesn’t. He thrives there, no idea why, he grew up in Smallville. If anyone should be uncomfortable with Metropolis it should be the small-city country boy, but I guess it’s his thing.”

“I forget you know everyone.”

“We know a lot of people, are you’re slowly being let into our massive circle of very well-known people. Welcome to the group, I guess,” she laughed, “You'll either hate or love the fame that comes from this.”

“Well, if its paparazzi and press, I think I’ll hate it.”

“I can promise you right now that it’s not all paparazzi and press, we haven’t been bothered today, probably because we are on the move.”

“You shouldn’t say that, you’ll jinx it.”

“I know a lot about not jinxing it, but that’s a story for another time,” Y/N noticed that when Artemis said this her eyes glazed over and she looked upset.

“You don’t ever have to talk to me about something you’re not ready to talk about,” Y/N reassured her.

“Hey, the trauma makes me funny.”

“Two can play that game.”

They would ramble on for the rest of the walk to their college. Nothing really of substance, just getting to know each other further. She was glad she found a friend in Artemis, it would have sucked if the two of them didn’t get along, but with each word they exchanged, they had so much fun.

She even told Artemis about that time she played Katherine Howard in her school’s budget play of Six - The Musical. She was proud of the riffs she was able to do, but she didn’t talk about it often. She was never the type of brag about her achievements, no matter how amazing they were.

But Artemis and Y/N parted ways and Y/N went to her class and wrote the same, boring, scribbly and barely legible notes. She figured eventually she’d need nicer handwriting, but did she want to work on it? No.

When she finished, she saw Artemis and who she could only assume to be Wally, at Artemis’ class doors. She waved to Artemis, before Artemis called her over.

“Y/N! Hey, I would ask how class is, but this is Wally,” she gestured to the red-head boy beside her, and Y/N held out her hand to shake Wally’s.

“Hi, Wally.”

“Y/N. It’s nice to meet you since Jason can’t shut up about you and my girlfriend likes you a lot.”

“Well that's sweet of you Artemis. You’re just so in love with me,” Y/N joked.

“Girl. You know it,” Artemis joked back.

“You two already have a close bond? That’s impressive,” Wally said, “Never seen anyone win over any of my friends this quickly,” he muttered.

They joked for a little while longer, just getting to know Wally before she had to go, she had to get to Jason’s.

The walk was a while away, so she went and sat on a park bench for a minute to check her phone, Jason had texted her.

Hey baby, are you coming over?

I am, yes. I actually just met Wally.

You met Wally and I wasn’t there to see it? C’mon.

Artemis introduced us! Go yell at her.

Oh. Never mind. I won’t do that.

Ha! Scared of her?

Maybe a little, she can be scary, okay?

You can’t tell but I’m laughing at you.

Dhmu.

That’s fine, I’ll just go hang out with Alfred and not you. He seems like he would be spiteful like me.

That’s unfair.

I thought you said don’t hit me up?

Fuck.

Checkmate.

I am upset.

No you’re not.

No I’m not.

She would walk down the street further, maybe within a couple steps to reach the Manor, when a man dragged her into an alleyway. She yelped.

“Uh, hello? Can I help you?” she asked, pretending she wasn’t terrified.

“How much would Bruce give me for you?” the attacker mumbled before he tried to knock her to the ground, but she had another plan.

He grabbed her, put his face close to hers, and she head-butted him, he would stumble back, and she started running to the Manor.

“Come here you fucking bitch!” he screamed. She could feel her nose bleeding as she ran and ran, the security saw her and pulled her into the gateway before drawing their guns and urging her to run to the steps of the Manor.

And she ran. The security at the door saw her and let her in, and yelled for Alfred.

“What is this nonsense, oh,” Alfred paused when he saw the blood running out of Y/N’s nose, “Miss Y/N, what happened to you?” he asked before grabbing her hand and pulling her into the entry-way bathroom and opening a first-aid kit.

“Okay so, what happened was I was walking to the Manor because my car got towed right? And this fucking bastard dude pops out from an alleyway and pulls me into it, asks some bullshit about how much Bruce would pay for me, when he grabbed me and tried to knock me down, when I head-butted him and started running,” she said, completely unphased.

Alfred didn’t respond to her and started to stop the bleeding when Bruce called for him, “In the entry-way bathroom, Master Wayne!” he answered.

Bruce came around the corner and saw Alfred was already tending to Y/N, “Well, this is the event where I meet my son’s girlfriend, when she is bleeding and running from a strange man in an alleyway.”

“Heh, sorry,” she said and outstretched her hand to shake his, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Bruce.”

“I can tell you’re going to be quite the addition to this household,” he said as he took her hand and shook it, “As long as you’re okay.”

“I’m okay.”

“That’s good. I guess you can’t get mad at Jase for being a reckless man now.”

“I really can’t.”

“Alright, you should be good, Miss Y/N.”

“Thank you, Alfred. But you really didn’t have to.”

“I’ve been taking care of 5 boys and 3 girls since most of them were little, Miss Y/N. A little blood is really no big deal for me to handle.”

“That’s obvious.”

“You can go see the boys now, they’re going to ask you though,” Bruce said.

“I know.”

She walked to Jason’s room, hoping that he wouldn’t have all of his siblings in the room, he did though.

“Hey, Y/N- what the fuck happened to you?” Jason exclaimed when she opened the door.

“Oh great, all your siblings are here. Anyway, I guess,” she paused, taking in a big breath so she could run through the events quickly, “So I was walking here ‘cause my car got towed, right? When some fucking bastard man grabs me and yanks me into an alleyway and starts going off about how much Bruce will pay him to get me back or something,” she paused again, “And when he tried to knock me down by getting really close and personal to my face, like an idiot I should add, I head-butted him.”

“You did what?’

“I’m not done yet, met your dad when I actually had blood running out of my nose because that's just my fucking luck. Okay, now you can be disappointed in me,” she joked.

“I will say again, you did what?”

“Something stupid?” she said.

“You could say that again, my god, what went through your head?”

“Uh, nothing. Just survival. Fight or flight but I head-butted a man, and hi, everyone.”

“Hi, Y/N, I’m Dick,” Dick said, “You clearly are meant for Jason,” he joked, “That's something he would do.”

“Don’t encourage her, Dick!”

Stephanie got up and greeted her, “You know, Y/N, I always wanted a crazy sister,” she joked, “I’m Stephanie, the black-haired girl is Cass, and the red-head is Barbara.”

“Me too,” Cass hopped onto the joke.

“It’s something else when you meet the girl your brother is dating after she head-butted a man, apparently,” Y/N laughed, “I know it’s far-fetched-”

“Not really,” Tim cut her off, “You know Jason protected Will when they were attacked?”

“That’s Tim, by the way,” Dick said.

“So you can’t yell at me for head-butting a man!” Y/N joked at Jason while going to sit beside him, he slinged an arm around her shoulder and leant his head into her head.

“Well, you seem like a nice enough girl,” Barbara said, “Take away the reckless behavior, and you are lovely.”

“That is valid, to be honest. Not exactly the way you want to meet your brother’s girlfriend.”

“You think?” Jason asked, sarcastically.

“Ha ha.”

“See, she thinks I’m funny, why can’t you fucks?”

Y/N laughed and then asked Dick, who was playing RE8 at the time, staring at the photo of Donna Bentiveno, “She’s cute, isn’t she, Dick?”

“Have I been staring?”

“Let’s just say Angie is probably very pissed at you.”

“Oh! Whoops. There’s a point to this, I forgot.”

“I don’t blame you, I remember forgetting there was a point and the little bitch devil doll would attack you.”

“Language.”

“Oh no, you’re lame. Gross.”

“Excuse me?” Dick asked as the rest of the room erupted in laughter.

“Do you guys see why I like her now?” Jason asked.

“Uh no, she’s mean,” Dick said.

“You’re going to die if you don’t start paying attention, Dick,” Y/N said.

“Oh!” and he died.

“And that kids, is why we listen to the person who’s 100%’ed the game.”

------------------------------

Y/N and Jason would spend hours with his brothers and sisters until the sun started to set and they all scattered to their own rooms to  do their own things. you can’t keep a lot of kids in one room for so long.

Once everyone left, Y/N placed her hands on Jason and kissed him, she was actually able to be laid on his pillow, he was able to pin her to the bed. And they did just that. He was on top of her, using his one arm to prop himself up and using his other hand to touch her face.

Her hands found their way into his hair like they always did, she found a lot of joy in playing with his hair. Their tongues danced together, they never fought or anything, they just enjoyed each other when Jason let out a small moan and she let out a small laugh.

“Keep it in your pants, Tiger,” she joked, “You’re not fully healed.”

“You literally smashed your face into another man but I can’t moan when I kiss you?”

“Because I know you want more.”

“Hell yeah I do,” he said as he went back for more, actually using his strength to keep her to the bed, but she didn’t protest this time.

[pebblysand]

of breakable clay [extended author's notes on chapter viii of castles]

oh my god. it’s out. jesus christ.

okay first off, before i dive into anything, i know i’ve already done this in the actual a/n but i would like to wholeheartedly thank @whiffingbooks over on discord for helping me with figuring out the structure of things fic. although i have to admit i did not, at all, do what i told you i would do, talking it out was massively helpful in figuring this one out, so thanks a million. secondly, i would like send all of my most sincere and affectionate thanks to @whizzfizz on here, who mother-of-god basically designed this entire chapter and listened to me rant, and rant, and rant about it for days on end without complaining. i’ll go into a bit more depth later on, but THANK YOU.

now, a few facts on this chapter before i dive further in:

wordcount: 19168. i legit would apologise for this but i promised i wouldn’t so i’m not going to. that’s growing up people. don’t apologise for yourselves haha.

soundtrack: so i’ve never mentioned this but each chapter kind of has a soundtrack? like a song that i listened to on loop while writing this. here, i would basically point you to the entire spotify of a band called barns courtney (there’s one album and a few eps), i basically listened to all of their songs on loop this past month. i feel like they have such a strong gryffindor energy, in the good, the bad and the ugly. this chapter is definitely sort of an ode to gryffindors so their music was a very big inspo. if i had to point you to one song, it would probably be dopamine.

favourite line: ‘I dig my fingernails into the inside of my palms and it feels like the blood that comes out is already boiling.’

what is this chapter about? now, that’s an easy one. survival.

okay, now, spoilers under the cut.

ugh. holy fucking shit. i’m actually at a stage right now where i strongly believe that no one on earth will want to read this because everyone probably hates me right now for the choices that i made, especially after i made you wait almost three months for this shit. i always feel like whatever i’ve put out was the hardest chapter to write so far but this one was really out there in terms of struggles - i’m really sorry it took so long, but here we are.

there are reasons, though. first, as i said in my may round up, i didn’t really start writing this until about a month ago, because a lot of things were happening in my life that i needed to take care of. i took exams (which i passed!!!!), my mum had a health emergency, ireland added france to their mandatory quarantine list (it has been removed as of yesterday thank. fucking. christ) and i started a new job. it was a lot.

anyway, this being said, when i did get to writing this chapter, as mentioned above in the thank-you section, i kind of first struggled with the structure of it. now, you will see this is a recurring theme this time around but for this, my instincts were telling me one thing, and my brain was saying something else.

basically, what came first here wasn’t the actual content of ginny’s letters (more on that, obviously, in a minute) but the ‘mood’ i wanted for the chapter. i wanted to recreate, both for harry and for the reader, this sort of idea of being completely immersed in a book or a story. like, you know the kind of mood where reality just kind of blends out, where you start reading something and just. cannot. stop. i don’t think he’s much a reader (at least not canonically) and so i wanted this to take him by surprise, for her to take over his life with her words. i explained in the previous a/n [link] i chose to have ginny’s war be told through letters (basically, i thought it would be the best way to narratively tell her story), and i really wanted harry to experience what she’d lived through almost first hand.

now, interestingly, my idea for how to do this originally was to have the letters sort of be interwoven into the events of 1999, throughout the next couple of chapters (meaning this one and chapter nine). i had this idea in my head of him living through ‘real life’ things but not being able to take his mind off her letters, with the letters also sort of echoing the events that were happening in 99, etc. having the two plot lines develop at once and meet in the middle, kind of.

and i tried to write that. for a long time. spoiler alert, it didn’t work. i think the reason is that every time i sat down with it, i felt like i was doing a disservice to both stories. i mean: 97/98 is important, but 99 also is, you know? and by taking the narrative in and out all the time, it was like you couldn’t concentrate on one thing. it was just very messy and didn’t have the intensity i was originally aiming for because it kept being dragged out of whatever was the main action at the time. i wanted harry to get sucked into the narrative, for her letters to take over his life, but in the end, the impression i just got was that the whole thing was confusing af. instead of deeply caring about both, i couldn’t bring myself to care either for ginny’s story, or for his.

also, i just kept hitting a wall: a wall called harry. basically, i knew that the next two chapters (i.e. eight and nine) would stretch from january 99 to june 99. and for the love of god, no matter how many times i turned it around in my head, there was - to me - no way that harry as we know him would just pace himself to read her letters throughout all those months. like, harry fucking potter isn’t the kind of guy who ‘paces’ himself. he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t sleep for a week to get through it all, you know? this is everything that he’s wanted to know since last may, he’s been desperately looking for answers up to this point, there is absolutely not way in hell that he’d wait it out nicely until june. it felt ooc to have him read the letters over a few months. and i just kept hitting that wall over and over. i considered, at one point, building him reading the letters into flashbacks but flashbacks of flashbacks were, again, quite messy, and i don’t think her letters would ever be something he’d volunteer to re-read, so. clearly, it wasn’t working.

then, i think on a random sunday a few weeks ago, i just went back to the drawing board and was like: okay, say we just write all of the letters and go from there, what would happen? by the end of the day, i’d written 12,000 words and that was that, really.

now, the second difficulty, once i’d decided that was…. what you all probably want me to talk about.

i know this is probably not what you want to hear but: i didn’t really plan this? like, i understand that a lot of people have sort of a headcanon about what happened to ginny in that year in hogwarts but i … don’t. like, as planned as this fic is (which it is, i know where i’m going, i promise) that was always a bit of a blank-space-tbd in my head. i think that this story, as hinny as it is, is mostly about harry. and while i knew what i wanted for harry from her telling her story (for him to get sucked in, for him to realise that his war wasn’t the only war in the world ‘cause he’s been bloody self-centered so far, for him to realise that his plan to protect her didn’t exactly work because it didn’t cater for who she is, etc.), i wasn’t really sure what that story was. i mean, i knew it was going to be bad and traumatic, obviously, but i didn’t know what would happen. and still, to me, what i wrote is a version of that year. it’s not really my headcanon (i still don’t really have one), and i definitely accept other versions, if that makes sense.

this being said, i obviously had thought about it a little. i remember writing chapter one with that line: ‘They have sex for the first time, that day – his first time and it feels like hers, too, but he wouldn’t dare ask, not anymore, anyways’ and thinking i wanted to leave the door open. to me, it was a door completely open: it could have indeed been her first time, or she could have seen someone else (consensually) during that year, or she could have been assaulted. i honestly didn’t know but yeah, that was always a possibility in the back of my head.

then, to tell you the truth, when i wrote the first version of this chapter (the 12,000 words i mentioned earlier), it wasn’t there. i sat down and decided that i wasn’t going to go there. firstly, because, while you probably don’t know this, i’ve written about sexual assault before. my previous long fic, children, in another fandom, dealt (in part) with that. and i didn’t want to be the-fic-writer-who-writes-about-sexual-assault. especially because trust me, there are people who are a lot more legitimate to talk about this than i am. i also didn’t feel like it was necessary to the story, i could do without it and still explain ginny’s early behaviour in the fic, explain her trauma, and have harry realise the things i talked about before. secondly, i’ll be honest: i know this isn’t what people in this fandom want to read. the hinny pairing is mostly about love and fluff (which i love, btw, don’t get me wrong) and i was like, ugh, i don’t want to face the angry comments. i’m writing this a/n the morning before posting so i admittedly don’t know what the reaction will be but i do anticipate a lot of annoyance with me. i knew that a lot of people wouldn’t like it if i went there, and it was just easier not to.

but then, as i started editing, there was a comment (and this, ladies and gentlemen, is a testament to how much your comments fucking matter, okay?). a comment that i remembered reading on the previous chapter and could not get out of my head, no matter how much i tried. well, hello, @whizzfizz. i’ll happily give credit where credit is due. it read:

This made me think of something you mentioned earlier in the fic (possibly Ch1) about Harry not being sure if he was Ginny’s first but that it felt like it. I wonder if this is something that is going to come up in her letters to him.

and, so, it turned. around and around in my head, and i couldn’t get it out. and i kept saying to myself: no, you’re not going there. no, you’re not going there. and then, one night, i caved. i was like, fuck, i need to know if this person really meant what i think they meant by this. and so we talked. a lot. and, i did a lot of thinking. about women. about wars. about violence against women as a an inevitable weapon of war. about ginny being harry’s girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend (more on that later), and what that would have meant in their world. and @whizzfizz, you said something that in the end really sold me. you said: ‘at this point, i don’t think it would be realistic for it not to have happened.’ and, that was that, really.

because i was right, initially. amycus/ginny (ugh, the idea of a pairing makes me throw up in my mouth a little but yeah, there it is) isn’t necessary to the story. but i believe it to be necessary to what this story is trying to show. the plot held well without it, no questions asked. 12,000 words of the da and their battles, of ginny’s rebellions. it was fine. but i think i wanted more than fine. to me (and i appreciate how fucking pretentious that is, please slap me in the face *eyeroll*), castles is more than its plot. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: this is about what is behind ‘all was well.’ it’s about trying to paint a realistic picture of their lives. and that includes the war. and realistically, as far as i’m concerned, knowing how humans fight their wars, knowing our history and the history of violence against women construed as a weapon in literally every conflict there ever was, there is no way that this didn’t happen. ginny says it herself: for us girls, it’s just the way wars are fought.

so, i did go there. and the whole fandom probably hates me for going there, but i sort of stand by it, i have to say. to be honest, on a sort of subconscious level, i kind of wonder: didn’t i always know i was going to go there? like, this fits perfectly into the plot to the point that i think it was probably in my head for much longer than i care to admit. now, i’m so, fucking excited to write next chapter because i finally get to write happy things, and hinny getting back together on rock solid foundations of openness and sharing, and trust, and i’m so, so glad. there are a couple of scenes in the next chapter that i’ve been working towards for months and i’m so, bloody excited to write them. everyone might hate me and i might just be writing this fic for myself now (lol), but again, i stand by the decisions i took. to me, it fits.

phew. okay, now that huge thing is out of the way and explained, here are a few more jumbled thoughts:

the more i think about it, the more i think that my reason for not wanting to be the-fic-writer-who-writes-about-sexual-assault is a bit ridic. children and castles, in that way, are so, so different. like, i appreciate the overlap between the silk fandom and the hp fandom is probably ridiculously small but if you’ve read both stories, they’re obviously very different. one thing that both stories centre on, though, is consent. and to me, that’s probably the most interesting element of ginny/amycus, and the most interesting element of writing characters within a restrictive pov, rather than an omniscient one. like, do i think ginny/amycus is rape? yes. 100%. do i think that ginny thinks it’s rape? that is a much more interesting question. she says it a number of times but i think to her, this is all about control. i think that because of what happened to her with tom, she’s someone who is terrified of losing control of her mind and of her own agency. so as not to lose that, she’s willing to do whatever it takes. it is a ‘you can control my body, but not my thoughts,’ sort of narrative. and, she never says it outright because i think psychologically she’s just not there yet, but tom is everywhere in these letters. and as her world just spirals out, she hangs onto the very few things that she can control: her relationship to harry, and her willingness to do what it takes for them to survive. she initiates the ‘relationship’ with amycus in an attempt to control her fate. later, as she explains to harry she feels a lot of guilt over what she did, and like a lot of sexual assault survivors, she thinks it was her responsibility. because i’m in harry’s head most of the time for this fic, i’m not sure i’ll ever really get to discuss that at length, but it’s definitely something that i wanted to show. another interesting question is: does harry think it’s rape? i think at that point in the fic, he doesn’t have the education, nor the vocabulary for that. i think instinctively (because he is someone who is very instinctive), he doesn’t blame her. if he blames anyone, it’s probably himself. he understands the necessity to do what you have to do to survive and thinks that no, no matter what she claims, that was not consented. that’s kind of what comes out in his annoyingly inarticulate letter to her at the end. beyond that, though, i think he’s a bit lost, just like she is.

on a mildly related note, there is something that i've been seeing a lot in the comments and that i feel like i should maybe address? namely: harry's reaction to ginny dating other people. i assume similar comments will be made about his reaction to ginny/alecto (meaning that he still decides to write to her, at the end of the chapter). i've seen a lot of people observe that he's much more 'chill' about it in castles than in canon. fair point but is he, though? like, he isn't happy about it in castles. and he's jealous as well. but he was never entitled in canon. he was jealous, yes, the chest monster and all that, but he never really did anything about it, and never really impeded on her right to see other people. now, this being said, i agree that in sixth year he might have thrown a tantrum, had she done what she did in castles, but that was sixth year. it was before the war. before he lost half a dozen people. before he had to adult bloody fucking quickly. this being said, i do think castles-Harry is more 'subdued,' i suppose, than canon harry. this is a choice i made early on, which to me is related to the fact that he kind of lost his 'voice' during the war. i mean, it took him six months of people talking shit behind his back to do a press interview to defend himself. i think with ginny, it's a lot of the same. he's a boy who blames himself a lot, and generally doesn't particularly think he deserves the people in his life. to me it's an evolution of his character within the the world of castles. i'm happy to agree to disagree on it, but to me it makes sense within the character evolution and the way the fic's gone, so to speak. now, obviously, he'll grow out of that in due course, but we're not quite there yet.

regarding their relationship, now, i have to say: one headcanon that i did have for this was her not outright telling everyone they’d broken up. i’m sorry, that plan was shit. i just don’t buy for a second that she would willingly have gone ahead with it, and i don’t buy for a second that tom wouldn’t have used her had he known they’d been together, ex girlfriend or not. plus, i think she needed something to hand onto, and that was her relationship with him. her letters. the belief that they would be together again. without it, i don’t think she’d have survived. and i think that summer after the war, they were totally on the same page, for different reasons. both of them kind of saw their relationship as the one thing that kept them afloat, the one good thing they had, partly also because they’d idealised it for so long. she says it as some point, it wasn’t a relationship, it was a lifeline (another sentence i came up with as a response to a comment, lol) and while that is toxic and was meant to crumble at some point, it was necessary for them, both during the war, and in the early days after it. i think her last letter to him is painstakingly correct on that one.

regarding canon, i know i’m bending a couple of things here, which i just wanted to quickly acknowledge: 1) i know jkr has said it’s teddy remus lupin. i just can’t believe, for a moment, that someone who hated himself as much as lupin did, canonically, would name his son after himself. naming his son after his best mate who died to young to become problematic though? i totally see it. so yeah, creative licence, it’s teddy james lupin in this house, lol. 2) when they meet neville in dh, he kind of hints that they’ve only just started to use the room of requirement a couple weeks ago. the text however, only says they’ve only been staying in it full time a couple of weeks ago. i needed them to have somewhere where to meet with the da and stuff, so i bent that a bit. it’s not strictly canon, but it’s also not not canon, if that makes sense.

on seamus blowing things up and talking about eight hundred years of oppression? full disclaimer, while i am french, i have been living in ireland for long enough to become eligible for citizenship in less than six months (yay!). i know some people have said that seamus is a bit of a cliche in the books/films and all (the only irish character keen on blowing things up, haha *eyeroll*), but i actually kind of love it? like, the whole thing about the cranberries and zombie at the start of the fic has been in my head for much longer than i care to admit. i love the idea that there’s this whole muggle war going on at the exact same time that no one ever talks about and actually, i find the idea of wizarding ireland v. muggle ireland and the whole political structure fascinating. like, is wizarding ireland an independent state? what’s the story there? i have a whole seamus fic in my head, partially on this topic, that i might or might not write one day.

lastly, i know this may sound a bit weird but i need to say it: once i’d figured out what and how i was writing it, i bloody loved writing this chapter. first stylistically, i really wanted to mimic the style of how i’d written the magazine article in chapter 5 (i.e. not writing out the whole thing but writing out in text the excerpts that harry focused on) and i love how that turned out. i think it was a good way to balance her words and his, kind of merging them into one, big narrative. second, as a writer, it was so fucking interesting to write someone who knows how to write, which believe it or not i’d never done before. additionally, i loved the challenge of editing this because it was like: i’ve got to edit this, but not too much? i was very careful about modifying and polishing too much of ginny’s speech in the letters because i obviously wanted it to sound like someone who was just writing as the words came to her, without polishing the words, the punctuation, etc. like i usually would. i wanted her to have quirks (she says ‘you know?’ a lot) and i played with her capitalisation and punctuation a bit too. i know these aren’t necessarily noticeable details but it was definitely something that i thought about and that was very fun and interesting to write, as a format.

wow, okay. this was LONG but i think i have everything i wanted to say. if you’ve read all of this (whyyyyy?), thanks so much for sticking around. if you’ve got any questions, anything i didn’t address, do let me know, anon or not, my ask box is open. now, i would love to say i’m going to chill or something, but the truth is that i have to a) actually do a last read through of the fic, lol and b) put it out. this is what i get for writing the a/n before finishing the damn thing, i guess. i’ll rest tomorrow, lol.

lastly, in terms of next chapter, realistically, i’d say eight to ten weeks. i have a full time job now and also, writing this was fucking exhausting and i need to take time out for a bit before coming back to it with a fresh mind. i will be writing other stuff though, i promise. i have a couple of prompts to get to (thanks!!!) and a couple of other ideas so i will probably be posting in the meantime, just not castles.

lots of love,

p.

[radbutsafe]

ALL FUCKIN 35 OF THEM SKLNWESDJFPXO

I SHOULDVE EXPECTED THIS FROM YOU

1. From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

A three! I think I’m mid range cause I ain’t terrible but there is still shit I gotta improve and grow in my writing

2. Why do you write fanfiction?

to manifest what canon won’t give me and to write more! (though yes it is mainly about the smooching and the— I’ll stop there LOL)

3. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

Hm! My weird research details? I’m that “fun fact, did you know...” in my fics sometimes LOL! I plan on giving a penthouse for erina in a fic and I went through penthouse listings in Japan for floor layouts and locations💀 my research gives me inspo and depth to stuff I think I lack in comparison to others sometimes.

4. Are there any writers that inspire you?

In terms of fellow fic writers, one of them I can’t name here but she’s an inspiration with her exceptional gift for prose period and her lovely skill at comedy! I want to be as funny as her when I write, I love her ironic situational humor. Other fic writers are @takoyakitenchou, @royaldragonsevgisi15 who I always love sharing ideas with and motivate me to create more! For non-fic writers it would be V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Oda, and Horikoshi! The last two may be mangaka, however they are writers as well to create their stories! The depth these creators have given their worlds and interesting characters theyve given life to are all what I aspire to be like!

5. What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

so far uh?? hm everything I’m currently writing are wips lol!! im proud of my wip that has been nicknamed ‘soma panics’ that is a multi-chapter fic that spans like probs 20 plus chapters maybe

6. What element of writing do you find comes easily?

dialogue! it’s so much fun! and character thoughts. I’ve said to people I may be better suited for script writing

7. What element of writing do you struggle with most?

I think it’s description, of like setting and showing action. also an expansion of my vocabulary LOL

8. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write?

erina! I think it’s because canon has shown us many of her different faces and range of emotion.

9. Which character(s) do you find most difficult to write?

SOMA!! chill ass mofo whos more carefree compared to the common shonen protagonist! for other shokugeki characters I’m not sure just yet because I haven’t flexed my fingers enough for the rest of them.

10. What’s your favorite genre to write for?

I guess I should say romance cause that’s what I mostly write LOL!

11. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

sorina and I try to get them to smooch eventually KEK and yeah it’s..usually romantic fluff lmao

12. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about.

HONESTLY ALL OF THEM but “soma panics” is my brain child

13. First fandom you ever wrote for?

pretty sure it’s digimon....

14. What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

currently shokugeki no soma!!!!

15. What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve ever written for?

uhhhh I guess SNS? LMAO fandoms...all have their quirks to them.

16. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

characters cuddling!!!! or getting the urge to smooch!!!!

17. A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

unrequited love GOOD FUCKIN BYEEEEEE

18. Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

I have plot ideas thst can be wild potentially but so far nothing fits this criteria so far that I actually have written.

19. Do you prefer canon-compliant, AUs, or something in-between?

depends on the fandom, but if written well, all of it!

20. Gen fic or shippy stuff?

shippy 100% like I said I like smoochin

21. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

romantic is...*drumroll* SORINA! platonic, soutaku and erina and alice!

22. Do you listen to anything while you write?

Sometimes! There are times songs will be on loop and times I just shuffle a playlist. and if I’m writing in random bursts it’ll be with no music but it really does depend lmao I think music is when I’m forcing myself to write?

23. Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

completely independent ideas, I’ve realized in the past prompts shoot me in the foot often unless I luckily figure something out. but I’m often driven by my own sporadic self interest with shitty ping ponging attention

24. One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

multi-chap I guess cause I can post without being finished LOLLL but tbh can I really answer? I haven’t finished anything.....

25. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

I can’t answer this question imo because I haven’t finished a fic yet so technically stuff could all fit in the one fic?

26. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

MYSTERY AND CRIME! I love the genre and I have plot ideas once a blue moon but I can’t dive in because I want to make details that work and reduce plot holes where suspension of disbelief isn’t as needed. I need to study it more (I need to study all the details for any of my fics imo to be confident sometimes LOL)

27. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

I don’t think I can say one comment was the nicest because I’ve gotten comments that have given me quite the smiles to my face many times! I know this is a cop out but it’s true!

IS WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY UNTIL REINA SENT ME THE FOLLOWING ON DISCORD LIKE TWENTY MINS AGO:

and also rad. i am never this vocal about my emotions like EVER but this needs to be said your fics are obviously far from perfect, as are mine and everyone else's. but the thing about your works is that they're so well-sanded that it's impossible to find any rough edges or faults in them in terms of cohesion to a plot. your cast is never OOC and the amount of effort you devote to developing your takes on the characters as accurately as possible is unimaginably awe-inspiring.

BITCH I WANNA CRY 😭

28. How well do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

I’d like to believe I take it often well to try and improve because that’s always my goal. if someone is rude lol that’s not constructive snd is unhelpful. If I disagree with criticism I’ll explain why !

29. Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

Not yet, but I have some plot ideas I think will let me test this.

30. Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

F L U F F.

31. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

elliott fuji, a japanese-american award winning photographer who is erina’s boyfriend in ‘soma panics’ which..causes soma’s panic LOL he’s 30 with slightly wavy black hair. I still haven’t pinpointed his personality just yet...he kind of humble brags for sure an artsy fucker and flirts maybe I’ll make him a lil shy though. he teaches sometimes, and becomes an adjunct photography professor in Tokyo so he can be with erina.

32. Summarize a random fic of yours in 10 words or less.

a cook is unfashionably late in realizing his feelings.

33. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

I am a slow. so slow. motivation who is she? I also write out of order, unfortunately a bit too often.

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

this should be for the fic ‘soma panics’ it’s either megumi or satoshi talkin to him rn, I’m leaning towards satoshi

“You thought she would always wait for you, didn’t you Soma-kun? To always welcome you home.”

Soma drags his palms down his face and groans. He doesn’t like this at all. He doesn’t shy from confrontation but this is a whole different ballgame. Soma doesn’t play any ball.

“I guess..?” Is his reply, because he thinks he isn’t sure how to answer that.

“You guess?”

Just being questioned again is enough to crack Soma’s pathetic facade as if it was dropped chinaware and he lets out the longest sigh.

“No.”

Coming home means coming home to Nakiri Erina too.

Nakiri Erina is his forever.

this is @takoyakitenchou’s excerpt she’s most proud of that I’ve written, which is also from you guessed it, the long fic soma panics

SOMA: I am, I mean I will be, I swear I will always come home to you, not spend as much time abroad, once I’m done with work I’ll come right back. I’ll make sure to message you. Nakiri, I’m in love you with you. Maybe for a really long time. You know how I say I dedicate my food to you? My dad—my dad said that the key to become a good chef is to find someone to dedicate your cooking to. A special someone. For my dad it was my mom, you know? For me it’s...

(this is a good piece of dialogue tbh so I am also proud of this)

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I’ve mentioned it throughout this but the WIP I’ve nicknamed ‘soma panics’ is something I’m super excited to write, but it’s going on slowly...and almost completely out of order. out of all of my writing it showed off that particular habit of mine, along with “what is this, a shoujo manga?!” though the latter is currently being written chronologically now that I’ve posted chapter one and is pretty solid in direction. it was originally supposed to be a one shot but I got impatient and wanted to post at least something for the sorina / soueri fandom.

however, because ‘soma panics’ (I won’t call it that LOL) is my baby I want to keep true to my rule of refusing to post it until I have a draft of the entire fic finished and I’m satisfied with the main points pretty much. due to my writing out of order, I’m worried I’ll change my mind about scenes or want to reflect things in earlier chapters for later ones etc etc

I joined the SnS fandom extremely late, as season five was airing. I was a fan of the manga five years ago and dropped it because I forgot to check for updates when I caught up 😔 I really want to bang out the different fics and aus for sorina that I have before the fandom fizzles out entirely but tbh I’m writing for myself, I’m manifesting what I want to see and I’ll just share it with all my friends to read if no one else will. cause I’m slow broski I dunno what writing fast even is like LMAO I do really want to write faster though, so I can contribute more and let the words free from the discord dms....

[the-darklings]

—𝗖𝗢𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗤;

Hello, everyone! So with COA being such a long-running series and new readers finding it constantly, I have come to realise that a lot of questions I get often repeat. So to keep everything easy and clear and friendly for everyone regardless of whether you started COA at the very beginning of the story or just recently found it, I have spent the day relaxing, eating junk food, and compiling this FAQ. Please read through it because chances are the answers are here somewhere. I have sectioned the guide into following: general, story, ships, original squad (OCs), AUS, OC!V and tips/advice. If the answer to your question is not here, please feel free to send me a message and have a wonderful day! <33 - kat.

GENERAL:

when does this story update?

I try to keep a bi-weekly schedule (now usually Sunday updates). But I always let you know when the chapter is done by making a final word count post (pre edits). 

do you have a masterlist?

yes, you can find it here.

do you have a tag list?

not for COA. they’re very time consuming and I’m already really busy sorry :(

are your requests open?

I rarely open my inbox for requests. the only exception being the monthly blurb nights. then I reblog a prompt list and let people send some requests in for any fandom/ship. however, usually due to how many I get, it only happens every few months. that being said, you can still send me ideas/suggestions and if it inspires me, I will write it. that’s how the majority of the AUs have come about. but i’m also a very busy person so sorry if I can’t. 

can I make X or Y for COA and tag you?

yes. yes. yes. please, please, feel free to create whatever for COA (no matter how small or silly) because I consider it a great honour that I’ve been able to inspire someone else. whatever it is, please tag me. I wanna see.

okay, I made a thing and tagged you but you didn’t respond :(

Tumblr is notorious for eating my notifs. whatever it is (art/post/etc) if I don’t respond to it in a day or two, please give me a nudge. you’re not being annoying, I promise. chances are I missed it/tumblr ate it. 

I wanna scream/discuss/theorise about COA with others, is there any way for me to do that?

my amazing readers have set up this reddit page that is full of lovely people, theories, and memes etc. I check it often and interact on there, too, so feel free to drop by.

STORY:

how many chapters will COA be?

25. the last one being a very long epilogue.

have you decided on the ending yet?

yes. from as early as part 2. it's barely changed since. 

will we ever see more of Prague/Naples? hoe, please say yes.

yes. I plan to write both as COA bonus stories after the main story-line concludes.

will there be a sequel? 

depends. on two things: 1) if anyone will even care by that point 2) time. this story has consumed 5 months of my life entirely. i’ve been incredibly strict with myself when it comes to writing it (in a good way) but at best it won’t be finished till the end of august/beginning of september. so likely even if I do, there will be a break for a few months at least. I do have ideas though.

you promised us smut. where is it?

patience is a virtue. ;)

happy ending or tragedy? (please don’t say tragedy, you monster)

I would describe it more as “bittersweet” but whether it leans more towards bitter or sweet you’ll have to see.   

SHIPS:

any endgame hints?

you know more about the ending than you probably realise

can v/s finally go to Paris? for the love of GOD? pLEASE?

no

hector + v? powerful. will there be more of them in the future? 

agreed & yes. hector and v have their own arc to go on. it’s actually one of my favourites in this story. I don’t want to say more than that right now because I have plans for their dynamic so no spoilers. :)

please stop bullying john. give us some j/v content please? 

i, for one, adore john. it’s team S that’s bullying him lol. but wait till parabellum. i’ve always referred to that portion of the story as the second coming of j/v.

does lucien actually have a thing for v or is it a creepy obsession? 

it’s both.

I ship v with everyone :/ is that bad?

the sky is the limit. ship all the things proudly (but seriously, no, it isn’t. I ship all the ships, too, and that’s the fun of it) 

v/elder tho? 👀

🔫🤡

j/v or s/v? be honest.

you fool,,,, you buffoon. ot3 j/v/s is where it’s really at. imagine their POWER.   

ORIGINAL SQUAD:

what do the Elites/Lovers look like/how old are they?

please refer to this

will there be more step??

of course. he’s my baby. :)

will we see more of camorra/learn more about the elite’s and their backstories?

while I would love to take the time and flesh them all out with full backstories, only hector will be getting his backstory explored in the main canon because plot.

does lucien care for mika anymore or has he replaced her with v?

lucien is a messy hoe. mika is his subject of “affection” but v is his foil and equal. he recognises the same hurt in her that he has gone through himself so it’s more of a fixation. with time, lucien would likely destroy v so no bueno. 

I ship our OCs.

I do, too.

can we write about your OCs/V?

so you would have to come to me and discuss this more in private but I’m fine with this sort of thing usually. in fact, a prequel hector story already exists so you’re likely good but please contact me first. 

AUs:

when/how often do you update the vampire!au?

whenever I have time/inspo. mainly time. so this means you can get it daily or not get it for several weeks because COA is priority. I keep you all updated on when I have something cooking tho.

what is the actual pairing for vamp!au?

undecided as of yet. i’m leaning more towards ot3 right now but we shall see.

how often do you update flowing in me?

same as the above. whenever I have the time but I will keep you updated.

how many parts will flowing in me be?

I have 5 parts(ish) planned.

do you have a tag list for flowing in me?

I will. please leave a comment on the story if you want to be tagged in future parts!

will flowing in me feature other characters (john, winston etc.)?

this story is mainly camorra-centric but I do plan for John to appear at some point.

how did you come up with your lore in vamp!au?

to be completely honest....I just wrote a bunch of stuff down and used what stuck. mostly the ideas were pulled out of thin air while still trying to keep within the spirit of the canon material (the high priest, the holy church, the twelve priests, john being the boogeyman etc). camorra as the natural enemy seemed fitting and santino as a vampire prince even more so.

can we send you new au ideas/expand on old ones (manager!V etc)?

yes, always. I always try my hardest to reply but ofc I can’t promise I’ll be able to use them all but thank you in advance.

OC!V:

who is the face claim for OC!V?

weronika spyrka

what is her real name?

clara

how old is she at the beginning of the story and now?

23 beginning of chapter 1, 30 beginning of chapter 4 (current timeline)

will/would you ever write an original story about her?

I have considered creating something original out of COA itself or one of its sister series/concepts (like FIM). since I really started working on COA during last year’s NaNo, that might be the time I create something original this year. 

TIPS & ADVICE:

how do you write so much, so quickly?

I don’t think that word count is really reflective of the quality work itself. I don’t think you should worry how much you write, either. 100 words can be just as valuable as 1k. most of them time I have a deadline breathing down my neck and I do work well under pressure so that inspires me to force the chapters out. I also do very long days because despite what it might look like I’m not a fast writer.

how can I improve my writing?

read and practice. I know it’s dumb and overused advice but it’s how I learned english and found my style (still a mess and WIP) but still this advice does help. 

how do you keep motivated?

spite, your support, genuine adoration for these characters/word, a lot of spite. 

do you plan? outline?

I have a vague story outline with specific scenes in mind as I go along (helps to set up foreshadowing, twists, and those ‘full circle’ moments). I also plan each chapter scene by scene and know what each chapter is meant to accomplish. So yeah in a sense. 

[sophiexwrites]

A Gift from the Ghost King

Inspired by this awesome headcanon from @give-nico-a-gun, thanks a ton for the inspo! It’s come to be a long-ish one, 2.2k words.

Trigger Warning: Mentions of Christianity and needles, but not in the medical context... it’s really just harmless and sweet.

Setting: General Riordanverse/PJOVerse with canon/established Solangelo.

Mentioned couples Christmas sweaters from the shop (link).

Note: because most people recognise American-English more than normal English, I’ve decided to go American this time, like dropping the u when I have to and using ‘sweater’ instead of jumper so that no-one gets confused (fingers crossed I do it properly).

Nico and Will, for all their opposites, had one major thing in common: they were raised Christian. Neither were quite sure why, since their mothers were well aware of the Greek pantheon of gods rather than a monotheistic one, but they supposed their childhood communities wouldn’t have taken sweetly to the change. 

Which meant the emo teen wasn’t focusing on Halloween this October, but on Christmas. Already. What do you get someone who claims to have it all? 

Talking to his friends didn’t help much. Most of them suggested medical equipment or a simple day off; there were even a few jokes about sunscreen that Nico didn’t quite understand. Those of them who knew Will better said they were buying him new arrows, notebooks or trinkets to fit his sunny-surfer-dude aesthetic - those were great ideas but Nico couldn’t copy them. Will knew him well enough to tell whether it was Nico’s idea or not. The pale teen scowled, wondering why he even asked. He was completely stumped. 

Until early November, that is, when Will began to drop hints. Nico only realised it when when his boyfriend convinced him into a store just to look at their collection of couples Christmas sweaters, covered with sickeningly sweet messages and nicknames.

"Aww. look Neeks - this one says ‘Don't go bacon my heart’!" Will laughed a laugh that turned Nico's cheeks to bright red, pointing at the sweater closest to them. It was attached to another one, reading ‘I couldn’t if I fried’, along with a drawing of a fried egg reaching out toward the other’s bacon.

The hints came a few more times before Nico swallowed his pride and decided to learn how to make one from scratch. Why DIY? Because everything Will did for Nico was done himself: from writing and playing his own music (nevermind how Will’s voice was definitely not winning X-Factor material), to the fake Mythomagic set full of realistic depictions of the gods, or the admittedly adorable summertime picnics with more food and baked goods than Nico could ever eat. Nico felt it was time to return the favor, and step one was learning how to knit.

It started clumsy and full of holes. Nico seemed to have a talent for dropping stitches. The section he was working on started too tight, then so loose that it was almost falling apart. After two weeks of constant secret practice, however, along with more YouTube tutorials and undone rows than he was willing to admit, Nico made something basically shaped like clothing. 

But it was just regular, boring clothing. Of course, Nico knew Will would be overjoyed at just that, but this was the first Christmas the couple planned to spend together, at camp. It was time to go big or go home.

Long story short, Nico swallowed his pride again: this time, to ask his step-mother how to embroider. He was met with suspicious glances and wary questions before Persephone began cooing in delight.

“Oh, that’s the cutest thing! Who knew you could be so soft?” She giggled, already rushing around for threads, test fabrics and needles. “Though I suppose you take after your father, he’s secretly a big softie, y’know - now, are we doing patches, appliques, or diving in the deep end and sewing right onto the yarn?” Nico had a rule not to dive into anything, but with Christmas soon approaching he had to learn fast. Somehow, too, he had to keep it a secret from Will. By December 10th, he’d pretended the wide-eyed needles poking out of his cabin floorboards were totally a prank from Cecile, and Hazel definitely left behind the scrap of paper filled with wobbly cursive last time she visited... Will simply hadn’t noticed. Nico was just glad his boyfriend didn’t have time to read what was on the paper before he snatched it away; that would have ruined it all.

Christmas came quickly, fronted by sleepless nights of embroidery and fingers full of pinpricks for Nico. But he was glad to have it done by Christmas Eve, all wrapped and stashed under the black tree in the Hades Cabin. Usually, he would be spending the night alone, but tonight a warm Will-shaped bundle of joy hugged him while they slept. Nico could only hope he would be as happy the next morning.

“Is this one from you?” Will asked, voice quiet with hidden excitement. Nico nodded, too nervous to speak, pulling at his plain hoodie. The wrapping fell away as Will teared and tugged, soon left left cradling a lump of fabric. “This is... beautiful, Nico!” The nervous boy’s chest sagged in relief, smile stealing onto his face as Will threw off the sweater he was wearing and donned the new creation, spinning around in his rush to the nearest mirror.

“Do you like it?”

“Oh Gods, Nico, of course! Did you make this? Thank you so much!” Will held it up before putting it on, gifting Nico with a laugh like soft rain pattering down on a warm summers day as he read the words out loud. “Significant Annoyance? That’s perfect!” Nico laughed with him, glad the nickname was still well-received, as the teen slipped it on.

He was the greatest model Nico could have asked for. A narrow frame showed off the fabric well: a stunning blue, deep and bright at the same time. Nico thought he’d chosen it because it was cheap, but when Will put it on he realised it’s because it matched the doctor's eyes perfectly. The body of it fit well, even if the arms were a little loose, which made Nico glad he hadn’t painstakingly added rows upon rows of purled stitching for a cute pattern or edge. It wouldn’t have been worth the struggle - the embroidered words were centerpiece enough. They spilled across Will’s chest in a haze of silver, grey and white; threads mixed and blended in the way Persephone had learn from Athena herself. The 20 letters had taken ages to get right, but to see them coupled with Will’s pure joy and excitement as he studied them in his reflection made all the effort worth it.

Needless to say, it beat Will’s gift to Nico that Christmas... which may or may not have been a good thing, because Will’s competitive nature soon swarmed up, and he was already making a gift of his own by the New Year.

“Kayla!” He rushed, panting, into the Apollo cabin from the infirmary. “Please tell me you know where I left my other needle?” Will held a lonely knitting needle in his right hand, pointing it at his half-sister.

“Laundry pile.” She replied, waving behind her towards said pile. It was mainly full of denim and orange cotton, but Will managed to extract the pale wooden tool after some digging. “Why, are you making something again?” It had been years since Will had done any knitting, having been taught by Malcolm Pace of the Athena Cabin during Will’s first few weeks at camp, so Kayla had every reason to be curious. 

“Yep.” Will fell onto his bed, after fishing out a ball of yarn from under it. “You know the sweater Nico made me?”

Kayla laughed, sitting up straight. “The one you’ve been wearing almost every day since?” 

“Yeah, I want to make him one too.”

“What, for Christmas next year or something? Are you just going to hand it to him now?” His head was bent too far over his busy fingers to see as she raised an eyebrow at him, but he knew her sass too well. 

“Oh, totally. You know me, just can’t wait to be organised and do everything in advance.” He grinned down at his work, shaking his head slightly with concentration. He didn’t want to drop a stitch, after all. “It’s his birthday on the 28th, I’m going to give it to him then.”

His sister aww-ed in delight, deciding (for once) to leave him be so that he could get it done on time. Will appreciated that, because he had a lot of work to do in the coming month - or, rather, 27 days.

Will certainly worked hard in those four weeks. Between shifts at the infirmary, general camp stuff and counselor responsibilities, he barely had time to himself let alone keep spending enough time with his boyfriend to make everything seem normal and knit him a sweater. Much like Nico had, he considered just buying one ready-made or getting someone else to help him, but he was eager to do it properly. So, it was a relief after sleepless nights and busy days that Will was finally finished with the sweater three days early; only the embroidery left. But Will was tired and had already misspelt half the terms on his latest patient file, so he had to keep it simple.

GHOST KING 👻  He finished, snipping the end of the silver-white thread. Will held it up to Kayla and the light, dusting off any last threads. “What do you think?”

“Ghost King...” Kayla read, a small smile on her face. “With a tiny ghost, too! That’s adorable, Will.” She wandered a little closer, inspecting the gift in the light cast from the sunrise. “You used a template, right? Because you can’t draw, and your handwriting has never been that good.”

“Geez, Kayla, no need to be so harsh.” Will smiled, clearly joking. “Of course I did, it’s got to be perfect for tonight.” It was already Nico’s birthday; Will stayed up all night to finish on time. Kayla knew this and sighed, deciding to make her brother get some rest.

“I’m covering your shift today, you need to sleep before you have your date tonight.” She decided, swinging Will’s bag over her own shoulder and giving his weary face a last look. “Seriously, sleep. I’ll make up some worthy excuse and tell Nico, he’ll understand.” Will protested for only a moment before yawning, and flopping down onto his bunk.  A sleep couldn’t hurt...

He woke up near sunset that day, almost time to meet Nico. It was a rush for him to get ready and properly awake, but he made it to the woods just as the sun disappeared below the horizon. 

“Will!” Nico waved from the edge, a small look of worry on his face. “I was, um... beginning to think you wouldn’t come.” He admitted, and Will felt his face burn in shame for making his boyfriend worry, even a little.

“Of course I’d come, I just slept in all day. Sorry.” He said, and they wandered a little deeper into the woods, searching for the clearing. Nico insisted it was no problem, which made Will feel more at ease. He was still excited, however, to show Nico what he made (the gift was hidden in his bag, with food for the birthday picnic). 

The two made their way into the clearing in content silence, Will secretly itching to see Nico’s reaction to his gift. But he remained as patient as he could, happy to enjoy Nico’s smiles, quiet laughs and stories, enjoying his birthday together in the peaceful way Nico loved. In fact, Will (and Kayla, but she was sworn to secrecy) was the only demigod at camp who knew it was the Italian boy’s birthday - all Nico’s other friends were off in New Rome or the mortal world, after all. It made for far less stress on Nico’s half: he didn’t want random people wishing him a happy birthday all day. No, Nico di Angelo was perfectly joyful to spend the night with his Significant Annoyance under the stars, especially when he surprised him with a gift.

“Here you go.” Will said, presenting a soft package wrapped in black paper with tiny ghosts. The Son of Apollo bought it specially for that, and the remaining roll would stay unused in his cabin except from wrapping Nico’s other gifts: so he was relived to see the other boy smile ever so slightly. 

“Thanks, Will.”

“Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t opened it!”

“Okay, okay!” He almost laughed, ripping the paper to reveal an equally dark sweater. “Wow, did you make this?” Will hummed in excited agreement, watching Nico unfold and hold it up to the moonlight. 

“Oh my Gods.” He read the words and for a moment Will thought he was going to hate it. But then Nico laughed - no, giggled -  a clear, pure sound cutting through the crisp air like a knife through cake. “It’s pretty cool, thanks Will.” The compliment wouldn’t seem like much to an outsider, but Will knew it meant a lot. Nico turned to look at the blond with his dark brown eyes, plain and simple in a way Will could get lost in forever. They were creased at the sides as he smiled, a true smile with his eyes that Will enjoyed so much. He looked good, too, with the well-fitting black sweater on, small letters and tiny illustration embroidered on the neckline. 

“Stop staring.” Nico suppressed a smile, going red as his boyfriend shook his head slightly before looking Nico in the eye again.

“Aww, but you look so cute!”

[marshunter06]

Mad love to @spoiletd for your post on a Taking Back Sunday song being perfect for canon duncney! Thx for the inspo, and for helping me kinda write one of my fic ideas into an actual thing. This could easily be a multichap fic... maybe one day 🤔

You’re so last summer- Taking Back Sunday (Duncney)

The first time they met was when he got out of juvie, sent to another school right away with his parents promising he would behave this time. Maybe he would have, but meeting Courtney turned that plan completely upside down. She intrigued him the moment their eyes met, she had smiled at him, but her eyes had a mischievous glint.

“Courtney huh? So Miss School President, where’s the tour headed?”

“You’re bad news.”

“I see my reputation precedes me.”

“So does mine.”

He couldn’t quite figure her out, she was an overachiever but there was a dark side to her. He tried his normal smooth talking to get on her good side, but she didn’t bite. She shrugged him off then turned with a sway of her hips tempting him to continue the chase. He followed and fell right into her trap.

Their next interaction improved, he managed to get her to laugh. She was staying after school hanging posters when he spotted her. He’s spent the past few days listening to the rumors about her and none of them made sense. She was supposed to be Miss Perfect and a stuck up Princess, but there was more to her story. Gossip was normal in a high school, but it seems his new classmates wanted him to figure her out on his own.

“I don’t quite understand you Princess, you’re hiding something.”

“Do you wanna know my secret?”

“If you’re going to share it then yeah.”

She smiles that malicious smile once more as she moves closer and closer to him. He found himself stepping backwards until his back hit the wall, nowhere else to run. She leans in, her stare freezing him, her hand goes up to touch his chest trailing her fingers up until she reaches his signature dog collar. Her face inches closer, her lips barely brushes his own. He closes his eyes in anticipation and just like that she pulls away. He opens his eyes as she ruffles his Mohawk slightly messing it up.

“Don’t let it go over to your head.”

“What?”

“Ask me again next time and maybe I’ll tell you.”

Once again she’s walking off with his gaze trailing after her. He wouldn’t give up though, waiting would pay off for him when they meet again. She does more than tell him her secret, she shows him.

“Wanna tell me where we’re going again?”

“Never said I would tell you. Come on tough guy, you said you wanted to know my secret.”

She was holding his hand pulling him along through the woods- a shortcut she claimed. When they finally arrived, loud music was blaring and he realized she brought him to a concert, with her band headlining. She dragged him backstage as she quickly got ready, not even shy about changing in front of him. When she was done all dressed in leather she was already rushing off to a Harley ready to make her entrance on the stage. He would never have believed his princess was this badass if not for seeing her perform in front of his eyes. She was born to be on stage, entertaining the crowd and keeping their attention. He was mesmerized. When it was over, she glanced over at him with a wicked look.

She doesn’t bother getting changed or bidding her crew goodbye. They were used to this it seemed. She drags him away once more, but they don’t get far into the woods before she pounces on him. She kisses him for real this time fueling the flames of desire. She was wild and carefree as they started to explore each other. He never thought she’d be the type to have sex in the outdoors where anyone could walk through catching them in the act.

“...wow.”

“You’re not tough to impress. I expected more from a bad boy.”

“You’re not like any good girl I’ve ever met.”

“Who said I was a good girl?”

She smirks at him then starts to get dressed. They weren’t completely unclothed, just enough to get the job done. She was a princess after all, rolling around in the grass naked was not her idea of fun. He gets dressed too, the silence isn’t awkward, but he wished they were talking instead. He had a million things he wanted to ask her, the most important being if she would be his. He must have accidentally said the words out loud, next thing he knows she has him pushed against a tree again. She kisses him, it was a chaste considering what they had just done, but just as passionate. He was a bit dazed, almost missing what she said.

“Boys like you are a dime a dozen.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means you’re a touch overrated for me. Just because we had sex doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for you. This isn’t a good girl and bad boy type of story.”

“But you said you weren’t a good girl.”

Courtney has Duncan wrapped around her pretty little finger, he would do anything for her, she just had to say the words. He’s never fallen so deeply in before, but he doesn’t care. He just wants to know she feels the same. Even if she’s lying.

And all I (all I)

Need to know (need to know)

Is that I'm somethin you'll be missin

(is that I'm somethin that you're missin)

(maybe I should hate for this)

Maybe I should hate you for this

Never really did ever quite get that far

After months of chasing and sleeping together, he finally caught her. If he was a smart man then he would cherish her and never let her go, too bad fate didn’t think he deserved her.

She was furious. He’s never seen her this angry before. Sure they’ve had fights and banters, but they never meant it, just a front for their peers. She wasn’t quite ready to let the world know that she’d finally found someone she’d like to keep forever. After this though, she wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to keep this relationship.

“I’d never lie to you Princess.”

“You would if you had to.”

“I…”

“Goodbye Duncan.”

“Wait, no! I don’t want us to be over.”

“Over? We never even started. Did you think I would actually miss you? You’re just another toy, and now I’m bored.”

The words cut through him like knives, it hurt hearing her say what he’d always thought to be true about their relationship. She never looked at him like an equal, only a conquest she had her eyes set on. He should hate her for this, but he knew he couldn’t, it was karma for all the hearts he’d broken as a playboy. He just wished she would listen to him, the truth of the matter is that even though she’s killing him with this goodbye, he would still apologize for the pain he’s caused her. Even though he was clearly worse off. Spending a few years behind bars shouldn’t have come as a surprise given how his life was headed, he just never expected her to be the one to send him there.

The next time they met he’d hope it would be the last, wishful thinking, but he couldn’t help it. He’d gotten better at controlling his emotions now that he was out of jail through forced therapy sessions, but his blood still boiled at the image of his princess with her arms wrapped around another man. She was toying with him, the thrill of the hunt evident in her eyes, but then she sees him. He expected her to ignore him, but to his surprise, she dropped her arms and headed straight over to where he stood at the bar. It had been a couple years since they last saw each other, time did nothing to hinder her beauty, she was even more gorgeous than he remembered.

He tries to keep his composure remembering how deadly her dark eyes and sweet smile are. He had to be strong, he wasn’t going to fall for her siren songs again. This would be the last time she drops his name, she had thrown away his shredded heart all those years ago. He no longer owed her anything, not that he did in the first place. In another universe she could have helped turn his life around, a part of him still thinks she can help save him, but he knows better. She was the reason he hit rock bottom in the first place.

“Duncan.”

With just one word and a slight curl of her lips and he was falling for her trick again. She grabs his t-shirt yanking him forward to capture his lips. He falls deeper into how familiar and right it felt to hold her in his arms. He never wanted to let go. He wants to apologize though he doesn’t quite remember what he did wrong in the first place. He just knows he’s sorry for ever losing his place by her side. She presses a finger to his lips silencing him, she cradles his face bringing it closer to hers. He leans in to kiss her, but she stops him pushing him away.

“You’re just bad news.”

She walks away then, off to find the next victim, but he doesn’t let her get away this time. He chases her with the intent of never letting her out of his sight once he has her again. She said he was bad news; she’s a goddamn liar.

[danisavin]

this mess is ours.

❧ a florin forest elopement

date: 21 july 2017 (canon) -- 24 Aug 2017 (pretend date :p) @ approx. 3:00 pm location: an anonymous spot in the Old Growth Forest

the newlyweds: daniela octavia savin + samuel irving floros wedding pronouns: partner / groom + husband / spouse (or partner) the officiate: iann cardero the witnesses: fane savin + freya floros also featuring: holmes the dog -- official bouquet-holder

-- - As a massive ‘fuck you’ gesture to the elders of the Floros Coven for attempting to condemn their relationship by threatening to cast out Sam if he didn’t leave Dani romantically, Dani had proposed to Sam that the two of them run off and elope. Sam thrillfully agreed and the two of them threw together an extremely spontaneous wedding event. The ceremony is small and intimate, just as they wish it to be. A secret. At least until they drop a pic of their rings into the wild world of SpringySnaps and the Savin afterparty confirms it. Instead of giving one another physical rings, Dani and Sam will be having their rings tattooed on their fingers following the ceremony. 

-- - For the sake of Soapberry’s sanity, and for all of Sam and Dani’s threads and the town events occurring after the canon wedding date, we’d like you to pretend this hadn’t happened yet. For the reception, we’d like you to assume this is all occurring on the pretend date listed above. Any new threads and such from hereon out will include the pair as spouses. Life got in the way of us posting this sooner, and we apologize (in exchange we made it really fucking cute). 

note: wedding inspo and images from this forest elopement and the wedding of hayley and jackson from the originals (predominately the style of the vows because they are lovely and precious).

@samuel-floros / @fanesavin / @ianncardero

SAM: Sam picked up Freya at the shop by blasting the horn of the flower van at her until she came out. When he told her what was going on, she let out a high pitched squeal that never seemed like it would end, followed by a stream of “Oh my god, oh my god,” over and over again. There was still a lot to do, but first they had to swing by the cabin because Sam had decided to bring Dani there at the end of the night and finally spring his surprise. So Freya helped him set the place up enough to spend a few nights in, with a mattress on the floor in the bedroom made with sheets and a bunch of pillows. He hung up some tapestries and fairy lights to make it look cozy, and put some essentials in the fridge, and once he was satisfied, he and Freya went back to the house. He showered and pulled together an outfit from his closet--black skinny jeans of course, though Freya yelled at him, a checkered shirt and a vest. He put his hair back up, and greeted Freya in her pantsuit and heels at the door. She was his best man, after all. Their last stop was back to Meadowsweet, where he put together a bouquet and flower crown for Dani, a matching boutonniere for himself, and a short garland of ivy and white flowers for Freya to do the handfasting. She’d found the spell in one of the spellbooks in their attic, and practiced the incantation by murmuring it as he drove them to the forest. They were the first to arrive, and he looked over at Freya letting out a breath, the initial adrenaline of rushing around starting to calm down as reality dawned on him. “I’m getting married today,” he said, and she grinned over at him. “Hell yeah you are.” Another car pulled up, and Sam got out of the van, feeling a flutter of butterflies.

FANE: Fane had received an immensely vague text from Dani that morning, a text that literally read: be at the entrance to the old growth forest at 3pm and dress smart. Leaving him wondering what the hell they were doing. They used to go on hiking trips here when Dani was younger, but it had been a long long time since anything like that happened and the dress code hardly fitted hiking. If there was one thing Fane hated it was vagueness, and this... Well, he had no idea what was going on. Working the morning and taking the afternoon he returned home to get dressed opting for a checked blue suit with brown shoes and belt to match anxiety gnawing at him from the inside out as he tried his best to piece together any sort of thing that might be going on today that he'd been forewarned of. Heard mentioned... anything, but nothing sprung to mind. Eventually he resigned himself to the mindset that whatever was going to happen, was going to happen. Dani had more secrets than he really knew or seemed to be let in on these days and he'd just have to settle for not knowing. Pulling up in his normal ride, he climbed out recognising Sam's van immediately and the sight of Sam and Freya looking particularly tidy (the latter also looking particularly over the top excited) which had his brows furrowing together whilst confusion etched his features. "Hey... er," he waved his phone a little "got a weirdly super vague text and I'll admit to being super confused... Is everything alright? You're not about to tell me you've got a body in the back of that van and I was your go-to person for helping to bury it right?" A bit of humour to mask his uncertainty about whatever was going on here.

SAM: Sam couldn't help his grin when he saw Fane, going over to his very soon to be father-in-law. Freya hung back by the van, doing double-checks of the things they had to bring with them and changing into her sneakers to make the hike. "Hey," he said back, a little amused at the confused look on Fane's face. "No, there's no body." He figured he might as well tell him, while they waited for Dani and Iann to arrive. He still felt those excited-nervous butterflies in his stomach at just saying the words. "Dani's on their way... We're getting married. Like, right now."

FANE: Fane managed a faint smile as Sam mentioned the fact that there was no body. "Darn. Oh well, next time." Yet, that still left him very in the dark about what the hell was going on and some enlightenment would have proven to be useful. Yet, when it was given a short time later, all that was earned initially was a look of shock, further confusion, a return to shock as he opened his mouth and promptly shut it again with a mild sounding "oh..." escaping him. There was a temporary burn of ire about having something suddenly sprung on him again though he kept it from his expression, much as he'd done earlier, he opted to take the backseat. "Wow... That's-- fast?" he really wasn't sure what to say considering he still hadn't wrapped his head around it. "When did this come about?" Seeing Sam's giddiness over it though eased some of his misgivings and a small smile graced his features, "Nervous much?"

SAM: Sam let out a nervous breath, watching all the emotions that flashed across Fane's face. "Well, we've been together six months, for us that's plenty of time," he said, knowing that their situation was different. It wasn't like he'd just met Dani six months ago-- they'd spent the majority of their lives together as best friends. The time since they'd finally pushed past just being friends seemed to fly by blissfully. "Um, this morning? It was Dani's idea...There's some stuff, coven stuff? Going on with me and..." he shrugged, not wanting to get into it all just then. "Long story short, we're taking a stand. Together." He shrugged, like it was nothing, then chuckled a little when Fane asked him if he was nervous. "Yeah, a little," he said with a laugh that was more nerves than anything else.

FANE: Fane blinked a couple of times as the gravity of what was going on started to sink in, but Sam made a decent point and eventually Fane conceded. Sam was already practically family he supposed. Though just as he was coming to terms with that, the next answer made him regret asking his question. "Sheesh, what is it with you young ones and..." He shook his head, letting that sentence fade off, but the mention of coven stuff earned a concerned look from him his thoughts, shifting from what was going on to checking on Sam's well-being. "You'll tell me about it right? Later? If there's anything I can do to help you, I'll do my best, alright?" He wanted to know if there was anything he could do, but just as he went to speak again, he heard the approach of another car, stepping up to lightly pat Sam's shoulder as Dani and Iann arrived.

DANI: “Holy shit, I’m doing this. I’m actually doing this. Shit.” Dani sucked in a breath as they sped down the forested roadway, eyes peeled for the dirt path that would take them to the designated rendezvous point. Their fingers were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that their knuckles were white, and their heart was in a rush, still catching up with the reality that this was, in fact, happening. The elopement was their idea. After being away from Sam for a month and coming back to hear that his coven had cast him out while they were absent, while he was at his weakest, something powerful had stirred in them. A need to make a statement about their relationship that showed those opposed to them just how fucking inseparable they were going to be. But they hadn’t thrown out the idea as merely an act of vengeance. Dani loved Sam. They were in love with him. And even after all they’d been through, they’d chosen one another. Best friends, but so much more. It had been a morning of insanity running about to make plans, choosing who would be there, finding a dress-- and here they were now, still crazed, yet beginning to settle into the monumental nature of their commitment. Holmes sat in the seat beside them in the Jeep, looking up with a grumpy sort of, ’Calm down, human. You’re going to be fine,’ expression. Iann was in the back, thrown into the mix by Dani on the agreement by Sam that, as their mutual friend, he was their perfect officiate. “Am I crazy?” They asked him with a glance into the rearview mirror. “Like, I’ve done a lot of insane shit but I’m starting to think this tops the bill.” They took a few deep breaths as the opening of the forest came into view and they pulled in to park, finding both Sam and Fane already present. When they cut the gas, they unbuckled their seatbelt and turned around in their seat to stare back at Iann. “You’ve got my back, right roomie?”

IANN: In truth, Iann ended up being more miffed that a dog ended up getting shotgun, and he had to clamber into the back of a Jeep -- which were notoriously cramped in the back! He was practically hugging his legs, and his ass bumped and jarred along every pothole along the old road! -- than he was about hearing why Dani suddenly required him here, now, and dressed as he was. Still, Dani never asked anything of Iann -- ever. The tiny human was self-sufficient to a tee; and Iann could imagine why, considering he'd met Fane Savin and the vampire's proclivity for 'Can I help you? Let me help you. There I've helped you, no, no, no please, no need to thank me'. And Dani had opened up their home to Iann in return for Iann's... basically nothing. Getting his ass whooped by something other than Tuah (heh heh) was a small price to pay for a day that was, supposedly, one of the happiest days of one's life. Okay -- happy notwithstanding, because Iann was fully confident that Sam and Dani would only keep multiplying each other's happiness as the years went by, this was going to be an important day in their lives. Very, very important. And for some strange and unfathomable reason, Dani Savin and Sam Floros chose Iann Cardero to be present for this very very important day. Must be that online ordained minister certification he got drunk one night as a colossal joke. It was still legit, regardless of Iann's reasons -- and wasn't this a great fucking reason? "Yes! You're both fucking crazy," Iann confirmed, voice jiggling until Dani pulled to a stop, and Iann eagerly clambered out. He came around to Dani's side of the Jeep, arm on the brace as he looked at them. "But isn't that the point?" he asked with a grin, holding his hand out to them. "That you're both crazy and this is going to happen and it's the start of something new and real and together, hm? Now come on, you two will have one helluva story to tell everyone afterwards, for years to come. It'll be great. I'll take photos. Uh -- " Iann paused, when he saw Fane Savin there as well. But of course it made sense. "Right. Come on, kiddo."

SAM: Sam nodded at Fane's request to tell him later, and he fully intended to tell him everything. He'd been shouldering the weight of being ejected from the coven alone for too long, and now that Dani knew, it didn't seem as scary to tell other people, too. "I will, just not tonight. Tonight is supposed to be happy." He figured Fane would get the insinuation that the news wasn't happy in the slightest, but he didn't want to deal with any of that right now. He steadied a little at Fane's hand on his shoulder, turning to see the Jeep roll up. "Here we go..."

DANI: Dani wasn’t sure how they felt about Iann’s confirmation until he clambered out of the Jeep and over to their side after Holmes, who immediately sat down to await his human. He was old, and although Iann was a very dear companion to Sam and Dani both, elderly dogs raised from their puppyhood still won first priority in regards to seating. The sight of Iann’s grin drew a smile out of them whether they liked it or not. “Yeah… yeah, you’re right. Must be all that old man wisdom,” grinning then, Dani put one hand in his, grabbed a fistful of their dress with the other, and hopped to the ground. The familiar feel of their combat boots on the soil was a confidence boost they sorely needed. “You look great by the way,” they added with a whisper. “And thank you, for doing this.” His hand was squeezed ever so briefly before Dani breathed, looked down at Holmes, and walked out to join the rest of the roughly assembled wedding party.

FANE: Fane was settled a little by Sam's assurance, at least that he'd be told in due time was enough, and with the arrival of the car, his eyes left Sam and studied the Jeep for a long few moments, eyeing Dani in the driver seat and... Iann? In the backseat. Vaguely he recalled Faye mentioning him officiating her impromptu wedding and wondered for a second how he even came to manage to do that... But, then he remembered at almost exactly the same moment that this was Iann Cardero. What couldn't that man find a way to do or get done if not by his own hand? As they approached, he shook off some of the negativity weighing him down and smiled gently as Dani approached. "No jeans with holes ripped in them and flannel 'eh kid? I'm disappointed." But his words were belied by a teasing smile as he shook his head, unable to fathom this was actually happening. "You look incredible--" he said quietly in their ear as he wrapped them in a tight embrace before drawing back and casting a look at Sam's flabbergasted expression, unable to help needling him with a little bit of humour in kind, “though, I'm pretty sure there's something somewhere about not seeing the bride before the ceremony, although it also seems to be you're marrying a guppy considering how he's gawking right now."

DANI: Dani felt their throat starting to tighten when Sam and their father came into view. Evidently, they had a cooler composure than Sam, able to keep their wits about them as Fane grabbed their attention -- which was a blessing, really, because it helped them to keep that composure in place rather than sinking into gawking like their groom. They knew he wasn't going to be thrilled about the sudden nature of all this, but at the end of the day, he was their father, and they couldn't have him miss such an important day in their life. "No, no jeans. But, there was the consideration of a suit." Dani tipped their head with an almost bashful smile, clinging to him tightly in the short moment of their embrace. "Thank you," they whispered back at him, turning to press the lightest kiss to his cheek before they separated and their eyes shifted to Sam. "True," they chuckled at the sight of him, "but lucky for us both, I'm not a bride." Dani reached out to take Sam's hand without having to look for it, letting their attention to the others fade out for a bit. "Hey," they grinned, "I see you pulled out the Dress Chucks," and then smirked. "I had no idea we were getting so formal."

SAM: Sam swallowed around a dry throat as Dani and Iann made their way around the Jeep and over to them. He let Fane greet them first, mostly because he was standing there stunned, not even able to move yet as he took in the sight of Dani in their wedding dress. Once Dani came over to him, their fingers entangling on instinct, he found himself with a nervous, and quite dopey, smile on his face. "Hi..." he said, breathlessly. Then another nervous laugh bubbled out of him at Dani's words, since they always found a way to put him at ease. "Shut up," he teased back, pulling their hand to bring them closer to him. "You look… wow."

FANE: Fane gave Dani a quick squeeze before letting them go, looking then between the pair and not wanting to intrude. Instead, Fane stepped a little away, giving them a few moments to themselves before they went to wherever the pair had decided their final destination was going to be. He passed the time by rattling off a few quick texts here and there to organise some things back at home considering he assumed that it was where things were going to be hosted. Better to at least get something put together than be left dawdling as he had done with everything going on now. He trusted Ryan to oversee the organisation of things, though also had a feeling the progeny wouldn’t be too pleased at being left out of this particular set of events. They’d have to be placated another time. With that done, Fane settled, tucking his phone away into his jacket, noting that Iann in the meantime seemed to be busying himself with the dog.

IANN: Iann distracted himself with... well. With the dog. Turns out the rickety old thing was good for something, and that was for making Iann look busy and occupied as the family had their family time. And the two soon-to-be newlyweds had their newlywed time. Iann hovered over the old beast like his guardian, pondering a variety of things: why this impromptu decision between the pair? Why was it held out here? Why didn't they want more guests? What was he going to say, because it needed to be special. Why his friends always looped him into marrying them last-minute without any time to prep. And then suddenly -- Iann looked up at the couple. Did this mean they were going to start living together now? What would become of Dani's loft? Iann couldn't see Dani just giving it up... could they? No. Maybe? Then again Sam mentioned that old cabin he was building, which in two to six weeks was going to be a completed living space, an actual home. Iann pulled at his chin for a while, then scratched at the old dog's head.

DANI: Dani giggled at Sam's breathlessness and dumbstruck standing in general. They'd see him nervous before gigs many a time, but right now he was downright flabbergasted and Dani wouldn't have had it any other way. "Never," they snapped back in an adoring way, holding tightly to his hand as he pulled the two of them closer together. They got a little shy then, glancing down at their dress and shifting on their feet to feel the steadiness of their boots once more. "Yeah," they smiled, looking him over from the bottom up. "You too." The witch's hand was brought to their lips for a kiss, and afterwards, they looked over to where Freya was standing, then back again. "Are we-- all set then? Should we head up?"

SAM: Sam kept looking at Dani almost as if he had never seen them before, until he managed to compose himself at least a little. Still, he colored at the little kiss to his knuckles, his face going hot and there wasn't a thing he could do to stop it. He let out a breath. "We're really doing this," he said, as a smile took over his face. It all fell into place so easily. He nodded, looking over at Freya, who lowered her phone from taking pictures, her eyes already red. "Let's go," he said, turning back to Dani. "I can't wait to marry you."

IANN: "Oh so -- so it's not here?" Iann asked that Floros girl (he forgot her name again, but at least she was the one taking photos because Iann had completely forgotten that he said he would; and besides, she was probably far more talented at it). "It's -- down there, okay." Iann grinned at her. "I'll just stick with you. Let the lovebirds drift on ahead, hm?" He gave her a friendly elbowing as he whistled for Holmes to follow with them, hand shoved in his pockets as he motioned to Sam and Dani. "Lead the way, you pretty pair."

DANI: "We are really doing this," Dani reiterated, breathing similarly. It all felt so surreal, and yet it wasn't. It was very, very, real. And when the Floros Coven found out, oh boy would they be pissed. The thought made Dani grin widely. They squeezed Sam's hand and didn't even try to stop the pink that dusted their cheeks at his line. The little high it gave them almost stirred them to a few tears. But they held it together, saving their eyeliner and their composure in the process. "Me neither," they whispered up to him. At Iann's interjection they nearly jumped. For a second, they'd forgotten he was even there. Thank gods he'd helped them remember or the wedding wouldn't be happening at all. "You got it," they called back at Iann and started off up the trail with Sam's fingers still tangled in theirs.

SAM: Sam was completely caught up in the whirlwind of emotions and exhilaration as Dani squeezed his hand and started to lead him off to a good spot. They didn't have a specific place in mind for the ceremony, but they both agreed that they wanted it actually in the woods, with nature all around them and their most loved ones there to witness. It would be perfect. Then Freya called out, "Oh!" and ran back towards the van, the keys in her hand beeping to unlock it. She came back out with a bag and hurried to catch up to Iann. "Almost missed out on my Best Man duties," she teased, grinning up at Iann and then snapping another picture of Dani and Sam as they walked ahead of her.

IANN: "What is that? Rings?" Iann asked the Floros sister (Friga? Fiona? Filippa?) as he strolled, slowing just a little for her to catch up with her bag. He didn't try to talk to Sam and Dani, leaving them to their own little world -- after all, this was literally a crash course. Most people took weeks, months, even years to plan their marriage. It seemed like Dani and Sam were going at it cliff-jumping style. He would've asked the Floros sister, but decided not to. Whatever the reason, it had to be serious. At least, Iann figured, it wasn't on the Savin side of things since Savin Sr. was here. Which meant... Iann squinted at Sam -- his hair, his checkered shirt, his ass that fit so well in those tight pants, naturally. And Dani's hand bumping against it, no surprise why. "Anytime you two want to stop," Iann called out again, looking behind when the cars were out of sight and they were definitely in the forest. But Sam was here, and he knew these forests like the back of his hand, no doubt. Iann had no need to worry about getting lost.

DANI: Although Dani had started off their trek into the forest, as soon as the trees thickened, they gave up the hike's leadership to Sam. As an earth witch, he had the best sense of the forest. When the spot was right, he'd know it. They'd know it. Iann and Freya trailed behind them with Holmes padding along at Iann's side, panting, and Fane took up the rear -- no doubt being more careful of his steps considering his footwear and the shallow mud that Sam, and even Dani with their dress, weren't bothered to traverse (though they still avoided it as best as possible, for understandable reasons). Iann's call prompted them to catch up to Sam's side. "What do you think?" They asked as they stopped to stand on a fallen tree trunk to let the others catch up a bit. "It looks like there might be a nice spot up there," they pointed to the rising path ahead of them where it widened and curved off to the left.

SAM: Sam felt at ease in the forest, and he led their small troop through confidently -- though still avoiding the worst of the mud since he was wearing his Dress Chucks. A few times he reached back for Dani's hand, helping them traverse over fallen logs and such with one hand clutching their dress. In the back, Freya looked over to Iann. "No, they don't have rings. Yet. I don't think," she explained. "It's a bouquet and stuff. Sam made them before we came out here." It had been touching, watching him throw together beautiful wedding flowers on a whim. But Freya had been crying on and off all day and she was determined to hold out until the ceremony now. Up ahead, Sam stopped at Dani's voice and turned back, struck by how they looked in the forest, standing on a trunk in a wedding dress like it was nothing. He smiled fondly and went over to them, sneaking in a kiss. "Yeah, right over there where it clears."

IANN: "Here, lemme hold that," Iann said, taking the bag as the trail got a bit more challenging, and he went forward and helped Freya if the little witch needed any assistance. "Bouquet and stuff...right yeah. This is all really spontaneous, hm?" he grinned at Freya, then glanced back at Savin Sr., who seemed lost in his own thoughts. "Typical Dani and Sam."

FANE: Fane’s hands had snuck their ways into his pocket, feeling a little more relaxed with them out of the way, the quiet click of the lid to his metal lighter the only sign to his unsettled state as he trailed after the others. For once he was not particularly paying much mind to his surroundings or making any real fuss about, well, anything -- just keeping his thoughts to himself. There wasn’t much point to it anyways, considering how heart-eyed the couple wandering together were and not that Sam’s mention of this being some stand against something or someone made it any clearer just what had brought this rather impulsive act on. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and Fane pulled it out to check it, the contents of the message making him smile fondly at the screen before he tucked it away again. Whilst he knew well enough the feelings here were genuine, the others occupying themselves with conversation left him feeling a little secluded despite the whole occurrence and a part of him silently wished for Faye to be present to make him feel better.

DANI: Dani felt more relaxed the further they walked. With just Sam and themself at the head, they were reminded of why they'd suggested this idea in the first place, aside from the gesture to Sam's coven. There was a peace Dani felt around Sam that only he could conjure. He made them feel balanced and secure, and gave them the confidence to believe they could overcome whatever troubles they faced. Here, in his element, they held so many fond memories. How could they resist adding one more to that collection? They smiled softly towards him as he approached to sneak a kiss, which they returned gladly in kind. "Perfect," they pressed their forehead to his brow just briefly and stepped down from their perch, glancing backwards at the rest of the troop. "I hope you're all ready 'cause it looks like we've found our spot."

SAM: Freya handed the bag over to Iann, knowing everything had been enchanted to keep its shape despite the trek in the woods, so they didn't have to be super careful with it. "Super spontaneous," she said with a grin, taking Iann's hand as he helped her along. "But I'm also not surprised at all." She let out an audible "Awww," when she caught Sam kiss Dani, watching her brother blush again with glee. Sam smiled at Dani, his cheeks flushed pink, and nodded. "By that tree," he said, pointing.

IANN: "This is it?" Iann asked, to him it looked kind of like everywhere else in the forest -- but hey, it wasn't his wedding. "Just tell me where you want me and ahhh... also what sort of.... how you'd like the ceremony to go?" Because Iann was betting on them being spontaneous, but yet having this mutual vision of exactly how they wanted this wedding to go.

DANI: Dani shrugged over at Iann. "It feels right and the earth witch agrees, so-- why not?" They walked up towards the small clearing and stopped next to the tree Sam had indicated. "I think we're gonna have you stand right in front of this tree here," they glanced over at Sam for a quick clarification. Despite the shotgun nature of their wedding, the two briefly engaged partners had taken the time to sit down and lay out of the ceremony itself. That was the part that mattered, anyway. They'd could have worn anything or brought anyone or done it anywhere, but they managed to throw together a little something that they both agreed on, and here they were now, on the cusp of what was likely the most significant day in both their lives thus far. "We thought we'd start with whatever little introduction you want to give," Dani began to explain to Iann, "then we'd have the whole declaration of intent thing -- ya know, the whole 'do you really want to marry this loser?' part, then Sam and I have some vows, Freya's gonna do a unification spell, you and Dad," they looked over to their father, giving a smile, "can say some final words if you want, and you can close us off with the official declaration bit. Ooh--" With a reminder popping into their head, Dani reached down and pulled a small scrap of paper from their boot, handing it over to their roommate. "There's our full names, in case you need them, and... Iann, really, you don't have to get formal or sappy or anything. Just do you, yeah? We wouldn't have picked you if we were expecting anything else."

FANE: Fane came to stop a little time after the group, hovering around the edge of the spot that Sam had chosen for them to stop in. The sun shone brilliantly through the branches and Fane stood in a patch of rays, letting them warm him a little where he stood whilst Dani and Iann worked out the logistics. He looked at Freya who had come to hover nearby, watching Dani and Sam thoughtfully before his eyes slid aside to her. "Waterworks all set?" he joked, figuring there were going to be plenty of tears throughout the event and day.

SAM: Sam hovered near Dani, letting them take the lead in getting everyone set up for their short ceremony. They had decided together how they wanted it to go before they split up for the day to get ready, but now that they were at the spot and the time had actually come, Sam felt nervous all over again. It didn't have anything to do with not being ready or sure about what they were doing-- he wanted to marry Dani, and not just as a statement towards his coven, though that was going to be satisfying when they found out. They wanted to marry their best friend, their partner in life and love, and be theirs forever. Meanwhile, Freya glanced over at Fane, watching them set up. She flashed an already watery grin up at him. "Oh I've been crying all day," she admitted, getting her phone ready for more pictures. "Sam," she called out, then gestured with her head over to the bag now in Iann's hands. "Oh, right," he said, going over and getting the paper bag, bringing it over to Dani. "I made you some things," he told them, not feeling nervous or shy anymore, just excited for them to see the love and care he'd put into the flowers despite the short notice. First he pulled out the flower crown, watching Dani's face as he placed it gently atop their curls.

IANN: Iann nodded at Dani's instructions, figuring the human with all the plans had, well, a plan. Spontaneity was fun and all, but they weren't stupid teenagers doing something for fun and rebellion's sake. As impromptu as this obviously was, there was a lot of care and thought put into every single tiny little detail. From the guests, to the pacing, to the schedule, to the location, and apparently even to the flower... things. Flower-things, that Sam was decorating Dani with. Iann turned away from them, because one thing they didn't plan (on purpose?!?! these two little bastards) was what Iann was going to say. "Just do me," he muttered to himself, but there was a smirk on his lips as he shook his head. "Like it's so fucking easy, these kids, I swear." They'll be the death of him; and really, Iann wouldn't really have it any other way. Well -- he was always good at winging it (and Dani KNEW that, ever since their first meeting on the SS Cormorant) so he'll wing it, they'll like it. Hell, they probably wouldn't remember a damn thing he said anyway. He could recite the Magna Carta and all they'd remember was the look in each other's eyes and the details of each other's smiles, and the words spoken between each other, for each other and by each other. Good stuff. Iann turned, satisfied as he waited all Minister-ly and benevolent like he should for this happy occasion, etc etc.

DANI: Dani wasn't looking for specific lines from Iann because they trusted -- and rather liked -- his talent for 'winging it.' He always brought a thrill and energy to their adventures even at the worst of times and it had kept Dani on their feet more than once. He would do great, and even if he fumbled, he could count on the fact that Dani and Sam would more than likely be distracted with one another throughout the ceremony. When Freya called over to Sam, Dani's eyes snapped to her, then followed her nod to the bag that Sam took from Iann's hands. Of course, Sam would have whipped together some flowery creations for their wedding. A bouquet and a vine of sorts for the unification spell were expected, but the flower crown was a pleasant surprise. "Was this Freya's idea or yours?" Dani failed to hide the color in their cheeks as they dipped their head and laughed. When they glimpsed up at him, they fought back with a smirk. "I'm guessing you've got a bouquet in there too, flower boy?"

SAM: Sam smiled softly, noticing the light blush on Dani's cheeks as he placed the flower crown on their head. "Mine," he said, a bit proud of that fact. He just thought the flower crown was something they'd like, and he was pleased to see how it completed their ensemble. He chuckled a little at their teasing question, shrugging as nonchalantly as he could manage. "Of course. But first..." He reached into the bag again, rustling gently inside until he came up with his boutonniere, in the same purple and green that Dani's bouquet was, the pin already in it and ready to go. "Want to do the honors?" he asked, passing it to them.

DANI: "I love it," Dani whispered up to him hearing it had been his idea rather than Freya's. Sam had made a flower crown or two for them before this, but usually on request for special events. To have one he'd made entirely of his own accord for them had a sweeter ring to it. When he rummaged through the bag again and this time pulled out a boutonniere, they gave a quiet chuckle. "Aw, cute. Our wedding's starting to feel a bit like prom," they joked with a grin, taking the boutonniere and holding it up to his vest to find the right spot. "I'll try not to stab you." After shooting the witch a wink, Dani pinned flowery accent into place and stepped back to admire their work. "There, you're all done up now."

SAM: Sam chuckled a little, holding still as Dani fastened the boutonniere to his vest. "Try not to draw blood," he teased, looking down to see it once it was done. "One more thing." He pulled the bouquet out of the paper bag, glad he had placed a simple spell on it to keep it from getting crushed on the trek here. He'd spent the most time and care on the bouquet, making sure everything else matched what Dani would be holding, but giving it a little more oomph of its own. It was tied simply with twine, leaving the stems showing, purple and white flowers cradled in soft greens. He handed it over to them, watching for their reaction to it. When he set the bag down, Freya scurried forward to whisk it aside and get her garland for later.

DANI: Dani had half a mind to prick Sam with that pin just for laughs, but they decided against it at the last second. They didn't want any blood stains ruining his outfit. Instead, they shook their head at him and pinned the boutonniere in place as they were meant to do. Then, he returned to the bag once more to hand over the one piece they all knew was coming -- the bouquet. It had to be beautiful, obviously, because Sam, local florist extraordinaire, had arranged it, but despite not being anything massive or showy, the simple, wild-looking bunch of flowers mixed in the couple's favorite colors made their heart swell. It was perfect. It was them. There was a tiny hiccup of breath as they took hold of the flowers in one hand -- delicately, like they might break -- and found Sam's hand again with the other. "This is the best one you've made yet," they said to him with a gentle, loving smile, sliding their fingers between his and just holding there firmly. They didn't even notice as Freya scurried over. And then, with a faintly shaky breath, they looked around at everyone who they'd gathered together. "That's it then, isn't it? We're ready."

SAM: Sam couldn't help smiling proudly as Dani took the bouquet, watching their face as they looked at it. He'd been inspired by them in choosing wildflowers, the purple and soft green being obvious choices to him, knowing Dani's tastes. "I'm glad you like it," he said, beaming at their praise of it. His smile held as Dani twined their fingers together and they moved into place. He let out a breath when they announced that they were ready, turning towards Iann feeling both nervous and excited.

IANN: Iann looked at nothing all this time, or really he was intently staring at a caterpillar that was slogging its way up an arbutus tree in the distance. Fat little caterpillar, the kind you want to root for when it puts so much effort into the simple act of moving. And then slowly, using some sort of thick, silvery web, dropping itself from its destination down… down… lower towards Fane Savin's anxiously groomed hair. Oh no. Iann took a step forward and opened his mouth -- but the action prompted Iann to look down from his perch on the thick tree root and see two shining, excited faces looking up at him, beautifully decorated in all sorts of delightful flowery concoctions. "Just look at you two," Iann said with a grin, forgetting about the caterpillar completely. "Like two peas in a pod. I'm sure that's what everyone said about you both, without realizing that the 'wise old adult' teasing would end up with Sam and Dani shoving that sentiment right back in their faces, hm? The most happiest form of rebellion against anyone and everyone who gets in your way. And let's be honest -- together, there's likely very little that's going to get in the way of your new life together. Dani, you're resourceful, bright, perceptive, complex, and generous. And Sam, well… Dani really loves you, so obviously you're doing something right," Iann grinned, because of course he had to tease the Floros. 

Iann paused for a moment, before looking at Fane and -- Freya! That was her name. "Folks, is it any surprise that we were pulled out of our daily routines and surprise-wrangled into a beautifully planned wedding for these two? Everything executed and designed how they wanted to plan it, because if a wedding day is about anything, it should be all about the people who're getting married, right? Now, you two say your vows to each other -- take as long as you need -- and then we'll get all formal about it."

FANE: Fane gave Freya a smile, breaking off their short conversation that they'd been having in the meantime whilst the others sorted out flower crowns and the introductory aspects of things. Now that things finally seemed to get moving, Fane ducked over until he stood nearby Dani his hands still tucked out of the way in his pockets. As Iann addressed himself and Freya, he merely offered a faint smile. "I mean, I think I out of anyone have the ability to say it's about damn time considering how long they have been a double act inside and out of the house." But he grew quiet once more as the pair began to recite their vows agreeing with Iann in a way that this was, if anything, perfect for the couple in front of him and if it made them happy, then what could really be said against it? They'd overcome whatever trials awaited them together, and Sam was in a roundabout way officially becoming his son (in law) but whatever, technicalities. Who really cared about those anyways?

DANI: Dani set their focus on Iann as his introduction began, smiling fondly at first, but unable to keep themself from laughing a little as he picked on Sam, which was something, in part, they were counting on. They might not have been able to stand through a formal wedding. This was light, humorous, easy. It took away the stress, but a few nerves still lingered. How couldn't they? When Fane raised his voice, Dani turned their head to look at him. 'It's about damn time,' he said, and Dani’s throat caught, resulting in a noise that wasn’t quite a chuckle, but more a happy-sad sort of noise that came with a pinch of color in their cheeks. They weren't asking for their father's acceptance -- that was the whole point of a private elopement anyway -- but it meant the world to them to have it nonetheless. Thank you, they mouthed to him quickly, not listing any specifics because there were far too many to tell.

When they turned back to Sam, they built their composure back up in an instant. Fane's words had brought up a memory that, frankly, they were surprised hadn't crossed their mind until now. What they chose to say wasn't a part of the 'official' vows they'd sat down and written, but it sure as hell was a meaningful inclusion. "Remember that day we first met when I shot you in the forehead with a nerf dart from the top of the stairs as you were coming in," briefly, they glanced back to Fane, "and Dad, you were all cross with the whole 'Dani! That's not how we treat our guests' thing? Oh my god," Dani threw back a short laugh as they set their gaze back on Sam, "the look on your face was priceless. And I wasn't really sorry about it, but I invited you to play with me anyway because, you know, why not. But then when you were leaving, you found out I wasn't actually a guy -- which he totally thought I was, by the way," Dani murmured that one to Freya with an amused glance at her and Iann before returning to Sam again. "After that, I didn't think you'd come back. The other boys I'd met would only play with other boys, but you-- you did come back, the next day." There was a tiny pause there, a sniffle, and the eye contact that Dani held with Sam took a momentary break. There was an annoying wetness to their eyes, so they tried to blink it away. They wouldn't have cared if it was only them and Sam standing there, but it wasn't, and Dani didn't like shedding tears in front of other people. Tears meant weakness, and they were supposed to be strong for everyone in their life -- for Sam, for their family, friends, everyone. They would cover it as best they could, yet there was also the possibility that they'd get lost in the moment and wouldn't even notice a stray tear or two escaping their control. Maybe... maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. So, with a hastily cool strung back together, they continued, breaking out a bright, though mildly bashful, smile for the man in front of them.

"That day was... basically the happiest day of my life up to that point. I'd never had a friend before, no one outside of my family who liked me for me, not for convenience. Then, six months ago, you did it again. You came back into my life and you finally broke that stupid friend barrier we were too scared to approach for years. And now we're here," they tightened their hold on his hand, blissfully unaware, as they'd hoped, of the one tear that fell down the right side of their face, "which I couldn't have imagined all the way back then, but fuck," they loosed a soft, rickety chuckle, "I'm never gonna be sorry about that dumb shot, because somehow, it got us here, surrounded by our favorite people--” they paused to look around at everyone, but their eyes dropped at the sound of a bark, which called for an eye roll, and another chuckle, as they met Sam’s eyes once more, “--and dog -- and now my happiest day is the day I get to marry you, you fucking dork."

IANN: Weddings could be so weird. How many weddings had Iann gone to? A grand total of maybe two, if one counted that half-assed officiating at that party, that was Faye and her husband’s marriage-type thing. Now three, with Dani and Sam. And still, Iann marveled at the way one was supposed to display stories, feelings, emotions -- all sorts -- for an audience. Maybe this audience was small, but it was still an audience. And it was clear that Dani didn't like to display their emotions. Iann wished he had a starfish blanket to toss over them, and spare them the discomfort of being in front of everyone else except Sam. At least Dani was aware of why they didn't like to cry in front of others, even if the reason was very rooted in the way they were brought up, the people they looked up to and measured themselves against. Iann cried all the time himself, but he didn't understand why he didn't like it; he just didn't, so shut up, etc. Iann chose not to look at Dani while they gave their vows, studying his shoes instead, and Holmes at his side (okay, feeling the warm dog-weight against his shin was rather nice, he'd grudgingly admit that), trying his best to pay zero attention to anything Dani was doing or saying. Let their words and emotions be between Dani and Sam. Freya was extraordinarily good at being happy for the young couple and Fane Savin was… well Iann wasn't quite sure what Fane Savin was, but it seemed a little distant. Maybe he was doing the 'calm and cool dad' thing, Iann didn't know. Regardless, when Dani drew to an elegant and no-doubt touching conclusion to their vows, Iann looked up again. "Your turn, Sammyboy. Please tell me this is the moment where your sister tugs a guitar out of that paper bag and you do your vows via an acoustic rock ballad song you wrote yourself."

SAM: Sam couldn’t help the amused smile at both Iann’s teasing and Fane’s emphatic, “about damn time.” The lightness and humor helped ease his nerves a little, but the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach came back when Dani turned to him and began speaking, only to him. The memory of their first meeting as children, Dani’s first shot to his forehead with a nerf gun that turned into an all-out war between the two of them, running all over the estate together while their parents conducted whatever business it was... It brought a fond smile to his face, a warm glow in his chest. That one day had sparked a friendship so fierce that nothing could break it -- not time or distance -- and the fact that it deepened over time to what they shared together now only made sense. As they recounted the story, Sam only had eyes for them, the rest of their small gathering melting away as he reached a hand out to hold theirs, noticing the wetness glistening in their eyes. Sam felt his heart swelling at their last words, then he laughed lightly at how they chose to end the story, shaking his head just a tiny bit as if to say “of course.”

Sam looked briefly over at Iann when he told him it was his turn, biting his bottom lip a little though glad for the small joke at his expense. “Not exactly,” he said, then turned back to Dani and reached for their other hand so he was holding both between them. “I remember that day,” he began, his words unplanned, just responding to what Dani had said to him. “You were my first friend, and from then on we were inseparable. I wanted to see you every single day, because every time I saw you there was another adventure you had dreamed up for us.”

“But I remember another day, too. I never told you this. My feelings for you snuck up on me, over the years I hadn’t realized that underneath that foundation of a lifetime of friendship, that I had fallen for you a long time ago. Then, I saw you.” Sam’s eyes took in their face, remembering the exact moment he suddenly saw them in a new light, the moment he saw something new in himself. Finding emotions he hadn’t thought he was capable of. “The night of the Yule Ball, this past year. It was like every other year, every other party-- except we weren’t children anymore, hiding under tables and stealing crab cakes, and getting in trouble for sword fighting.”

Sam looked down at their clasped hands for a moment and took a breath before meeting their eyes again. “You came down the stairs, in that dress, and I looked at you and I just knew. It hit me like a ton of bricks, I felt it in the pit of my stomach. All it took was that moment, and I knew I was in love with you, that I had always been in love with you. I couldn’t take my eyes off you that entire night, it was like no one else was even in that ballroom but you. I was so distracted by you, I bumped into Iann,” he said, tone going a bit lighter as he gestured towards him with his head, “and spilled my drink everywhere. I thought for sure that everyone must know. How could they not see this enormous shift in my life? But they didn’t, and I kept it a secret because it was safe there. Because I was scared."

Sam squeezed their hands, anchoring them both in the moment. He didn’t mention the rooftop, knowing Dani was thinking of it without having to voice the words. Some things he wanted to keep between just the two of them. “But I’m not scared anymore. Because I have you, and you make me feel brave like I never have before. When we’re together, we can do anything. I want to spend the rest of my life being brave with you.”

Sam let out a breath, knowing they were almost done, feeling the confidence come back to him in the wake of his words. It was time for the vows they had prepared together on bluetooth while they both ran around getting everything ready for today. Not every word was memorized or planned, but they had an idea and it was enough to go on. Like always, they would make it up as they went, and somehow, it would just fall perfectly into place. He swallowed and looked into their eyes, smiling softly for a moment before he began the vows. “I promise to keep you and love you, above all others.”

DANI: The tiny shake of Sam's head at the end of their recounted tale was a breath of fresh air for Dani. The words were easy to say, to him, but they weren't alone, and their focus drifted easily by nature -- which wasn't such a bad thing when one needed to solve a problem swiftly and efficiently. Dani was attentive, and the nerves that came with speaking aloud thoughts and feelings that they would regularly share only with Sam was unavoidable. In the interim while Iann spoke up, Dani quickly swiped away the wetness from their cheek. They took another breath, a deeper one, as their demeanor steadied with attention for Sam and Sam alone.

It only broke briefly when he reached for their other hand, the one that held their bouquet. Dani looked low to the ground at Iann's side and called the canine seated there over with an imperative whisper of his name. The sheltie padded forward and they crouched down, holding out the flowers to him with delicate instruction. Holmes glanced up into his human's eyes and detected the importance of his duty there. He took the stems of the bouquet carefully in his mouth and returned to his spot beside the officiate, assuming a protective diligence over his task. "Băiat bun," Dani smiled at him. He snorted in a sort of dog nod. Then, they stood again and gave Sam the hand that he was reaching for.

Dani laughed quietly at his comments on their tale. They'd been a whole world of trouble as kids, but no matter what accidents happened as a result of their adventures, they had never stopped coming up with new ones. Those imagined worlds and experiences had been their escape from their daily realities -- school, lessons, overbearing sisters, family drama -- and for that, for the special reality they had crafted only for themselves, there was no separating the two of them. Despite distance, time, emotions, or disagreements, the space would always be there in their times of need.

Then Sam began to speak of something new, something that he hadn't told Dani before. It piqued their curiosity instantly and their gaze intensified, ready to soak in every bit of the secret he was about to share. What he said surprised them... but also didn't. In the midst of their hosting and socializing at their first Yule Ball in years, Dani had been moving around too much to realize that there had been a shift in their best friend. They'd had an inkling, just for a second, when the two of them locked eyes across the room, but that stare had been abruptly cut off and Dani had forgotten about it as they got swept up into the party business once more. They were grinning when he mentioned spilling his drink, being stunned by them, and scared. Dani had been too, but it wasn't until their time on the rooftop, that he withheld from mentioning aloud, that his difference had clicked for them. And maybe in themself, as well. At that time, Dani had been caught up in a sea of conflicts. Their girlfriend was furious at them for the information they'd neglected to share, she wanted a future with Dani that they couldn't see for the two of them, and among everything else, there was Fane's offer of immortality -- the dream that was meant to be an easy acceptance pulling them apart instead.

Of course, they'd shared all of this with Sam, and he'd listened, and he'd comforted them, and he'd been honest. One simple, little kiss to their forehead was all it took for Dani to blink their eyes open and see everything in a very new and very terrifying light. Neither of them had admitted to that discovery on that night, both of them fearing what it might do to their reliable friendship. In the end, everything had fallen into place on its own. It hadn't been neat or easy, but it had gotten them here with nothing left to be afraid of -- not between each other, anyway.

Dani could feel their heart beating against their chest, exhilarated by his confession and the readiness they felt to commit to his wish, because it wasn't just his. They squeezed his hands in return to translate their agreement without having to speak it. They wanted to kiss him right then and there. Badly. But they resisted, knowing that there would be a time for that at the close of their ceremony. A close that was now nearing a lot faster than they'd anticipated. Now came the part where they said the words they had actually planned, which felt just a tad less daunting after the heartfelt speeches that came from them without any preparation. Dani shifted on their feet, assuring their steadiness before they locked eyes with their partner. The following vows were an oath, after all. Dani and Sam would be living the rest of their lives on the lines they had arranged together, and now was the time to commit to them in front of the loved ones they had brought to witness.

As Sam delivered the first line, Dani wove their fingers together, craving the steadiness that came with it. "I promise to share your blessings, and your burdens."

SAM: Holding both of Dani's hands, Sam let them ground him in the moment, though his heart felt about ready to run away on him. After their emotional speeches to each other, the next few parts of the ceremony seemed easy in comparison. He smiled down at Holmes for a moment as he took the bouquet, then turned his attention back to their partner as they both began the recitations they'd planned. "To be your comfort, your sanctuary."

DANI: "To be your advocate and your protector," Dani gave his hands another squeeze, knowing their promise here was especially relevant in the wake of the family crisis he was facing, "for every battle."

SAM: Sam smiled a little as Dani squeezed his hands, taking in a breath at the sentiment from Dani. "To be your guide, and your follower, down every pathway, as equals."

DANI: "To be your lover... și sufletul pereche tau."

SAM: "Your light side..."

DANI: Even though they knew the Star Wars reference was coming, Dani still felt their eyes roll and gave an amused snort before replying, with just a hint of a smirk, "Your dark side."

SAM: Sam matched Dani's sly smile at the reference before making yet another, the Dothraki terms of endearment they'd taken to calling each other. "Yeri shekh akka shieraki."

DANI: "Jin jalan ki yeri atthirar," Dani grinned at the slyness they shared, but there was a softness in their eyes as well, because what came next, in their opinion, was the most integral and intimate part of all that they'd planned. This was what weddings were about, weren’t they? They held their breath in preparation, not squeezing Sam’s hands, but tightening the grip itself, then breathed and smiled. "To be your family."

SAM: Sam let out a breath at their words of commitment, making official something that they'd felt for each other for a long time. Family. "To be your family," he replied, gazing into their eyes before he went on. "Dani Savin--"

DANI: Dani dipped their head for no more than an instant, their smile growing with a tiny hitch in their breath. Family played such a huge role in both of their lives, in good ways, bad ways. You couldn't escape family. It would always be there, whether you acknowledged it or not, but choosing one's family, creating a new one, was something far different. Their next great adventure.

"Sam Floros--" Dani moved their hands in toward each other so that they met in the middle and set their focus back where it was meant to be, studying Sam's gaze and transferring one more speechless preparation. 'We've got this. Together. Ready--' Their hands were trembling, but not in any form of fear. They were buzzing with an excited energy that was impossible to entirely physically contain, and they knew Sam could feel it, even beyond its physical manifestation, as they quoted their final line in unison. "I pledge my life and honor to you, for this life and all the lives to come.

SAM: "I pledge my life and honor to you, for this life, and all the lives to come," he recited in unison with them, feeling a wash of happiness and relief flood through him. He could feel Dani's hands trembling in his own, and he pulled them up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to their knuckles, not able to help himself.

IANN: Iann wasn't listening attentively -- again, it was really just too personal and intimate for his interest to hold. Which was fine, because none of this was for him anyway, so it was all win-win for all involved, in Iann's opinion. He was happy to let the happy couple talk meaningful words at and for each other to their warm little respective hearts' content. Iann instead pondered other things: like the cabin in the woods (again) and witches marrying humans, and humans who were raised by vampires, and vampire fathers. That dog that... actually kind of acted rather undog-like. It was... nodding? And sentient? Maybe Soapberry was just like that when it came to animals? Or disconcerting. Iann watched the creature meander back next to him, and he glared at it, and it stared balefully back up at him. Okay good. Glad they got that settled. Once the pair spoke in unison, Iann refocused on them. "Ah --" he waved his hand as if casting a spell. "You're married! Kiss each other while we all applaud your legal bonding that provides tax benefits!"

DANI: "You're married!" Iann said, and Dani felt their heart stop and start again as their marriage became not a hastily thrown together desire for commitment between two lifelong partners, but a stark, living reality sealed by a wave of their mutual friend's hand. They grinned, instantly, and yanked Sam forward by his hands before he could even blink, pulling him down by his vest for a kiss that left them utterly, fantastically breathless. Their hands had found the sides of his face by the time they parted, holding him there where their foreheads touched for a short while longer, wanting to burn every detail into their mind so they'd never forget the moment. "You're mine," they whispered under their breath, just gazing at him and giggling, highly, because they couldn't help themself. "And I'm yours."

SAM: Sam's grin at Iann's words as the moment sunk in was interrupted, though gladly, by Dani dragging him down and kissing him. His arms immediately went around them tightly, lifting them up off their feet, the kiss stealing his breath until he was smiling against their lips. He matched Dani's giddy laughter once they broke apart, as Freya cheered and applauded behind them. "I love you," he murmured.

FANE: Fane looked between Iann, Sam and Dani mostly having observed the ceremony with quiet thoughtfulness, smiling a little at the various fandom aspects he recognised thrown in here and there. He didn't particularly feel like there was much need to say anything, after all this was about Dani and Sam. The pair of them taking a step forward in their lives together, and as it was all sealed with a kiss, he felt happy but also a pang of sadness. They were grown up, an adult, and moving on with their life, and the thought almost knocked him back but he smiled, the act softening his features and masking his sadness whilst he clapped his hands for the both of them, glad that at least they had each other in this.

DANI: "Always," Dani smiled, slipping their arms down over Sam's shoulders and pressing another kiss to his lips, shorter this time. Then they smirked. "You can put me down now, you know." Once they were back on the ground, Dani took Sam's hands again, knowing their ceremony wasn't quite over yet. "Freya!" They looked around their husband's -- husband's, fuck! that was a thing now! -- shoulder and caught the young witch's attention with a sharp eye. "Ready to finish this off?"

SAM: Grinning, Sam set Dani back down as Freya hurried forward with the garland that Sam had made for the handfasting. She moved up in front of them, taking Iann's place as she took a deep breath to prepare herself for this important part of the ceremony. She had memorized the binding spell in the van on the way up, and the Latin words flowed easily from her lips, binding two souls magically as the garland was wrapped symbolically around their hands. Sam could feel something stirring in the air around them, like an electric charge, and then a deep glowing warmth settling within him. Freya's words came to a close, but the spell still needed to be sealed by a proclamation from the newlyweds. "Dani, Sam?" she prompted, having read that their names should be invoked during the spell. Sam looked over at Dani and sealed the spell with a simple yes in Latin, "Etiam."

DANI: Dani couldn't help grinning at Freya's eagerness. She looked about ready to burst with excitement, which they figured would bode well for the magical component of their ceremony. Spells generally turned out best with strong concentration and intent. They watched and listened keenly as the Latin words flowed so smoothly from the girl's lips. Even her wrapping of the garland that Sam had crafted was done with a practiced ease, though she'd never truly performed the spell before this. Dani felt the energy deep in their bones, like there was lightning running through their veins-- not painful, just powerful. Then there was the gradual warming sensation in their chest, making them so much more aware of... everything. "Etiam," Dani repeated after Sam. When the spell was sealed -- or sealing, rather -- the electrical buzz in Dani's body morphed with a supernatural rush akin to being hit by a sudden gust of wind, only from below rather than above. A ley line, possibly. They gasped, almost having to catch their breath as they took in the shift of the atmosphere around them. They could feel the forest and all the greenery around them. It was breathing, a whole network of connected living things all with their own vibrant, thriving energy to be harvested, and yet each energy was different from the next. It took them a second to catch onto what they were actually experiencing. They'd been so caught up in the energy around them that it took a few moments, including a look down at their hands and back up at Sam, finding that it wasn't just the forest's breath that they could detect. Their lips split into a grin. "Holy shit."

SAM: When the words were spoken and the spell coursed through the two of them, binding them together, Sam felt a sudden rush. It wasn't exactly a riptide or tidal wave that hit him, more like a steadily coursing river as he felt connected to the magic that lived deep beneath Dani's skin. He blinked a few times as he took it in, finding it stronger than he expected but pleasantly surprised by it. He knew the sensation would subside, as the binding spell took hold and settled within them both, but in the moment they were connected in a way neither of them had felt before. He could feel the soft buzzing coming off the people around them, and Sam looked up from their hands half expecting to see their auras in color. "Whoa," he murmured, looking back to Dani. He turned his hand up so his fingers threaded with theirs. He met their eyes, and in their heightened state of connection from the spell he could almost feel their heart beating.

DANI: Dani had always known that Sam's magic was central to who he was as person, and while they understood that on a personal level, they now understood it at a much deeper, intimate level. If they had been in his place and lost this -- being able to connect with nature itself and feeling it like a sixth sense -- they would have been ruined for it. Their fingers threaded with his automatically. It was even more instantaneous in this instance where they could literally feel one another beyond what was physically there. Dani kept eye contact with him as the spell settled, the high slowly wearing off but a very, very faint trace of it remained, like there was a string of spider's webbing between them that would send subtle sensations between the two, transferring inklings of emotions as well as warnings of danger. "Do you think... they felt it too?" they asked between breaths, still slightly shaken from making contact with Sam's magic. Not unlike how they'd been affected after being hit by the rebound of their grimoire's magic some few months ago.

SAM: Sam felt the magic settle down, but could still feel that subtle spiritual connection between him and his partner. Spouse. Letting out a breath, he looked over at Freya, who was boggling at them as if she hadn't expected quite that result from her spell. "Are... you guys okay?" Sam smiled at her and unwound the garland and draped it around Freya's neck. "Yeah. More than okay," he said, still slightly breathless. "You did good, kid. You're a good best man." Freya grinned in a way that made her resemble her brother more than she normally did, then she promptly burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck. When she had calmed down a bit and let him go, she repeated the hug on Dani.

DANI: At Freya's question of concern, apparently struck by the spell she'd just cast and how well it had turned out, Dani turned toward her and watched as Sam settled the garland around her neck. They nodded in agreement with Sam's words, "More than okay," and smiled fondly at the two of them. She was crying, again, to no one's surprise, but Dani welcomed her hug with a tight squeeze and a following smirk as the redhead released her. Their hands settled on her shoulders and they looked her firmly in the eye with a glisten of mischief. "Don't tell your sisters, but out of all of them, you're always going to be my favorite." Then they pulled back their hands, only to offer Freya a fist bump as assurance.

SAM: Freya let go of Dani and wiped her face before returning their fist bump. "You're my sister now," she said, a smile breaking across her face that was wet with tears of happiness. She hiccuped a little, then let out a breath, steadying herself. She knew what this meant for her relationship with Sam, things would be different. He was moving out, Dani would be the one he spent all his days with, Dani would come first. Freya was okay with that -- thrilled, actually -- but she'd have to adjust and learn to let her brother go, just a bit. "You take care of him. Got me?" It wasn't that typical sibling-threat one would expect, but instead a plea to stand by Sam and keep him safe, always.

DANI: "You're damn right, I am," Dani chuckled at Freya, her happiness, and the little hiccup that came afterwards. Then Freya turned things to a more serious note, and Dani returned the sincerity in kind, setting that intense gaze on Freya that they regularly utilized when making a promise. "Loud and clear. And if I ever screw up, you can feel free to spell my ass into oblivion. He's in good hands." Dani cast a quick, soft glance over at Sam before they straightened their back and turned toward the pair of grumbly old souls -- aka Iann and Holmes, who was still sitting there with a bunch of flowers in his mouth, evidently not thrilled about it -- and called out to the one that was human. "Cardero!" Dani waved him in their direction with an almost commanding tone. "Get over here, c'mon. I've got shit to say to you."

IANN: Iann made a mental note to demand what Freya had done, at some point after all this. It looked like a binding spell of some-sort, but Iann wanted to know the details. Since binding spells tended to vary in weight and bond depending on the spell, the ritual, the people involved, etc. This was was no doubt something to do with marriage, but still, Iann liked acquainting himself with the magical differences and nuances, especially if it was a coven thing. "Looks like you're stuck, pal," Iann said to the dog, before making his way over to the couple. "What do you have to say to me," Iann barked back at Dani, but his fingers pressed against their shoulder and Iann leaned in to kiss their cheek. "Felicidades, Savin Jr," Iann said to Dani before he grinned at Sam, scruffing the witch by the neck like one would a cat and delivering a more smacking kiss to his cheek as well. "Or is it felicidades Savin-Floros?"

SAM: Sam chuckled a little at the exchange between his sister and his spouse, but he caught the meaning in Dani's glance and felt the sincerity of their words. As Dani called Iann over to them, Sam slid back over to Freya and put his arm around her shoulder, tugging her against his side as she kept sniffling. He groaned at the exaggerated kiss to his cheek, but even that moment of sarcasm couldn't hide how happy he truly was. "We haven't talked about any of that," he admitted, chuckling. He wasn't convinced that changing anyone's name was necessary, it didn't make them any less married than they were right then.

DANI: Dani maintained a cross look for playful show until Iann came over and, to Dani's pleasant surprise, pressed a kiss to their cheek. It was one thing to receive that sort of affection from Sam, but getting it from Iann caused Dani's face to go red in a blush. While he was distracted with Sam, Dani stepped over and threw their arms around Iann's neck, giving him as tight a hug they could manage from being stretched up on the tips of their toes. They held there for a few seconds, sighing out as if he'd removed some massive weight off their back. "Thank you, Iann," they said, clearly, not some shy whisper in his ear but something they wanted Sam to hear too. "I'm really glad you fell off that stupid ship." That probably sounded a lot worse than it was, but Iann would understand, they knew. When they let him go, acting as if the heartfelt little moment had never happened, Dani considered the surname idea with a hum. "I mean... I think Floros-Savin sounds better, personally. But, I don't see any reason why we'd need to change names. Unless you want to," they looked at Sam questionably, curious for his opinion.

IANN: The hug honestly did come as a surprise. He expected the usual Dani-reaction: a shove or a snort or some snarky remark or even completely bypassing the well-wishing for something far more interesting. Which, honestly, was what Iann loved Dani for -- their inability to express certain things, in certain ways. It was one of those things that made Iann feel welcome in the loft, really -- their natural, congenial avoidance of anything... mushy. Touchy. It wasn't that Dani couldn't express, but they did it at arm's length from Iann and/or in the safe, protective privacy of Sam's arms. It was a good system, but of course their adorably heartfelt wedding did call for something a bit more expressive. And being Dani, they traded in Iann's kiss for a tight hug. A well-made barter if ever there was one. The 'thank you' made Iann clear his throat a few times gruffly (It was a frog. Allergies. Chewing gum caught in his throat.) and then Dani was back gaily discussing names with Sam, as Iann dreamily thought fondly of the SS Cormorant, and the way it all rolled out to this pretty fucking amazing moment in their collective lives.

SAM: Sam gave Freya a little shake as she finished sniffling and calmed down again. "Thanks, Iann," Sam said in agreement, smiling over at him as Dani hugged him. "Don't forget to sign the thing later," he teased, though not actually sure how many weddings Iann had officiated before. He shrugged when Dani asked about the name. "Floros-Savin does sound better, it's the S-S. But I don't think we need to. We've never really been traditional, anyway." Just saying it brought a smile to his face, since this entire day had been as nontraditional as they could get. But in the end, he wouldn't have it any other way.

DANI: Dani smiled at Sam's response, nodding softly before they answered, "No, we haven't, have we?" They chuckled and sidestepped over towards him, nudging under his arm so it could drape over them, like in Freya's case, and rested their head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. They didn't care about names or titles or what anyone else thought of them -- what they thought might be 'right' or 'conventional' in opposition to their very impromptu, very unique little marriage ceremony -- as long as they had him, that was all they needed. His coven was likely to be furious, but they'd face that obstacle when the time was right. Whatever the case, they wouldn't be able to break up the two of them now. Their marriage wasn't only legal, it was spiritual-- or, magically established. They weren't sure exactly how the bonding spell worked, but the results certainly had a weight of permanence about them. "So we'll keep our names for now, and if we change our minds later, we'll work it out then. One thing at a time, yeah?"

FANE: Fane stood by as Dani thanked Iann and Sam spoke to Freya, a part of him itching to pull out a smoke if only for the comforting familiarity of the scent and taste, knowing he'd speak to both Dani and Sam in their own respective time. It wasn't as if any of them were in a rush, and plus, Sam was now officially family. Not only in the general sense of the term but legally as well. There were also arrangements for some sort of hashed-up celebratory BBQ in the gardens along with finding an adequate gift. He'd just received a text from Ryan, who wasn't best pleased at being excluded from the activities, when Fane noticed Dani approaching out of the corner of his eye and he tucked his phone away. "That was... wow," he breathed out, not really sure what else he could say considering the mixture of things he was feeling right now regarding everything going on, but he kept a light smile. "You know, Ry isn't happy at the lack of invite, by the way."

DANI: After Dani had given their thanks to Iann and Freya, they pressed a kiss to Sam's cheek -- the one Iann hadn't smooched -- and left him to converse with his sister and their mutual friend. Fane had been quiet throughout most of the ordeal, perhaps in shock or as a means of processing the myriad of emotions Dani knew he must be feeling right now. He wasn't the biggest fan of sudden, life-changing events, and neither was Dani. But Sam was their exception to every rule. Today had been more than enough evidence for that.

Dani dipped their head and a quiet laugh slipped past their lips at their father's grapple for words. "Not too bad, huh? And to think I lacked the skill for event planning." As they neared him, their arms opened and wrapped him in a hug around his middle, lingering there for a short time while they breathed. "I know," they murmured into his chest, making a half step back to look up at him but not yet breaking their embrace. Their foot lifted and flexed once to indicate where their phone had been this whole time. "My foot feels like it's practically gone numb from all his texting. I should have thought to put it on silent."

Another laugh later, Dani sighed and fixed a more sincere expression in their father's view. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you earlier, but we wanted it to be secret. We couldn't risk anyone finding out before it was done, and there was always the chance that if I'd texted you and Ryan had seen it, he would have blown up the local social media and spoiled the surprise. I wish he could have been here -- I wish everyone could have been here -- but you were the only one we needed, and the smaller the crowd the better." Dani dropped their arms and stepped back, but took Fane's hands, squeezed them, and smiled warily. "You're a father to the both of us, you always have been. We trust you, and we will fill you in, just later." They glanced back toward Sam with a tiny glint of worry in their eye. "Today is supposed to be happy, and I'd like to keep it that way."

FANE: Fane still really wasn't entirely sure how he felt, and perhaps it was cold or cruel or whatever other word that might be thrown about, but he couldn't really help the disassociation he felt to the current situation and goings on. Even if it was a long time coming. After all, one of his only hopes when Dani did grow up was to be involved and help plan this particular day and being excluded regardless of the reasons for it... Well, there wasn't much he could say to it beyond it didn't leave him feeling particularly celebratory. This was about Dani moving on with their life and Fane letting them go, he'd hoped it would be a transition and yet it felt like a ripcord had been pulled and yanked him out a plane at ten thousand feet. But those were feelings and things he kept to himself, and as Dani approached he plastered a smile onto his features, banding such things away for his own private contemplation as he enveloped them in a hug, letting them lean into his taller frame and rubbing their back gently. He glanced down at their foot and laughed a little, "Guess it serves you right. This certainly won't be the last you or I will suffer of his complaining. Now I hope you realise the fate you've bound us all to."

The explanation only served to ease ever so slightly how he felt, being told how much he was the only one needed here but he merely shook his head as Dani went on to explain what had prompted all of this. "Don't worry about it... I spoke to Sam earlier and he said the same thing, so... I believe you, whatever it is..." Fane assured, retreating to his natural stance of not making a big deal out of how he felt publicly, especially when he recognised the glint of worry in their eyes when they directed their gaze towards Sam. "And, you're both family to me... You always will be and I'm always going to be here if you ever need me... No matter what happens, hm? You're my child and I love you... I love you more than anything in this world and I'm happy for you. Truly so." he gave their hands a reassuring squeeze. "I might not have much experience with weddings but one thing I know is usually they're happy occasions. Domestic scenes caused by drunk family members aside." The last part was said lightly to ease the conversation, not particularly wanting to weigh it down with anything overly heavy.

IANN: Meanwhile, Iann gooses Sam, and Freya totally encourages it while she takes photos. Really, really artful photos of Sam getting goosed by his marriage's officiant-- what a story to tell the kids, ten years from now!

DANI: Dani groaned. "He's never going to let this go, is he? At least you have the excuse of being roped in unawares. I'm the one who gets to bear the brunt of his angsty complaining." It did serve them right. Despite how wonderful the ceremony had been, the rest of their family had been left out of it. And the friends who had come to know them or had known them from before -- Ruby, Tuah, Teddy, Bella, Nuadia, to name a few. And Sofia -- who had been rooting for them from the start, constantly badgering the two of them to 'just get together already!' But she wouldn't have been able to come even if she wanted to. She was Adele's daughter, which meant that if she had come to support their marriage, she would be putting herself at risk for being ousted from the coven as well. It was simply too great of a risk.

"How many bottles of wine do you think it's gonna take before Ry is hanging from the chandelier?" Dani took the lightened tone of the conversation in their stride, snickering at the thought of all the drama they were likely to face later that night. But the laughter turned to fondness with ease, Fane's loving words still swirling around in their head. They gripped his hand tightly once more, their eyes getting watery around the edges. They told themself it was just the hilarious idea of Ryan's antics, but truthfully, they knew that wasn't the case. "Te iubesc, Tată. I know I suck at showing it, but I do. And although you didn't have much of a part to play in the ceremony, it would mean the world to us if you'd come down to town and help us really get this officialized. After all, you know far more about paperwork and legal logistics than we do. In fact, we... we don't really know what we're doing at all. We haven't made any plans or talked about where we're going from here, but... we'll figure it out. That's what we've always done, and I'm sure we'll need some old man pointers along the way." They threw a tease in at the end to lighten things again, then got caught up watching the antics between Iann and Sam, smirking like a fox at the amusing annoyance their husband had been left to face.

SAM: When Sam escaped from the attention of both his sister and Iann, he went the short distance to join Dani and Fane, greeting his new father-in-law with a wide smile. Jumping into the conversation once the sweet moment between them had passed, hearing Dani say that they needed help making it all official. "We need a marriage license," he put in. "You must know at least someone at City Hall, right?" They had both been hoping Fane would be able to pull some strings and get them their paperwork without them having to wait for it, because they were impatient. As this impromptu ceremony clearly showed. "And rings, but I think we have an idea for that," he said, smiling over at Dani.

IANN: "He's probably not going to talk to me for a week now," Iann said to Freya, laughing and also vaguely wondering if he should go. This was starting to melt into a pleasant and intimate family affair, and Iann didn't want to be a part of intimate family junk. He took Freya's hand and shook it. "Tell them bye," he said to her, then paused as he looked around. "Ahh.... also can you tell me which way to get out of here? Forest all looks the fucking same to me." Sure Dani drove him here, but he could easily walk a ways and maybe hitch a ride to Pyewacket… once he was placed back on the road, anyway.

FANE: "Nope, enjoy that hole you've dug yourself into," Fane needled lightly out of good-humour despite everything. Though the talk of alcohol and Ryan caused him to chuckle, "Oh a fair few, maybe five depending on the vintage obviously. No champagne either, you know what he thinks of that piss water," his lips curled into a wry smile. The Romanian caused him to dip his head, stepping in to hug them again and press a kiss to their temple. "I know." But he put half a step back between them at the talk of helping them with the... paperwork side of things. Of course he got lumbered with the paperwork side of it. It was hard not to feel a little stir of something not all too great, but again he smiled at Dani and Sam as he joined their small gathering, stepping over to give him a hug too. "Yeah, 'course, I've got a few strings I can pull to get it put through... Speaking of, what are you doing for rings?"

DANI: "Oh yes, I'm very aware. He ranted about it profusely the last time he got thoroughly hammered at a party." Dani shook their head, warmed by the memories of their most externally dramatic family member. They leaned into their father's kiss and smiled at Sam's approach, even more so when he and Fane shared a touching father-son embrace. "Thank you, Dad. We're going to owe you, big time." Dani found Sam's hand without having to look and gave their arms a bit of a swing, grinning across at him. "Oh, I might have booked a little tattoo session. Nothing like a bit of permanent ink to seal the deal, yeah?"

SAM: Sam couldn't help pressing a quick kiss against Dani's temple when they took his hand. The paperwork wasn't something he was super concerned about, it was just a formality really. He knew signing the papers wouldn't make him feel any more married than he already did in that moment. He grinned at them as they described the idea they'd come up with together earlier in the day. Finding rings that they both liked, in the right size, and in the time constraint of their sudden elopement, just wouldn't have been possible. Not to mention the fact that they both preferred the idea of tattoos to traditional rings anyway. "It'll be great," he said excitedly, looking forward to getting new ink, especially one that meant so much to both of them on the most important day of their lives. Before they could head out though, Sam looked back to realize that Holmes had had enough of the festivities and was lying on the ground at his spot by the tree, the bouquet still dutifully in his mouth. Sam whistled, and the old dog got to his feet and padded over to them. Sam took the bouquet from him with a little smile, brushing it off a bit before he passed it back to Dani. "Ready?" he asked his new spouse, grinning again just at the reality of being married to Dani.

DANI: If Dani and Sam never got around to signing any paperwork, Dani wouldn't have cared. Maybe official logistics mattered to some people, but their vows and the spell that Freya had cast was more than enough for them. Hell, for all they cared, they'd been married the moment they'd decided to get married. The tattoos were important to the both of them as a physical recognition of the ceremony they had both now completed. Dani was accustomed to getting new ink. They would always love the sensation of it, but this appointment was one they would remember above the others because it stood for something so much more profound than just a protective measure or a symbol of equality. They would be marking their bond on skin, externally, to reflect the internal -- even spiritual -- connection they shared and sworn to keep. When Holmes padded over at Sam's call, a little warmth blossomed in Dani's chest. 'Not a dog person' their ass. Holmes never would have listened to him if he hadn't grown to like the florist at least a bit and felt respected in return. He was picky that way. Dani took the bouquet from Sam with a slight grimace, finding the stems a bit damp as a result of being held so long and so dutifully. However, it didn't damper their spirits in the slightest. "Yeah," they grinned at their newly proclaimed husband, tugging on his vest to steal one last small kiss before they headed out. "Let's get inked. We've got a town-wide social media to fuck up."